Frannie

“Frannie? There’s someone here to see you. Several people, actually.”

I looked up from my batter to see Natalie’s husband Miles in the doorway to the kitchen, broom in his hand and amused expression on his face.

“To see me?”

“That’s what they said. A guy and some kids.” His mouth hooked up on one side. “And the guy is wearing some kind of sparkly T-shirt. You better come up front.”

Sparkly T-shirt? Something jumped around in my stomach. It had to be Mack and the girls. What were they doing here?

With my hands over my fluttering belly, I followed Miles out to the shop and stopped behind the counter. Sure enough, Mack and the kids stood on the other side of it talking to Natalie, and Mack’s open coat revealed the shirt Millie had made for the fashion show.

“Hi,” I said warily.

“Hi.” Mack took a step forward, then stopped. Opened his mouth and closed it again. He met my eyes, and I saw in them the apology I wanted. The warmth I craved. The fear that he’d messed this up too much already, and it was too late to get me back.

But I wasn’t going to save him. He had to go after what he wanted. He had to save himself.

Seconds ticked by.

Miles stood off to one side with his hands atop the broom handle and his chin on his hands, watching the drama unfold. As the tension grew thicker, Natalie looked from Mack to me and back again—I’d confided in her enough this week that she had to know what was going on.

“Dad,” muttered Millie under her breath from behind him. “Say something.”

“I’m trying.” Mack cleared his throat. “This isn’t easy. Give me a second.”

“Take your time,” Miles said.

“Miles, maybe we should give them some privacy?” Natalie gave her husband a look and jerked her head toward the kitchen.

“But Nat, something good is about to happen,” said Miles. “I can tell. A dude doesn’t wear a glittery T-shirt for nothing. This is big.”

Mack looked down at his shirt and winced. “Um.”

“Dad.” Felicity moved forward and gave Mack a push in my direction. “Come on, already.”

“Okay.” Mack recovered his balance and stood with his feet apart, hands fisted at his sides, chest forward. He took a breath. “Frannie, I came here today to tell you something—well several things. First, that I’m sorry. I know I hurt you, and I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

Miles nodded appreciatively. “Taking all the blame. Nice move.”

“Miles!” Natalie hissed from across the room.

“What? He needs encouragement,” Miles said. He looked at Mack. “Go on, man. You’re doing fine.”

Mack nodded. “Thanks,” he said, tentatively moving a little closer to me. “Not only did I hurt you, but you were right: I did it for a stupid reason—I was afraid.” He shook his head. “Fuck, I’m still afraid. I feel like there’s no way I can do this, be the best father possible and be the guy you want. There’s only one of me, and half the time, I have no fucking idea what I’m doing.”

“I hear that, brother.” Miles nodded. “Being a dad is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t imagine what it would be like facing that job alone.”

“But you don’t have to face it alone.” Finally speaking up, I came around the counter and stood in front of him. “That’s the thing, Mack. I don’t expect you to divide your time, to try to be all things to all people at once.”

“I know you don’t,” he said, taking my hands. “Just like I know I’m going to fail you sometimes, and the kids sometimes, and myself sometimes. I’ve never been a perfect man, but I felt like I had to be the perfect father, to make up for what they lost. And I thought that meant I had to put my own needs aside.” His eyes shone. “But I can’t.”

“You don’t have to.” I squeezed his hands. “We can make it work, Mack. I know you’re not perfect, and I know being a good dad is your most important priority, but you deserve to be happy, too.” I looked over at the girls. “Right girls?”

“Right,” they said.

“And he wasn’t happy at all this week,” Millie went on.

“He was grouchy,” said Winnie.

“And mean,” added Felicity.

“Come on, give him a break, girls.” Miles gestured toward Mack. “He was lonely. He’d walked away from Frannie because he thought he was doing the right thing, and he had to spend some time being miserable to realize what an idiot he’d been.” He looked at Mack. “Am I right?”

Mack nodded. “Yeah. And it didn’t take long.” He met my eyes again. “I don’t know where we end up. I don’t know how all these pieces of my life are going to fit together. I don’t know how you’re going to put up with all my shit.”

“Do you have a swear jar?” I heard Millie whisper to Natalie.

“But I do know,” Mack went on, his expression confident for the first time, “that my life is much better with you in it, and if you’re willing to take this crazy journey with me—the back seat already full—I’m willing to see where this road leads.”

My eyes filled with tears. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Because he loves you!” Winnie cried out. “He told us!”

“Winnie!” her older sisters admonished, Felicity hitting her on the shoulder.

“What? He diiiid.” Winnie rubbed her arm. “He should tell her.”

“It’s okay,” I said, embarrassed for Mack to have this moment take place in front of a crowd. “This is more than—”

“She’s right.” Mack stood taller, his broad chest straining against his glittery shirt. He looked me right in the eye. “I told them, and I’ll tell you. I love you, Frannie. I don’t know if I’m any good at it. God knows I failed in the past. But I love you. And when you love someone …” He glanced over at the girls and gave them a wink before meeting my eyes again. “You want to be with them. I want to be with you.”

“Aw, dude.” Miles clutched his heart. “You’re killing me.”

“Kiss her!” Winnie shouted, clapping her hands. “And not in the closet this time!”

With a smile tugging at his lips, Mack leaned forward and kissed me, softly but not quickly. Someone—maybe Natalie?—sighed.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Millie said. “Don’t get gross.”

Laughing, we broke apart and I opened my arms. “Come here, girls. Group hug.”

They came running toward us, Mack scooped Winnie up, and we all wrapped our arms around each other. “Thank you, girls,” I told them, choking over the words. “This means everything to me. I want to be with your dad, but I want to be with you, too. I want us all to be together.”

“We love you too, Frannie,” Millie said. “You’re part of our family.”

Miles began slow clapping as he made his way over to us. “That was fucking beautiful,” he said.