“You’ve never had steak,” Caroline tells him. “Go watch television so I can talk to Justin for a minute.”

He gets off the stool and looks at me as if I’m in trouble. She waits for him to walk out of the room before turning to me.

“I don’t need you buying me stuff,” she says. “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, leaning against the counter. “When did I ever say you can’t take care of yourself?”

“This,” she says, picking up the phone. “This isn’t the first time my phone service has been cut off.”

“Well, it’s going to be the last because it’s not safe for you and Dylan to be without a phone.”

“And that …” she says, pointing at me. “You can’t keep doing that either. I’m a good mom.” She points at herself.

“No,” I say, and her hand falls as tears well in her eyes, “you aren’t a good mom.”

“What?” she whispers.

“You’re a great mom,” I say. “The best mom.” I walk to her. “But you’re also my woman, and I’m going to take care of you.”

“Your woman?” she asks.

“Yeah, I know.” I smile. “I admit that Matthew used to walk around all the time claiming Karrie as his woman, and I never understood it. I mean, my father loves my mother with everything he has. He literally won’t eat if she’s not at the table beside him.” She looks at me. “Let me help you. You have all these balls in the air, and it’s okay if you let me catch them.”

“I’ve been doing this all by myself for the past eight years,” she says. “I just …” She looks down, and I put my hand under her chin and lift her face so I can see her eyes. “I just don’t know how to let anyone in.”

“How about we start with baby steps?” I suggest. “Take the phone, and when the other one gets turned back on, you can give it back to me.”

“That won’t be for another two weeks,” she says, and I suddenly fill with rage. She was planning to go two weeks without a phone. There could be so many situations that come up, and she wouldn’t have any lifeline.

“Then it’s two weeks,” I say. “It doesn’t make you a weaker person if you accept help. You know that.”

“I do,” she says, letting out a deep sigh. “It’s just that I don’t want to depend on anyone. I want to do this on my own.”

“And you have been, but if there is a helping hand”—I lean in and kiss her lips—“accept it. I won’t bite.” I smirk now. “I mean, unless you want me to.”