Page 36 of Bear’s House

Daddy looked at me for a long moment, reading my face the way he did — checking if I was okay, if anything had happened, if the apology was genuine. He must have decided the answer was yes on all counts, because his expression eased.

"Okay," he said, with that warm voice he used with new people, the one that made everyone feel immediately a little safer. "I'm glad JJ brought you here, Max." He looked back at me. "Next time you tell me before you leave the main room."

"Yes, Sir," I said.

"Good." He gestured toward the room. "Carry on."

Jeffrey was smiling beside. But what I noticed — what I couldn't not notice — was Max. Max had gone very quiet when the door opened. He stayed that way through the whole exchange between me and Daddy. But now he wasn't looking at Daddy, or at Jeffrey, or at me.

He was looking at Dominic.

And Dominic was looking at him.

His eyes moved over Max once, slowly, top to bottom, and then came back up to his face and stayed there.

Max went red to his ears.

Dominic didn't say anything. But the corner of his mouth moved.

"Let's go," Daddy said to Jeffrey and Dominic, and the three of them left.

The door closed.

Henry looked at me. I looked at Henry. Both of us looked at Max, who was standing in the middle of the ball pit pretending to be very interested in the blue ball in his hand.

I felt something light up in my chest. That specific spark I knew very well — the one that showed up right before I had an idea that was, objectively, the best idea anyone had ever had in the entire history of ideas.

Max and Dominic.

Dominic, who had been alone for so long. Dominic, who Daddy wanted so badly to see happy. Dominic, who had that look when he found something worth paying attention to — and who had just aimed that exact look at a blond little in pink shorts who clearly had no idea what to do with himself every time that man entered his field of vision.

It was perfect.

It was so perfect I almost screamed out loud right there.

I held it together. For now.

Operation Cupid, I thought. Starts now.

Chapter 14. Mikey

The next Saturday, we were all home.

I was sitting on our fluffy living-room rug, playing with my toy kitchen — one of my absolute favorite toys. Sawyer was on the couch playing video games, and incredibly, JJ was sitting right next to him scrolling on his phone without causing any trouble whatsoever.

We'd done our chores earlier. Since it was Saturday, they'd been lighter — I only had to clean the bathroom mirrors, and then Daddy let me come play. We weren't arguing, we weren't fighting, we weren't scheming anything. It was just a peaceful Saturday.

Daddy appeared in the living room doorway and stopped, looking at the scene.

He was in his navy blue pajamas — because Saturday was the day we were all allowed to stay in pajamas all day, one of the best rules in the house, and he took advantage of that benefit for himself just as much as we did. He put his hands on his hips and didn't say anything for a moment.

I looked up at him and giggled. JJ also took his eyes off his phone and stared. Only Sawyer kept jumping platforms in Mario, completely oblivious.

"What's up, Daddy?" JJ asked.

"You're all very quiet and well-behaved today," he said.

"If you want, I can go cause some trouble," JJ offered, with a grin.