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ME

She’s married to your biggest fan. It could get awkward. I make no promises about Ron’s level of chill.

GRIFFIN

Bring it on.

Kara makes a show of fanning herself. “That is so hot. Everything about it—Griffin West making your favorite meal, being vulnerable, and then making out in the kitchen. Holy cow, how is this your life?”

“I’ve been asking myself the same question, if I’m honest,” I say after swallowing a bite of my sandwich. I give Kara a serious look. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

“Why would you think that?” she asks.

I drop eye contact. “I don’t know. He’s just so . . . different than what I pictured for myself in a partner. His schedule is utter madness, and maybe that’s the worst kind of position to put myself in when I’m tryingto figure out life for Jason. Am I being selfish by pursuing a relationship with Griffin when Jason needs so much love and support?”

“We’ve been over this, Danae,” Kara says with a sigh.

“Go over it again. You know how much I mull things over,” I say.

Kara rolls her eyes. “You’re like a cow regurgitating its food to chew on again.” I scrunch up my nose at her gross analogy. “Swallow this down, once and for all, Danae Collins: you deserve happiness. You deserve love. You having more happiness and more love in your life is only going to make it possible for you to give even more to Jason. Plus, it sounds like Griffin is amazing with Jason. And the sister. I don’t see anything about this being negative for Jason. So stop worrying.”

“When has ‘stop worrying’ ever worked with me?” I ask wryly.

“Let this be the first time,” Kara admonishes, pinning me with a look. “I’m serious.”

I sigh again. “Also, Griffin suggested that we should do something together with you and Ron sometime. He wants to meet my best friend.”

Kara nearly drops her fork, laden with leftover pasta. “Do you understand what you’d be getting yourself into, putting Ron in the same room with the Wizard of Defense? Are you sure about this?”

I laugh. “I told Griff the same thing, but he seems to think he can handle it.”

Kara smiles and points her fork at me. “Don’t think I missed that shortened nickname. You’ve officially hit the next level of intimacy: pet names.”

“Calling him Griff instead of Griffin is hardly a pet name. Can you please eradicate the term ‘pet name’ from your vocabulary altogether? Along with ‘levels of intimacy?’ You’re so weird,” I say.

“Says the one who chooses this weirdo as her bestie.”

Susan pokes her head into the library and asks, “Danae, could I talk to you in the hallway for a moment?” Susan is Jason’s classroom teacherthis year, and my stomach sinks at her request. It’s been a long week, and I’ve been looking forward to a quiet Friday evening to decompress. Griffin has some dinner he has to attend, so I was planning on a date with a book tonight after Jason's bedtime. I get the sinking feeling that my quiet evening is about to be derailed.

Jason is tucked away in the reading tent while I’m finishing up a few tasks, so I follow her out to the hallway. She lowers her voice. “I wanted to get your help with something. There have been several kids in my class over the past couple of weeks who have had things go missing. Nothing major, just little trinkets like pencil toppers, or the erasers and smelly pens I give out as behavior incentives. One of the boys claims he saw Jason take something from another student’s desk today. I asked Jason about it, but he was pretty evasive. Could you maybe have a follow-up conversation with him tonight?”

I let out a long breath. “Of course, I can.”

Susan looks at me with compassion. “I’m so sorry. I know this is all really hard. I’m on your team, on Jason’s team. Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

Nodding, I assure Susan I’ll keep her posted. The knot of dread twists in my stomach for the remainder of the afternoon as we head home and make dinner.

“Hey bud, I need to ask you about something,” I say after we’ve eaten. I at least wanted his blood sugar to be regulated before having this conversation.

Jason looks at me, waiting. Something about the moment feels like a ticking time bomb.

“Ms. Willard told me today that some of the kids in your class have been missing some items, and someone thought they saw you take something out of another student’s desk. Could you tell me about that?” I ask.

His eyes look panicked, but he promptly shuts down the jittery energy as his face reddens. “I didn’t take nothing. That student was lying. Or maybe he saw wrong. I swear I didn’t take anything.”

I’m so out of my depth. It seems obvious that he’s not telling the truth, but he swears heistelling the truth. How do I get him to behonest without damaging his trust in me because I don’t believe him? I’m paralyzed by indecision.

“Can I go play Legos now?” Jason asks. The jittery energy is back.