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“Your mom and dad both love you all.”

“Right,” said Henry as though he didn't really believe it. “Hadley's really pretty,” he added, changing the subject.

“Um, yes,” said Florence, starting to feel out of her depth.

“So are are you though. Just, like, in a different way,” he continued. “And you're pretty different, but you could still be friends. My dad says that we should have lots of different kinds of people around us because that's how we learn and what makes us better.”

“Huh,” said Florence. “Your dad's a smart guy.”

“Yeah. I get it though. You don't want to be friends with everyone.”

“You should give people a chance,” Florence said, aware as the words came out of her mouth that she was being a hypocrite.

“Eh,” shrugged Henry.

“No,” Florence said. “You should. You're a smart boy, Henry. You're funny, and you're nice to be around when you're not angry. Having friends is important. Giving people a chance to prove themselves is important. You don't want people to look at you and think 'oh, he's grumpy and sulky and I'd never be friends with him.' You want them to give you a shot, right?”

“S'pose,” Henry said.

And that was that. Florence picked up the picnic things, tidying away so that no trace of them was left on the little beach. And she had to take her own advice. She had to give Hadley a chance, even if it was to be just friends, because... Because Hadley had given her a chance. Hadley had kissed her right on back.

Because Hadley could be good for her. Hadley could make her more... more fun. Hadley made her the kind of person that jumped into the water with all her clothes on.

She waited until they were all in the car and driving home before she said: “Who wants cookies?”

A cheer went up and she smiled to herself. The coffee shop would be close to closing time. They could pick up some cookies and give Hadley a ride home at the same time. And maybe tonight she'd do some apologizing, some communicating, maybe she and Hadley could tentatively try something.

She couldn't shut people out forever.

She had to be open to new things.

The job was important, but it was a completely separate thing, she could compartmentalize. She'd spent her entire life doing it. So why not this? Why not have a little something for herself? After all, it seemed like the kids were suffering while she denied herself, which was hardly the point.

But after, when she was seeing what she saw and then walking out and slamming the coffee shop door behind her, jumping into the car, driving the kids home, she really, really wished that she hadn't let her guard down at all.

Chapter Twenty One

Her phone rang just as she was unlocking the front door of the coffee shop.

“Hello?”

“Hello there stranger.”

“Dad?”

“Do you have lots of other older men calling you?” he laughed.

Hadley grinned. “Not as many as you might think,” she said, turning the shop sign to open. “Is everything okay?”

“That would be why I'm calling. I haven't heard from you for weeks. I'm starting to think that you might be disowning me.”

Hadley dropped her bag behind the counter. Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she talked to her father. When she was in the city they talked at least weekly. And, she realized now, most of the time money was part of that reason.

Did she really hit her dad up for cash that often?

“Uh, I've been working,” she said. “Not an excuse, but I have been kind of busy. Three kids will run you ragged.”

“Tell me about it,” he said.