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“He was so great with the kids, Jer.Honestly.Raphael couldn’t stop talking about how much fun they had.And you know they’re not always effusive or enthusiastic about babysitters.”

Hell, sometimesIwasn’t entirely welcome.“Okay…”

“Of course he might say no.But…what if he doesn’t?He could do this for a while until he figures out what he wants to do.I’d need to do a background check?—”

Which I was one-hundred percent certain would come back clean.

Still, better safe than sorry.

“And I’d want him to take a childcare minicourse.The rec center is offering one starting the week after next.Admittedly, most of the people in the class will be teenagers, but I don’t think that would bother him.If it does, I could probably arrange some private instruction.And there’s the online course on parenting free-spirit kids that was so helpful with Raphael.He could take that?—”

“You’ve really thought about this.”

“I have.”She cleared her throat.“If you could’ve heard Raphael.They…they don’t give their trust often.Someone has to earn it.Over the last week, Phillip’s earned it.”

“This might just be a ploy to get Wally in the door.”

She laughed.“Oh, I thought of that as well.I pointed out that Wally might be overwhelmed and want to stay home with Uncle Jeremy.”

“At least some of the time they can come here.”I gazed around.The solarium could be closed off from the rest of the house, including the area in the front where I worked.

“So you think this is a good idea?”

I remembered the exhausted man I’d tucked into my bed last night.“The kids are a lot, Marcie.Hell, I don’t even know if Phillip likes kids.”Or if he wants ones of his own.Which was the most ridiculous question ever to ask since I barely knew the guy…except I wanted to know what he wanted from life.Or what he thought he wanted.Or what he thought he was supposed to want.Because those could all be very different things.

“I’m asking if you have an objection to me talking to him about it.”Her voice carried an edge to it.

Tread carefully.

“Marcie.”I swirled the cursor in random patterns.“You’re an adult.He’s an adult.Yes, he’s…had issues.He’s been very candid with me about them and, I think to a lesser extent, with you.Do I have any misgivings about him spending time with the kids?None.Do you want me to pay for the background check and the childcare classes?I’m happy to do it.Hell, I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”

“They’re a step up from babysitting lessons, but a far cry from early childhood education classes.”

I blinked.“Yeah, okay.He spent one day with your kids, and you think he’d be good with them?”

“He’s spent several different times with my kids and I know he’s good with them.Look, you know I’m very analytical.”

Which was part of how she coped with Raphael’s autism.“Yes.”

“This is a gut instinct.I promise I’ll ask him in a way that makes it easy to say no, if he doesn’t like the idea.”

I pursed my lips.“He talked about the kids this morning.He lit right up.”

“And you didn’t tell me this first because…”

I could hear her tapping her metaphorical foot.Hell, maybe even her literal one.“Because I didn’t want to get your hopes up.I wanted to know what your intentions were.”

“My intentions.How about yours, big brother?What are your plans for the future?”

“I’m taking things day by day.”

I didn’t often lie to my sister.

Like, ever.

Because she always called me out on my bullshit.

But that lie stuck in my craw as I worked through the next few hours.Same old, same old until two emails hit my inbox at the same time.After only a fraction of a second’s hesitation, I opened the one from the lawyer first.