the saddest place you’d ever seen.”

I nodded.

“I remember now.”

“You told me about Lily.”

I stared at him.

“You remember her name?”

“I remember everything from that night.”

Julian’s voice softened.

“You were crying because children sat there waiting for people who didn’t always come.”

He paused.

“And for years I kept thinking about what you said.”

“What?”

“What if somebody came anyway?”

My eyes filled again.

“Not their parent,” Julian continued. “Not somebody who could fix anything. Just somebody who always showed up. So the kid wouldn’t be alone while waiting.”

“So you became Daddy Dinosaur.”

He laughed quietly.

“I guess I did.”

“But why lie about it for an entire year?”

He sighed.

“I’m sorry about that.”

He took both my hands.

“Because I know you.”

I frowned.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You would have started volunteering too.”

I opened my mouth.