At a high-end Assisted Living home with hospice care only seven minutes away from my home, I’m asked questions regarding my relationship to Mrs. Walters. She’s in a wheelchair and overlaps my sentences, handing over the forms she filled out in Savannah.

I can tell she’s feeling like a burden, and I place my hand on her shoulder to slow her down. She’s talking to fast, and she’s weak. She covers my hand with her own, and it’s cold, the skin paper-thin.

My voice is firm as I explain, “I was involved with her daughter but we weren’t married. Still, I’ll be paying for Mrs. Walters’s stay here, and anything she needs over and above insurance coverage. I want her to be very comfortable.”

“Thank you,” she whispers for only me, patting my hand and squeezing my fingers.

Hannah is walking along seams in the floor tiles as if they’re really tightropes, one tiny sneaker in front of the other, Lou dangling from her hand.

“If you can fill out this information, Mr. Cocker.”

“Sure,” I take the clipboard and balance it on my abs, filling in the blanks while Jason talks on the phone with his wife. It’s impossible to ignore, so I call over, “Jason! You’ll be seeing her in less than an hour. Hang up.”

He shakes his head like I’m an asshole, but says, “I’ll tell you everything in person, babe. See you soon.” Strolling back to me he offers, “She’s got morning sickness.”

“That’s great,” I mutter, writing out my email address. To the woman behind the desk – don’t know if she’s a nurse or what – I say, “I’m putting my address on here but I have a secretary, too, Mary McDougall. She’ll be in contact with you as well, for the financials. But I want to be the one you call for news of any kind. If Claire needs anything, you must call me, not Mary.”

Jason leans on the counter and whispers like an idiot, “He’s dangerous. Better do what he says.”

She grins at him, smitten. I just roll my eyes, scrawl out my signature and date it, handing it back to her.

Turning to Claire, I frown, “I’m less than ten minutes away. We’ll be here every day to visit you.”

Her eyes are kind as she assures me, “I was in a place far less nice than this in Savannah, Mr. Cocker. You can go. I’ll be fine.”

“Stop calling me Mr. Cocker. It’s Justin. Please call me Justin.”

She smiles and I take her hand in both of mine. I hate how cold it is. “Call me if you need anything. Don’t hesitate to tell them, either. I’ll be pissed off if I find out you didn’t.”

She chuckles, “I promise.”

“Hannah,” I call out. Jesus, what a shock to my system to see this little girl running to me like I’m her father. How the hell did this happen to me? With her head craned up to look at me, I shake my head and bend down to carry her. “C’mon Jason.”

He shakes Mrs. Walters’s hand. “I’m so sorry about Tanny.”

“Thank you. Did you know her, too?”

“I did. She was a good girl. Always smiling. We liked her.”

With her eyes going liquid, Claire whispers, “She was always smiling. Thank you.”

He nods and heads for me. Mrs. Walters and I lock eyes and I tip my head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

At the skyscraper I call home, Jason unloads our suitcases from the back while I unlatch my daughter from her car seat and deposit her and Lou on the sidewalk. “Will you do me one last favor?”

“What’s that?”

“Put this car seat in my Audi for me? I’ll give you the keys to it. I’ve got another set upstairs. Just hold onto them until I see you next.”

“Sure.” He holds his palm out while I slide the fob off my keychain. “You want me to come up with you guys, or you want to do this alone?”

“Just me. Go home and get some rest.” Glancing to where Hannah is watching us, I lower my voice so she can’t hear. “This would have been easier if she were a baby. She’s already built memories without me.”

“I know. You’re starting with an already formed kid in a way. It’s not fair.”

“It’s worse for her than me. I have to keep reminding myself that.” Jason grabs and hugs me out of the blue. “What the fuck?”

“You’re incredible today, Justin. I just gotta tell you that.” He lets go and says in a firm voice, “Take your phone off airplane mode. Make yourself reachable.”

“No.”

“Do it. I’ll start making calls to family as soon as I’m in the car.”

“That’s not a car. It’s a beached cargo ship with wheels.”

He grins and starts to go around to the driver’s side. Stopping, he locks eyes with Hannah then jogs over. “It was very nice to meet you, Hannah. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Her mouth squishes up and she looks at me as I unlock the suitcase handles to roll them both inside, the tote bag over my shoulder. “Thanks, Jason.”

“Keep your phone on!” he shouts while he runs to get in. “I’ll tell them all to cool off for a bit! But keep it on.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Hannah follows me inside, suitcase wheels filling our silence. The security guard glances up from his desk. “Mr. Cocker.”

“Hello Carl. This is my daughter, Hannah.”

His dark eyebrows nearly fly off his head. “Well, good evening, Hannah.”

“It’s not all the way dark yet,” she informs him.

White teeth shine at her. “You’re right. It’s earlier than that, but I don’t like to say, Good late afternoon. Doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?”

She shakes her head. “Nope.”

I nod to him, “We’ll see you later, Carl.”

Her twinkly voice echoes, “Good evening, Carl,” off marble walls.

Holy fuck. Is it possible to love her already?

I swear if anyone ever hurts her I’ll kill them.

And that includes me.

I better not mess this up.

“It’s over here. We have to take an elevator. I live on the top floor.”

Her observant green eyes soak in everything – the shiny elevator doors, the numbers lighting up, chandeliers above us, and me. She keeps looking at me. When the doors open she slowly walks on.

“Push the button that says P.”

I don’t even know if she can read.

She walks to the keypad and pushes the right button.

“Good job.”

“Why is it a letter when all the rest are numbers?”

“It stands for Penthouse.” As she waits for a better answer, I shrug. “When you have the finest money can buy, you want it known.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

She blinks away to the doors and we ride in silence, both of us staring forward.