Page 78 of 10 Signs You Need to Grovel

For the rest of the walk, we ask each other questions about the book—Did Tris make the right faction choice? Why do you think Tris didn’t forgive Al? Max also tells me he has a surprise for me at home. Pretty sure it’s the tattoo sketches, and I can’t wait.

By the time we’re at his place, I’m dying to see Sadie too. To tell her what an incredible kid we have. Hope to hell she lets me stay and cook her dinner.

Max runs inside ahead of me, clutching the earrings we bought. “Mom! We saw Jasmine and got you something. And there was this cool guy who painted animals on wood, and I ate caramel popcorn and two bags of licorice and the fudge was so good.”

Dammit. Kid totally threw me under the bus.

Sadie steps from the kitchen into the hallway, her hands already planted on her hips. “What happened to not eating loads of junk?”

“It was all homemade,” I hedge, even though I know I’m sunk. “Homemade doesn’t count as junk.”

Her raised eyebrow is more amused than upset. Thank God.

She takes the earrings from Max. “These are gorgeous, sweetheart. Thank you so much.”

“I picked them out, but Dad bought them.” He bolts toward the stairs. “Be right back with your surprise,” he calls to me.

Sadie’s lips tremble as she searches my face. “Dad?”

If an artist painted my portrait, it would be titled Former Meth Dealer Look-Alike Turns to Goo.

“I know.” I drop the grocery bag and strut toward her, smoothing back the loose hairs from her messy bun. “I’m Dad now.”

“Wow.” She angles her face into my hand, runs her nose against my palm.

Definitely wow. That’s a whole-body buzz. “Thanks for today. Loved hanging out with Max.”

“No, thank you. This is the happiest I’ve seen him in ages, and the call was longer than expected. Max would’ve been nagging me to do stuff, and I would’ve spent the afternoon ignoring him and feeling guilty. This was a huge help.”

“Speaking of.” I jut my chin to my grocery bag. “I’m hoping you’ll let me cook you two dinner.” When she chews her lip, seeming indecisive, I step back and give her space. “If you don’t want me to stay afterward to eat with you or hang out, I’ll go. If you do, I’d be grateful and it doesn’t have to mean anything. Either way, I just want to help.”

“It’ll mean something to Max.”

“I’m his dad, honey. I want it to mean something to him. He knows I want to spend more time with him. I doubt he’ll think it’s anything more than that.” Specifically, that I’ve fallen like a sack of bricks for his mother.

Sadie twines her fingers together and studies the floor.

Max jogs down the stairs, sketchbook under his arm, breathing hard. He grabs my hand and drags me into the kitchen, then clambers up on a stool and spreads out his book before Sadie can cut me down at the knees.

“Okay,” he says, his cheeks bright. “I chose two sketches. This one”—he points to a killer drawing of his favorite Cessna 195—“would look awesome on your arm here.”

He points to the inside of my left biceps, and he’s right. I don’t have any ink on my upper arms. The location is perfect and his shading brings the plane to life. If I pay for a half-decent tattoo artist this time, it would look sick.

“For the other one,” he goes on, “I did more of a landscape. Like the nature hikes we do. But I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

He flips the page, revealing a small summery scene with a butterfly and bold flowers—a colorful image some might associate more with a woman’s tattoo. I couldn’t love it more.

“It’s perfect, Max. Might even like this one better. Where should I get it?”

He hops off the stool, crouches behind me, and lifts up the leg of my jeans. “You don’t have much hair here.” He presses his palm to my calf. “It would look cool when you’re hiking.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, but I can’t afford both right away. Think I’ll get the Cessna first.”

He pops back up, still a jumping bean of energy. “Really? Like, when?”

“I have to find someone first. Good artists book up quick, so I might have to wait. But you can come when I get it done. As long as your mom’s okay with that.”

“Mom? Can I?”