Carefully, I place Valerie, who is still sleeping, into her father’s arms. Then, ruffle Lucas’s hair and say, “Thank you for inviting me to draw with you, buddy.”

“Will you come to my baseball game?”

“Just have your parents or your aunt text me the details.” I barely turn my head as I leave to say, “See you around, Claire.”

When I get into my apartment, I feel lonelier than I’ve been in a long time. I want this. To spend my weekends with Claire, make dinner for her, and just relax while she’s right beside me. I run a hand through my hair as I think about the past few hours. How natural it felt. I want a family. Our family. And it was that stupid decision I made more than a couple of years back that brought me to today.

Worse, I can’t live with the stupid consequences of my acts. Tonight, she has a date. I could stay home, watch a movie, and let her live her life. It’d be easy to ignore the weight pressing against my chest.

I couldn’t live with the consequences of not trying to get her back. If I go to her brother’s bar, I might get a black eye. That’s something I can handle. Losing her isn’t.

Thirty-Nine

Claire

“Hi, Sis,” Thomas greets me as I arrive at the bar. “Did you come to help me?”

“Ha, aren’t you funny, Tom-Tom,” I say, pointing at the neon sign mounted on the wall. “That logo and the bar’s branding are plenty of help. You’re welcome.”

“Can’t blame me for trying,” he comments, setting his hands on top of the bar and asking, “so what brought you here?”

“Can I get me a margarita on the rocks, use Clase Azul.”

“Don’t dodge my question, Claire,” he warns me, as he gets to work mixing my margarita. “Nikki mentioned something about a visitor.”

“She’s a tattletale,” I complain. “We can talk about that later.”

“That sounds like an issue I don’t want to deal with. Are you here with some friends?”

“I’m meeting a blind date,” I say, looking around the crowded room. “He’s supposed to arrive at nine. Jeans, dark T-shirt. Nothing special.”

“Exciting,” he says, setting the glass on top of the counter.

Excitement isn’t the word I’d use to describe my current mood. I’m over meeting guys who aren’t interested in more than sex. If, by any chance, we get past the awkward discussion of, “I don’t sleep on the first date.” Well, I’m not sure what happens because it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten past that first date.