And perhaps he had been so focused on protecting his daughter from losing more that he hadn’t noticed how badly she wanted to discover what remained.
Jacob touched the crooked pocket.
“This one is a little high,” he said quietly.
Lily immediately pulled the vest toward herself.
“Don’t criticize it.”
“I’m not criticizing it.”
“You are.”
He almost smiled.
“I was going to ask if you wanted help fixing it.”
She looked at him suspiciously.
“Do you know how to sew?”
“No.”
“Then why would I let you help?”
For the first time that morning, Jacob laughed.
It was a small, tired laugh, but it changed the atmosphere in the room.
“Fair enough.”
Lily held the vest against her chest.
“I like it crooked.”
Jacob nodded.
“Then it stays crooked.”
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Then he sat beside her.
“I was scared,” he admitted. “When I couldn’t find you yesterday, I thought something had happened.”
