Ash by Julieanne Lynch

pops is trying to kill me.”
    Jake glared at Danny and shook his head. “Don’t be silly,” he replied. “Daddy’s a superhero.”
    My mother chuckled.
    Danny couldn’t hide his amusement and laughed hard. This was one of those instances when a child owned the moment, and Jake reveled in the delight.
    “Right,” my mother said. “It’s time for school, Jake.”
    “Aww,” Jake whined. “I want to stay with Daddy.” He slid out of Danny’s grasp and ran toward me, wrapping his arms around my legs.
    For a split second, I considered letting him have the day off. I was a sucker for those eyes of his, but he would have a much better day at school than watching me nurse a sore head.
    “Nope, little man. You’ve got to go,” I replied. “Believe me, you will have much more fun with your friends than sitting here with me.”
    “But Daddy—”
    “No buts, Jake. You know the rules.” I bent down to his level and looked him in the eye. “Days off are for slackers, right? Not for big boys with big dreams.”
    “Okay,” he said, sounding defeated.
    “Hey, Jake,” Danny butted in.
    “What?” Jake’s shoulders slumped.
    “How about I pick you up from school and take you to the station later, let you see the guys?”
    Jake’s face lit up.
    I, on the other hand, cringed.
    “Can I, Daddy? Can I?”
    I sighed, looking at Danny, and then at Jake’s little face. “Okay, but you have to be on your best behavior, alright?”
    Jake nodded and hugged me. He then ran to my mother.
    “Bye, Daddy,” he shouted, and walked to the door with my mother. “See you later, Uncle Danny.”
    My mother waved at me before closing the front door behind her.
    Once they were both gone, I threw myself down on the sofa and let out a pained groan.
    Danny jumped to his feet, walked to the window, and scratched his ass. “Your mother loves to bust my balls.”
    I yawned.
    “Oh, apologies, if I am boring you,” he chided, grabbing a cushion and throwing it at me.
    “Shut up, you idiot. My mother didn’t appreciate the hand on your balls thing.”
    “Ah, that? Yeah, old habits die hard.” He smirked and sat on the sofa next to me. “So, how’s the head?”
    “Not good, man.”
    “You hadn’t that much to drink,” he remarked.
    I ran a hand across the back of my neck and raised my eyebrows. “It’s not the booze.”
    “Ah, I almost forgot, the sensual Miss Dubois,” he stated in a ridiculous sounding French accent.
    There was no getting away from this. Danny wouldn’t let it go, not until I stopped the pity party.
    “Fuck!” I closed my eyes.
    “Jesus, Ash, you have to let this go.”
    “How?”
    “By moving the fuck on and being a man.” Danny sounded like my father.
    I sat forward, rested my arms on my legs, and stared at the photograph of Connie and me on our wedding day. God, she was so beautiful. She had taken my breath away as she walked up the aisle. Connie had chosen me. Out of everyone she could have had, she wanted to spend the rest of her life me. Thinking about our vows and the amazing day we had brought on a sense of despair.
    “Sometimes, I feel like I will never be able to move on. I feel guilty if I look at another woman, nevermind fucking her. How am I meant to do this, Danny? I can’t see a future where I’m not a mess, or the grieving husband who can’t get his shit together,” I said.
    “You banged Sophia. Who gives a damn?” Danny replied. “What you do now is pick your ass up, go to work, and give the whole thing no more energy. Jesus, Ash, why do you have to be such a thinker?”
    “Because I learned from the best?”
    “No, my man, you’ve learned to live in a bubble. Nothing else matters. Jake needs you, but he needs a father who can function without beating himself up for stupid indiscretions, not this shadow you’re becoming.” Danny sighed and raised a few valid points.
    “Then, why can’t I stop thinking about her?”
    “Who? Connie?”
    I turned and looked at Danny,