Sure they can, swee’ pea. They see it in everything you do and hear it in every word you say. But the thing that matters is that you know it’s there. Their mother had taken their hands and looked at them for a long moment, eyes full of love and what Tobias now knew had been hope for their futures she’d miss. Promise me that when something seems too big or scary, you’ll remember what I’m telling you right now. They’d promised without hesitation. There is nothing a beautiful soul can’t do, and you are the two most beautiful souls on this earth.

Tobias swore he felt her squeezing his hand and looked down at his fingers curled tightly around the handlebars. He unfurled them and pressed his palms to his thighs. He’d faced men twice his size, ruthless murderers who would have taken his life without a second thought, and had never been as scared as he was right then. But in prison he hadn’t had anyone waiting on the other side of those fights for him other than his grandfather, and at the time, he hadn’t been sure his presence in his grandfather’s life would do more good than harm.

Now he knew better.

Now he had Madigan, and her family and friends, and he understood that even if he played a different role in his grandfather’s life, it was still an important one.

Now he had a life and a future he desperately wanted hanging in the balance of this perilous night.

He climbed off the bike, gathering his courage like a cloak. The living room curtains were open, a spray of light spilling in from a hallway. Three years was a long time. What ifs came at him from all directions, each one a rapid-fire bullet, making it hard to breathe. Madigan’s voice broke through the noise, coaxing him through the gate. I know puppets can’t fix it, but maybe you can by just knocking on a door and letting her know you’d like to talk.

His sister walked into the living room, and he stilled, his heart beating so hard he was sure she could feel it pulsing in the air. She was talking on the phone, smiling, wearing shorts and a T-shirt. She picked up a stuffed toy from the floor and tucked it under her arm, oblivious to his presence. A dozen thoughts came at once. Did he have the right to intrude in her life? Would she even open the door if she saw it was him? Should he turn around and leave…?