Justin didn’t get far. He only made it to the swing on the front porch. He sat down on it, and closed his eyes, and tried not to hate Del and the kids more than he hated himself. He sat there and breathed in deeply. He opened his eyes again when Del sat down beside him, his forehead creased with concern.
“I’m sorry,” Justin said. “You’re just so good with them, and I’m not.”
“Justin.” Del reached out and took his hand. “I love kids, I always have, but I’m not dealing with even a fraction of the stuff that you are right now. It’s easy to be the fun neighbor. It’s not so easy to be their guardian. If I’m overstepping with them, you can tell me, and I’ll back off.”
“You’re not,” Justin said. “You’re just better at everything than me.”
“I’ve got twenty years on you,” Del said, a wry smile
