“No problem.” I pulled the stack of boxes out of the back pantry. “How long have you been playing?”

Shay was quiet for a moment, and I thought she might not answer. “Almost as long as I can remember.”

“I’d love to hear you sometime.”

“Maybe.”

That single word might as well have been a hell no. But I knew what it was to hold some dreams close to your chest. I wouldn’t push Shay to share hers with me. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’m going to load this up in the boat and then I’ll come back for groceries.”

“Sounds good. I’m about to head out to pick up Will from football, but Max will be here to check you out.”

Shay nodded. “Thanks again for all of this.”

“Anytime. Just call or email if you need something else.”

“Will do.”

I made quick work of cleaning up my station. My little family had settled into a routine of sorts, and Griffin had become a huge part of that. On the days Will had football, Griffin picked up the girls from school while I stayed at work, usually to catch up on bookkeeping. Then I would get Will and dash home to make us all a quick dinner. Weekends were all hands on deck. We worked tirelessly on the farmhouse, but everyone loved it. Mia even complained when she had to leave for gymnastics in the afternoons. Pancakes and movie nights remained a tradition. And our extended family potluck dinners had become regular occurrences, too.

Life was good. But I couldn’t help but wonder if we were overstaying our welcome. Every time I tried to bring it up with Griffin, he would simply shake his head and say, “You’re staying.” But at some point, we’d have to go back to our regular lives. But they’d be missing such a vital piece.

I made my way up to Max at the front register. “You sure you’re all right to ride solo until Molly gets here?”

Max’s head snapped up, his focus going from his phone to me. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ve got the routine down.”

I surveyed Max’s face. He’d been a huge help since he came aboard. Never late and always willing to do whatever we needed. But he looked exhausted and had dark circles rimming his blue eyes. “Everything okay?”

His hold on the phone tightened, his fingers bleaching white. “My ex. She’s moving Trevor to the mainland.”

“Oh, Max. I’m so sorry.” I reached out to squeeze his shoulder, but he flinched away, a flash of anger in his eyes. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, but it had me stepping back, nonetheless.

“I’ll never get to see my son now.”