Chapter 19: Poppy Says It

Saturday visits happened in the children's room of the Marlow library, because the judge wanted a public place and Poppy wanted books.

A court monitor in a green lanyard sat at a table by the window with a clipboard and a paper cup of tea.

I waited on a bench by the picture-book shelf, where I was allowed to be, as long as I kept still and did not speak.

Dean came in at ten with a shopping bag in one hand and his best smile on.

"There's my girl."

Poppy dropped her stuffed rabbit and ran to him.

I watched him swing her up and kiss her cheek, and I felt what I always felt.

He could be good at this.

That was the worst part.

He sat her on a little chair at a little table, and took things out of the bag one by one.

A box of cookies.

A pink library bag with her name stitched on it.

Then he took out a roll of scratch-off tickets, red and green, the paper ends curling.

"I thought we'd play Daddy's favorite game," he said. "I have a coin right here."

The monitor looked up.

"Mr. Gaffney, I don't know that tickets are appropriate for a four-year-old."

"It's only a game." He shot her a charming look. "Right, Poppy?"

Poppy looked at the roll.

She had a face on that I knew, the one she wore when she was working something out.

"Is it the card game?" she asked.

"What card game, honey?"

"The gold one. At Grandma's."

His smile did not move.

"That's a family game."

"You gave Mommy the card," Poppy said, "and she got a small number."

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