Page 139 of Pucking Daddy

The evaluator studies me carefully.

A pause.

Then she writes again.

Lily, completely oblivious to the weight of the conversation, slides off her chair and wanders into the living room.

“Can I show you my drawing?” she asks suddenly.

The evaluator looks up. “I’d love that.”

Lily grabs a crumpled sheet of paper and hands it over.

“It’s a dragon,” she says. “With glitter scales.”

The evaluator smiles. “I can see that. Very impressive.”

Lily climbs into my side, leaning against me for a quick cuddle, completely unbothered by the stranger in the room.

The evaluator glances at me, then at Lily. “And how do you feel living here with your dad and Zara, Lily?”

Lily shrugs, like the answer is obvious. “It’s good.”

“What makes it good?”

She thinks for a second. “We do stuff together. And it’s always fun.”

“Do you feel safe here?” the evaluator asks gently.

Lily nods immediately. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

Lily looks at Jaxon first. “Because he’s my dad.”

Then at me. “And because Zara’s here.”

My throat tightens.

The evaluator doesn’t react outwardly, but I catch the way she writes that down, carefully.

“Thank you,” she says to Lily.

Lily beams, then runs back to her seat like her job here is done.

The evaluator asks to see Lily’s room, and Lily shows it off like the queen herself has come to visit.

“This is my bed,” she says. “And this is where my books are. And this is my dragon.”

Jaxon leans against the doorframe, watching her, that same quiet focus in his eyes.

The evaluator scans the room, taking notes.

Once Lily has shown her everything, the woman closes her folder after one final glance around.

“Thank you,” she says. “This has been very helpful.”

Jaxon and I walk her to the door, the tension in my chest slowly unwinding.