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“Good.”
“And the team?”
“We’re looking strong. It should be a good season.”
“That’s great, Andy. Isn’t that great?” She frowned, as my father toyed with something on the sideboard.
“Andrew?”
“What is this?” He turned slowly and my stomach sank.
Shit.
He was holding the fostering information leaflet Mya had brought home for me to look at.
“Asher, what is this?” he repeated.
“Relax, Dad,” I replied. “It’s just a leaflet.”
“About fostering.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Andy. Probably something to do with Mya’s course. Come sit down,” Mom patted the couch.
He dropped the leaflet on the side and joined us. “Tell me you’re not seriously considering fostering, Son?”
“And if we were?” I sat straighter, feeling a lick of irritation up my spine.
“Be reasonable, Asher. You’re just kids. You have your whole lives ahead of you to think about kids. I thought you wanted to focus on the business, on growing—”
“I do,” I snapped, hating that no matter how hard he tried to be better, to do better, underneath it all, Andrew Bennet was still the same rigid, narrow-minded man he’d always been.
“Did you know that lots of young professionals foster?”
“Sweetheart, this is... well, it’s a lot.” Mom looked flustered. “I thought Mya wanted to graduate and do her social work training?”
“She does, but her heart is with working with kids. This is the best of both worlds.”
“Now, hang on a minute, Son. It sounds like you’ve already made the decision. You’re in junior year. There’s still two years left of—”
“Hmm, is everything okay?” Mya appeared in the doorway.
“Actually,” I said, standing. “I was just telling my parents about the fostering thing.”
“You were?” Her eyes darted to them and back to me, confusion glittering in her gaze.
“Yeah, my dad noticed the leaflet and had some questions.” I gave him a tight smile.
“I see. Well, it’s really only a pipe dream at the moment,” she said.
“Asher made it sound like it’s already decided,” Dad clipped out and I heard my mom shush him.
“He did, did he?” Mya narrowed her eyes, slowly approaching me. “What are you doing?” she mouthed.
Roping my arm around her waist, I pulled her close. “I’ve been thinking… and I think we should do it. As soon as you turn twenty-one, we should see about getting our license and—”
“Whoa, slow down.” Strangled laughter spilled from her lips. “We still have to graduate.”
“I know. But I’ve been thinking about Xander and Hugo and all the work you do at New Hope. If we can give some kid a safe place and security and a chance at a better future, we should do it.”
