I took a deep breath, trying to absorb everything he’d just thrown at me. “I’m so sorry about your mom, Zach. I know how much you loved her,” I finally said in a shaky voice.

“Thanks.” An awkward fake smile crossed his lips. “After rehab, I changed my life completely. I started working out constantly, I went to school to become an EMT, and I started a dependency program here at the hospital. I craved stability in my life. My goal was to get myself situated and healed and then come see you. I figured you’d probably be married and maybe have other kids or something, and I didn’t want to drum up any hurt, but I was hoping at some point I could earn your trust back and have some sort of role in the girls’ lives.” His chin quivered. “Please, Kacie. I don’t want to be like my dad.”

I sat, stunned. That was not at all what I was expecting to hear—any of it. I figured he’d tell me he was young and dumb and selfish, and in a way, he was, but it was so much deeper than that. Then I did something impulsive, without a second thought, something that shocked me to my core. Before my brain realized what my body was doing, I reached across and put my hand on top of his.

“I’ve craved stability too. We’ll figure something out… slowly.”

“Holy crap! Are they going off to college?” I stared down at the mile-long list of school supplies for Lucy and Piper, wondering why the hell they needed fifty #2 pencils—each.

“Welcome to school supply shopping.” Kacie giggled as she walked over and grabbed a cart.

I looked down at the cart and back at her. “I don’t think that’s going to be big enough.”

She grinned and shook her head. “Oh boy. You’re in for a rude awakening. Girls, come on!” Lucy and Piper returned the tiny stuffed animals they were playing with to their bin and bounced over to us.

“They’re six. Why on Earth do they need one hundred pencils?” I mumbled to myself as I followed along behind Kacie. “I’m twenty-seven. I don’t think I’ve used one hundred pencils in my entire life.”

By the time we were on the second half of the list, I was having more fun than the girls, throwing everything not nailed down into the cart.

“Brody, we need regular crayons, not glitter ones.” Lucy frowned as she peeked over the edge of the cart.

“Oh, did I grab glitter?” I grabbed six of the biggest packages of regular crayons they had and tossed them in the cart. Lucy reached in to grab the glitter ones and put them back, but I stopped her. “No. We’ll get those too.” I winked.

Kacie came back from the bathroom with Piper and her eyes got wide once she saw the cart. “Whoa!”

“I know. We’re having fun.” I laughed.

Kacie tugged on my shirt, pulling me away from the girls. “Brody, listen. I appreciate all the fun you’re having with them, but I’m on a budget. I can’t afford all this.”

“You don’t have to. I can buy my girls school supplies.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Kacie, have I ever told you what to do with your money?”

She bit her lip and shook her head.

“Then don’t insult me by telling me what to do with mine.” I reached over and kissed the end of her nose. “I’m having a blast. Let me do this.”

Before she had a chance to argue, I turned back to Lucy and Piper. “All right, Twinkies. Where were we?”

We walked around Target until the cart was completely filled with school supplies, new backpacks, and glitter princess heels. They obviously weren’t on the school list, but Lucy’s and Piper’s eyes sparkled when they saw them. That was all I needed to see.

“Your total is $312.41,” said the cashier.

I heard Kacie gasp quietly, but I didn’t bother to look at her as I took my credit card out and swiped it. We started toward the exit when a couple of boys nervously walked up to us.

They looked to be about ten years old and nervous as hell. One of them opened his mouth to talk but shut it before anything came out. The other one nudged him and he started again. “Uh, are you… Brody Murphy?”

I took a step away from Kacie and the girls and put my hands on my knees so I was closer to the boys’ level. “I am. What’s your name?”

“Uh, Cole.”

“And you?” I glanced down at his friend, but he didn’t say anything. His red hair fell in his face as he stared at me, blinking rapidly behind his black-rimmed glasses.

Cole nudged him. “That’s Dylan. Um, can we have your autograph?”

“Of course. What would you like me to sign?”

“Here, take this.” A woman, who I assumed was the mother of one or both of them, walked up and handed me a piece of paper and a pen.

“Thanks.” I took the paper and ripped it in half neatly. “Cole you said?” The kid nodded eagerly.

He grasped the paper in his hand, holding it close to his face as he stared down at it excitedly.

“My man, Dylan.” I turned toward the other boy. “If you want me to give you an autograph, you’re going to have to say hi.”

His eyes were as wide as saucers as he took a deep breath. “Hi,” he said in a barely audible voice.

I laughed and ruffled his hair. “Good enough.”

“Do you have time for a quick picture?” their mom asked.

“Absolutely,” I said.

Both boys turned to face her and I stood in the middle, squatting slightly. “Smile, Dylan,” I said as she clicked the picture.

“So how do you think the Wild will hold up this year? Think you guys will make it to the play-offs? It’s a big year for you personally, huh? I’m sure contract years are stressful,” Dylan blurted out all at once as he turned to me.

“Wow.” I stood up. “For someone who wouldn’t say hi a minute ago, you’re sure chatty now, huh?”

“He’s a sports genius. All he does is read facts and stats.” Cole shrugged. “He knows everything.”

“Good for you, buddy.”

I messed up Dylan’s moppy hair again before excusing myself and walking back over to the girls. I silently prayed to all that was holy that Kacie hadn’t heard the last part of the redheaded chatterbox’s question assault.

“You guys ready to go?” I clapped loudly as I walked up to them.

Kacie gave me a weird smile and my heart sunk. I wasn’t intentionally lying to her about my contract being up this year, I just didn’t want to talk about it now. It weighed on my mind constantly as it was, and knowing that it would be weighing on Kacie’s too would kill me.

“Why did those boys want you to sign something?” Piper asked innocently.

“They wanted my autograph. Do you know what an autograph is?”

She shook her head.

“I do!” Lucy said excitedly. “It’s a piece of paper you write your name on.”

“Exactly,” I said to her. “They just wanted me to sign my name.”

“But why?” Piper still looked confused.

“Girls, Brody plays hockey on TV, so sometimes people see him and ask for his autograph because he’s… famous.” She bit her lip and shrugged as she looked at me, unsure of if she’d explained it okay.