Page 28 of Endless Depths

“Me too. How would I ever clean the rain gutters and change the recessed light bulbs without you?”

I laugh. “We have a ladder. I have faith in you.” I take another drag and exhale. “You’re the only one who knows what it’s like to parent Finn after everything he’s been through.”

“Does that mean you feel like a failure too?”

“You’re not a failure. You’re doing an amazing job; inviting Mrs. Hai, for example, and reassuring Finn when he got his vaccines.”

She snorts. “You needed more reassurance than he did.”

“I just hate to see him get hurt.”

“Better a shot than tetanus.” She nudges my arm with her shoulder. “You’re doing a great job with Finn too, you know. Butyou probably should have taught him meditation or yoga instead of yelling into a pillow.”

“I’ll buy you earplugs.”

“Do you think he’s going to stick around?” Shay asks.

I glance over my shoulder. Cole is watching us, arm rested on the back of the sofa behind Finn’s head, TV flickering over his face. When our eyes connect, he turns back to the TV.

“Did he come on his own, or did Lawrence drag him here?”

“Lawrence.”

“Probably not, then.” I lean forward and put my cigarette out in a puddle.

After Shay finishes her cigarette, I stash the carton and lighter where Seb left them. Shay ducks into her car and returns with hand sanitizer and gum.

“We make a good team.” I hold out my fist and she bumps it.

“Uncle Mor!” Finn chirps as we enter. “Can Uncle spend the night?”

“Oh, I don’t think?—”

“Hell yeah, I’ll stay the night!” Cole interrupts.

“Hell yeah!” Finn echoes.

I quirk a brow. “Really?”

It’s not the first time Cole has taught him new vocabulary. For someone surrounded by sailors, Finn miraculously doesn’t have the mouth of one, and I’d like to keep it that way. Not because I care, but because I don’t want him to get into trouble at school.

Cole shrugs a single shoulder, a shameless, nonverbalWhat?But he curls a conspiratorial hand around his mouth and tells Finn, “Only grown-ups can say hell yeah. Is heck yeah allowed, Uncle Morgan?”

“For fuck’s sake, Cole,” Shay says from the kitchen.

Finn dissolves into giggles. I palm my face, but I’m smiling underneath.

“Are you okay with a slumber party, Shay?” I ask.

“Only if you put him to bed,” she says.

“Deal. You’reofficially off duty.”

“Good night, baby,” she says on her way to Finn.

“Thanks, Shay,” Cole says.

Finn giggles. “She was talking to me, Uncle Cole.” He jumps onto the couch cushion and hugs her. “Good night, Mom—Um, Auntie.”