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“The best.” She took a bite of the food and chewed.
Mason handed her a bottle of apple juice. She finished the rest of her cracker and opened the juice, then washed down her meal.
“Do you get to visit him often?”
“No. He’s a truck driver, so he keeps pretty busy. He might come see me in a few weeks.”
Mason nodded, loading up his own cracker before shoving the whole thing in his mouth.
“Are you and your dad close?” Pippa asked.
Mason nodded. “He and my brother have been a huge help with Aspen. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
“He seemed like he cared for her a lot.” She rubbed a hand over Lady’s fur, handing her a piece of deli ham.
“I’m sorry I didn’t properly introduce you.”
“Aspen was hurt. I get it.”
He reached over and squeezed her thigh. “Still, I should have handled everything better. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Is that where she is today? At your father’s place?”
He nodded and grabbed another cracker. “Yeah, she wanted to have a campout with him before school starts next week. It’s their tradition.”
So he’d be all alone tonight?
“Are you close with your sister?” Mason asked.
She smiled and picked a grape from the board before popping it between her lips. She crunched down, a pop of sweet liquid filling her mouth. “Yes. My dad had to . . . well, he couldn’t take care of me when I turned sixteen. And I went to live with my sister. She’s older by ten years.”
He whistled. “That’s quite the age gap. I can’t imagine having to start all over with a newborn after that long.” His brows drew together. “Do you want kids of your own?”
Pippa looked away, her stomach flipping. “I-I don’t think I can. I mean, my mother struggled with infertility; that’s why I came along so late. They said I was their miracle baby.” Some miracle I turned out to be. “I know a lot of people with epilepsy have babies, but I’m not sure I can.” How could I care for another life when I’m struggling to take care of me? She turned towards him. “Do you want more kids?”
“I never really thought about it. Aspen is my world. I’m more than content with just her.”
Pippa nodded. That was good. “My sister, Sophia, is getting married next summer to her fiancée, Vivian. She’s una chulería.”
“Una chulería?” Mason asked.
“It basically means sweetheart.”
“Is your sister why you have a lot of LGBTQ books and events in your store?” Mason grabbed a bottle of water from the basket and unscrewed the cap.
“She’s part of it. Living with her and her partner, I saw how much discrimination they faced. Sometimes they can’t even hold hands because they are afraid someone will target them. I just wanted to create a space that was safe and accepting for my customers, whoever they may be.”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“Because of Sebastian?” she asked.
“I mean, that makes it more personal. But I think any decent human being with any amount of empathy should be able to recognize that two people loving each other is one of the most beautiful things about life. Who cares if it’s a woman and a man, two men, or two women. Hell, who cares if it’s a throuple, as long as everyone is happy and getting their needs met.”
“I just don’t understand why people can be so hateful towards people who love each other.”
He shrugged, staring off at the blue sky above them. The sun hung low, sparkling on the lapping waves below. A warm salty breeze blew over them.
“I think people fear what they don’t understand. And having empathy takes vulnerability and emotional intelligence. A lot of people want to remain in their ignorance because it’s comfortable. It’s what they know, and they don’t have to put in any work to change or try to see the world through someone else’s lens.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “At the end of the day, we’re all just human beings doing the best we can to find love, acceptance, and connection. If my brother finds that with another man, who can say that’s wrong? Their love is just as pure as a heterosexual couple’s.”
