Page 61 of Buttons

I blink, momentarily thrown.

“I noticed the sign out front,” he continues. “About the adoption fair today. Are you setting up for that?”

“Yes,” I say cautiously, unsure where this is heading. “It starts in about an hour.”

“I could help…if you need an extra set of hands.”

The offer unexpectedly hangs between us. I cannot imagine Julian volunteering for manual labor, especially in a suit, with animals. The trifecta.

Before I can respond, Meredith gasps dramatically. “Yes! Daddy can help! He can be on my team!” She bounces on her toes, Pepper somehow maintaining her perch on those small shoulders despite the movement. “You can help me organize the toy display. I’m the professional organizer.”

“That sounds important,” he tells her seriously. “Are you sure I’m qualified?”

Meredith considers this with comical gravity before nodding. “You’re tall. You can reach the top shelves.”

This shelter space has been my haven. It’s where my curly hair and favorite clothes are assets rather than problems to fix. It’s where the children can be themselves without performance pressure. And now Julian wants to step into this world, to what end?

“I don’t think—” I start.

“We could use the help,” interrupts a voice behind me.

I turn to find Beatrix standing at the enclosure entrance, surveying Julian from head to toe.

“Adoption fair setup is always short-staffed,” she continues. “Tables need unfolding, tents need assembling, heavy stuff needs moving.”

Julian nods. “I can handle that.”

“In that suit?” Beatrix’s brow raises skeptically.

Julian glances down as if just remembering what he’s wearing. “I keep workout clothes in my car for the gym. I could change.”

We must have slipped into an alternate universe. Really, it’s the only explanation.

Beatrix makes a noise in the back of her throat. “Fine. Go change. We’ve got six tables and three tents to set up in the south yard. Time’s wasting.”

“Consider it done.”

Meredith cheers, Leo looks pleased, and I stand frozen, watching my carefully separated worlds collide.

Before Julian retreats to his car to grab his change of clothing, he glances down at his suit jacket still on the concrete floor. I know him, and what he’s thinking right now is that there is no way he can touch that thing covered in dirt.

“I’ve got it,” I say, already leaning down and grabbing his jacket. “I’ll put this inside and drop it off at the dry cleaners for you tomorrow.”

He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “Thank you.” Then he’s off while I hold his jacket.

Meredith and Leo are playing with Buttons and Pepper when Beatrix says, “Fallinger, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Show him the ropes.”

My mouth opens, then closes. Julian, taking direction from me? The role reversal is so hilarious I want to laugh.

“I’m not sure that’s going to work.”

“He’s your ex, not mine. This is your chance to get your power back.”

Ah, I understand now.

Deciding to go to the inside portion of the fair, we all head inside where the adoption fair hums. Kids use their outside voices indoors. Families weave between stations. Cats peek from behind the slats of their portable cages with their ears pricked, whiskers twitching, while dogs in nearby kennels pant and bark, their tails thumping.

Against one chalk-white bricked wall, Julian stands stock-still, his face drained of color. I swear, it reminds me of a cartooncharacter. But he’s uncomfortable, and that’s not what I want. Luckily, Leo has taken him under his wing, which is kind of ironic when I think about it.