Page 15 of Scoring Chances
He looks over at the girl, swimming happily in the pool. “I… I haven’t got that far.”
“Joshua…” I breathe out.
“I panicked, okay? The caseworker lady said it’s best to keep things as normal as possible for them, so that’s what I’m trying to do.” He throws his hands up.
I rub a hand down my face. “This isn’t some goldfish that you flushed down the toilet… this is their father,” I whisper yell. “You can’t just pretend like he’s… still alive.”
He covers Parker’s ears. “Well, then… what do you suggest super nanny? You already see how knowing something this big can affect a kid. Just look at Cole. He barely leaves his room. And even when he does it’s to storm off and hate the world.”
Honestly, I’m at a loss. How do you tell an eight year old girl that her daddy–the only parent she had left–is not coming back?
“I didn’t know what to say so I just said he’s on vacation. I left out the part that it was permanent and in heaven," he sighs.
I wish I would’ve known. I’ve tiptoed around the topic of the kid’s father because I didn’t know how they felt about it. I had no idea they didn’t know the actual truth.
“They need to find out eventually,” I tell him.
He nods. “They will. Just as soon as I figure out how.”
“Hey Cassidy! Look at this,” Maddie calls out. I turn to face her, and she dives into the water and pops up a few seconds later, spitting water like a whale.
I smile at the carefree child. “Looking good, Maddie girl.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile.
Indira, the house manager, slides the back door open. “Lunch is ready!”
Parker perks up like he didn’t just swallow water and give us all heart palpitations. Maddie swims to the edge of the pool.
“What are we having?” Maddie asks her.
“Mac and cheese,” Indira says. “Your favorite.”
I follow closely behind the toddler and look back to see Joshua hasn’t moved from his spot. He seems lost in thought. And I want to turn around and comfort him. But I’m not here to take care of him. I’m here for the kids. So I leave him to it.
I’m sure the news of his father passing isn’t something he’s fully dealt with yet either. And that must be it's own kind of hell to have to grapple with.
Maddie meets up with me and Parker and I wrap her in a towel, too, before we join Indira inside.
Cole pushes away the plate in front of him.
“You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning,” I tell him.
He shrugs. “I’m not hungry.”
“You need to eat something, Cole,” I insist.
He pushes his chair back and reaches for the fruit basket in the middle of the table, pulling an apple and stuffing it into his hoodie.
“May I be excused?” he asks me, dryly.
I sigh. “Sure.”
Without another word, he stalks away from the kitchen nook where we’ve been served lunch.
Maddie is excitedly digging into her bowl, and I’m helping Parker, who keeps trying to escape the restraints of his high chair when Keelan enters the kitchen.
“The teenager still raging?” he asks, opening the door to the fridge.