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“Honey, I did a little background work on Ryan last night.”
“Oh, Dad, really?” Crestfallen, she hoped he wasn’t going to put her on the spot of having to defend him.
“I’m sorry. You had to know I was going to do that.”
“No, I really didn’t. I guess I’m just a dummy.”
“Well, you’re not a dummy at all. But your friend, yournewfriend, has had a rough way to go.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“So he told you?”
“Oh yes, I got the entire sad story. I’m not sure how someone bounces back from that.”
“I’m not sure they do,” Steven said.
“He left rehab in an Uber, and when it pulled up to his house, he realized he’d lost it in foreclosure.”
“Yeah, I read that. You know, if your mother had died, I might have ended up the same way.”
“Dad, don’t say that. I held it together when Jake died, didn’t I? Where’d I get that strength from anyway?”
“That’s true. You are a tough cookie, Sofia.”
“Ryan was almost in the gutter, Dad.”
“I know. It’s kind of weird that he met you and got a job the same day.”
“It is! I was just thinking the same thing,” she replied.
“I guess you don’t want to take him to Uncle Mike’s for dinner tomorrow.”
“No, Dad. You’ve said you wanted to start going again to Sunday dinner, so go for it, but I don’t want to bring him around the family, not yet. I might never see him again, and then we’d have to explain the whole mess.”
“I’m just thinking because, you know, my brother’s wife has been through rehab.”
“Ugh, I forgot about that. No, I’m not ready to start that tradition. The cousins’ girlfriends judge me. Why areyougoing, anyway?”
“I love going, but your mother doesn’t like my family,” he replied sadly. “She finally has agreed to let me go alone, and she’ll do something with her friends on Sunday.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m not sure why Mom’s family are such snobs.”
“Who knows? She is, too. Anyway, stay in touch this weekend. I wanted you to know what I found out about your friend.”
“How was the taco truck?”
“About what you would expect. I’m not sure what people have been eating to say it was the best they’d had.”
“Ha! Well, that’s disappointing. So we’ll talk later?”
“Yes, definitely. Love you, Sofia.”
“And I love you, Dad.”
She hung up, smiling. Trying to settle back down to writing wasn’t happening, so she put her computer away and decided to do a little sleuthing on her own. Who was this guy whogenerouslyallowed Ryan to live in his shed? She’d check out his house again when Ryan wasn’t with her.
Driving along the Pacific Highway, the signs of summer brightened her mood. Colorful kites flying, a rainbow banner being pulled by a plane advertising suntan lotion, people in bathing suit cover-ups and straw sun hats strolling to sidewalk cafés were evidence summer had arrived.
