"Nora wanted a house, so I bought a damn house, not her, me, and the next thing I know I'm in this toxic maelstrom, the three of them, every day, all the bullshit. I felt bad for those kids. Living with those three was hell, but I felt bad." He paused, and the scowl deepened. "I tried to fix it. That's a mistake we make, us guys, thinking we can fix this dysfunctional bullshit. Amber was a mess. Sad, but a mess. Jasmine, she was older. Maybe tougher, and smart. Smart enough to know living with her mother was toxic." He called her Jasmine, not Jazzi. "Are you and Jasmine close?" He waved the slip. "Nah. I helped her find a place. Told her, I'll pay the first six months. You don't have to pay me back, but after that you're on your own." I nodded, watching the slip. "Generous." "It was like throwing a life preserver. Someone's drowning, how can you not?" He held"