DANIEL WORKED AN overnight after watching Aaron for the evening. Note to self–don’t do that again. He’d forgotten how much work an infant could be. In any case, by the time he arrived at the soccer field that night for his nephew’s game, the match had started and Charlie was on the field. Charlie was quite intense on the ball for a ten-year-old boy, and his footwork was impressive. Daniel’s heart filled with pride. The sensation wasn’t new, just a bit rusty.

Ten minutes in, the coach made a substitution, and a tired and sweaty Charlie grinned and waved at Daniel from the sidelines. Daniel waved back and turned to find a place to open his lawn chair and sit down. His stomach clenched when he caught sight of his father standing just a few feet away, watching him as intently as he had been watching Charlie.

He walked over to his father. It wasn’t that they didn’t talk; it was that Daniel never knew what to say to him. It was easier if his sister or mother were around, though it hadn’t always been that way. They’d had their share of father-son disagreements, but those were mostly growing pains. Things had really changed after Sara died. His father had supported him by telling him that it was his responsibility to take care of his wife. Men didn’t need time to grieve. They simply moved on.

Except that Daniel had just shut down. And because he still felt the pain of Sara’s death as keenly as if it had just happened yesterday, he knew he had failed, not only Sheila, but his father, too.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Daniel.” His father nodded. “See the footwork on our boy?”

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, kid’s a natural. Where’s Em?”

“She got held up at work. Michael, too. That’s why I’m here.”

Daniel nodded, trying not to be obvious in his discomfort of having to be alone with his father. He considered standing elsewhere, but that seemed extreme.

“Nice that you made it to the game. He’s talked about nothing else all day.” His father was starting a conversation. Weird.

“He’s a good kid.” Daniel tried not to be too obvious as he looked around. Maybe Ba was here? “Sorry I was late. Got held up at the hospital.”

“Happens.” His father shrugged and looked Daniel square in the eye. “He’s really happy you’ve been coming around.”

A long-forgotten gentleness in the older man’s voice jerked Daniel’s attention properly to his father. He was met with that familiar green gaze but there was something softer about the older man, something—hesitant.

“He, uh, really missed you. Probably could have benefited from you teaching him some foot skills.”

“He’s got Michael.”