kind of thing after spending time with someone for only a few weeks?
Then again, my father had proposed to my mother after knowing her for two weeks. They’d been married by the time they’d known each other for seven. Eleven months after their wedding day, I was born. And they’d stayed true to their vows until death really had done them part.
Dad had always said that when you knew, you knew. Maybe that was what was going on. I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure, but considering I’d just offered to pay the woman’s legal fees, I had a sneaky feeling it was.
“We should get out there,” I said once April had wiped her eyes, taken several deep breaths, and even had some color back in her cheeks. “Looks like the initial shock has worn off.”
She laughed dryly. “Give it a few minutes. It might just hit me again. But yes, we should get back out there.”
She stood up, and I gave her a final hug. Dropping a kiss on top of her head, I just held her until she stopped trembling.
When we got to Hunter and Adi, a different Adams was crying. I gave Hunter a questioning look. He pressed his lips together and lifted his hand in response.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” April rushed to her side and enveloped her in a hug. “What’s going on out here?”
“I can’t get it right.” Adi sobbed into her mother’s hair, really breaking down now that her mom was there. “My hand is never going to work well again. Never.”
April whispered soothing words I couldn’t hear, holding her until sobs no longer wracked her body. While she was busy with her, I went to speak to Hunter.
“What the hell happened?”
“We were working on fine motor exercises again. I stuck to the treatment plan, I swear. She should’ve been ready for these.”
His eyes were filled with so much sadness that I thought he might burst into tears as well. It wouldn’t be the first time. The guy really was as soft as he was big.
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I believe that you stuck to the plan. Don’t worry. Let me see what I can do, okay? The exercises might just need some minor adjustments.”
Adi stepped away from her mom, looking positively miserable. “I’m sorry I’m not doing well enough. If you want to stop treating me, I’ll understand.”
I smiled gently as I shook my head, opening my arms to her. “Nonsense. You’re doing way better than you think. Everyone has setbacks sometimes, honey. It’s the comeback that really matters, not the setback.”
She burrowed into my chest, clinging to me like I was her last hope, greatest cheerleader, and biggest protector. Otherwise known as what a father should be.
Rage filled me again over the fact that her dad was such a useless fucking prick. Despite the fact that he should never have caused her any pain at all, he should also have been the one here soothing her now that the pain and the fear was there.
And yet, a part of me was glad he wasn’t here. Because his absence meant that I got to be there for her. Yep. I’m going straight to hell.
I didn’t even feel guilty for being glad that I could be here for her. Craig didn’t give a shit and Adi deserved someone who did. Why did it matter if that person also really wanted to be there when she needed them?
When she let me go, I motioned toward the corner of the room where we kept the different fine motor activities. “Want to come look over there with me? I’m sure we can find something that will be better for you.”
“I just want to go home.” She pouted, actually looking her age for once. It was difficult to remember at times that the child was only nine. “I’m done for the day.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “But let’s go look over there anyway. You don’t have to try any of the activities if you don’t want to. Let me at least show them to you. That way, you can jump right in next time and already know what to expect.”
After a long pause, during which I was half expecting her to stomp her feet, she simply nodded. “I want to see, but I don’t want to do them.”
I smiled. “Let’s just go have a look at what’s over there. You might just change your mind.”
When we reached the shelf, I let Adi choose items that looked interesting to