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“He been good?”

“Yep.”

Another pause.

I kept eating.

Usually, I’d fill the silence.

Ask when he was coming.

Tell him Collin needed something.

Remind him he hadn’t seen him.

Start arguing.

Not today.

“You still mad?” he finally asked.

“Nope.”

That answer came easy.

Too easy apparently, because Xay got quiet again.

“No?”

“No.”

“About yesterday?”

“Nope.”

“Then why you acting like that?”

I laughed.

“Like what?”

“Like… I don’t know. Short.”

“I’m eating and breastfeeding, Xavier. What you want me to do, entertain you?”

“Damn.”

“Mhm.”

Collin’s little hand opened against my chest.

I rubbed his back.

“I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”

Silence.

Then—