(Aiden's POV)
"Mom sure can."
"Mom will get over it. She's already working on damage control." Caroline squeezes my hand. "Besides, between you and me? Knowing that Samuel is walking around with a split lip and a bruised ego makes me feel a little better about everything else."
"You're supposed to be the mature one," I say, but I'm smiling now.
"I'm taking a break from maturity. It's exhausting." She stands up. "Come on. Charlie's been asking about you. He doesn't understand why 'Uncle Aiden isn't around to play with him.'"
"What did you tell him?"
"That you made a grown-up mistake and had a time-out." She pulls me to my feet. "Which is surprisingly accurate."
I follow her to the living room, where Charlie is building something elaborate with his blocks.
"Uncle Aiden!" He runs to m
