Page 117 of The Goalie in Room 1

Warm and solid and standing on his own.

His face turned into my neck. “I thought you’d be there.”

The words landed quietly.

Deep.

My hand tightened against his back. “I was supposed to be.”

“I know.”

“I tried.”

“I know that too.”

He wasn’t angry. I almost wished he were.

I loosened my hold enough to look at him. “Who brought you home?”

“Aaron.”

“Where were you?”

“Halo House.”

Of course.

“They wanted to celebrate,” he said. “Nothing big. Pizza. Cake.”

“You had cake?”

“Maxie decorated it.”

“That sounds like questionable decision-making.”

Cash smiled, but it disappeared quickly.

I had missed it.

I should’ve been there when they took the brace off. I should’ve seen him take those first steps without it instead of finding the damn thing tossed haphazardly in the closet. Discarded and dismissed. A thing of the past.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

His hand remained against my side. “You don’t have to apologize for working.”

“I told you I’d be there.”

“Your patient needed you.”

The answer should have made it easier. It didn’t.

Cash had needed me too.

Or maybe he hadn’t.

Aaron had driven him. Phoenix and everyone at Halo House had celebrated with him. By the time Cash walked through my door, the milestone was hours old and the cake had already been eaten.

“I saved you a piece,” he said.