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For a moment, the anger threatened to swallow everything else.

“Daddy?”

Kaidence’s voice pulled me out of it.

I blinked. “Yeah, son?”

“You okay?”

I looked at my little boy.

My fucking son.

“Yeah.” I smiled. “I’m good.”

And for the time being, I was. Just being able to stand there and listen to him talk was enough. I couldn’t pick him up yet, couldn’t hold his hand or sit beside him and help color the picture without concentrating damn near all my energy, but I was there.

After six years of having nothing but memories, being there meant more than I could ever explain.

“Kaidence!”

Lakelyn’s voice came from somewhere in the hallway.

My son immediately turned toward the door.

“Yes, ma’am?”

Lakelyn appeared in the doorway a few seconds later.

“Who are you talking to?”

Kaidence’s head whipped toward me.

I raised a finger to my lips.

He nodded quickly. “Nobody!”

She stepped further in the room, scanning it. “Nobody?”

Kaidence shook his head. “No, ma’am.”

“Then who were you just having a whole conversation with?”

He glanced at me.

I gave him a warning look.

Don’t fuck this up, lil’ man.

He turned back toward Lakelyn. “I was just talking out loud about my day at school and how I want my room decorated, and what kind of stuff I want in here,” he lied smoothly, like he’d had the excuse ready the whole time.

That’s my boy.

I laughed, and Kaidence immediately looked toward me before catching himself and quickly facing forward again.

Lakelyn noticed.

“Kaidence, why do you keep looking over there?”