“Yes, Lila. I’m Maddie’s boyfriend—James,” I declare so proudly I swear my heart combusts. “It’s really nice to meet you.” And then it combusts a little more when her niece gives me the brightest of smiles. “Do you have games on your phone?” she asks, and I nod. She turns to her aunt. “You can keep him.” That dissipates the remains of the tension between us as we all laugh. And when I catch Maddie’s next words, a low whisper, all the darkness in my heart goes away at once. “I was already going to.”
