Derek lay prostrate and wide awake on fresh sheets in Jason’s spare room, considering the events of the past couple of days. His foot had thankfully stopped throbbing and now only ached if he stretched it back and forth. The side effects of his medication were also easing. He remembered his earlier reaction to Jess’s probing about his kids. He hadn’t meant to be so blunt but her question caught him off guard. It brought up some unpleasant emotions he’d ignored for a long time now. He thought of them, his girl and boy, allowing himself to remember what it was like when they were all still living under one roof. He and Zina had already been together for ten years by then. They only decided to make it official when she found out she was pregnant with Kyle. It wasn’t a big deal really; she jus
