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“You don’t need to be sorry.”

“I guess I just feel bad.”

“About what?” Fallon asked.

“I wish Pete and Mom would be together.”

“Why would you feel bad about that?”

“Would it make you mad?” Evan wondered.

The question left Fallon stunned.

“Would it?” he asked again.

“No. I just want you all to be happy. That’s all,” Fallon said.

“But you always make fun of Pete.”

“Pete is one of my best friends, Evan. I guess that’s true. But believe me, Pete and Dale have spent many hours making fun ofme.”

“Pete says you were the smartest person he knew until he met Riley. But then, she married you, so he had to think about it some more.”

Fallon’s howl of laughter caught the attention of everyone.

“Sorry,” Fallon said, clearing her throat. “Riley is much smarter than me,” she agreed. “Even if she did marry me.”

Evan offered the first hint of a smile. “I think Mom is afraid to tell me about Pete.”

“Do you mean that she likes him?”

Evan nodded. “Pete won’t tell me he likes her, either. He does. I can tell. I think Mom worries about me.”

“It’s okay,” Fallon said. “I can’t tell you that will work out the way you hope, either. I can tell you that Pete will always be there for you and your mom.”

“How do you know?”

“I know,” Fallon said.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. I can’t promise I’ll have an answer. Go ahead.”

“Was my dad always—was he…”

“Selfish?” Fallon asked.

“I guess.”

Fallon sometimes lost sight of how much Evan had grown. He had just turned fourteen and would start high school in the fall. He wasn’t sitting alone as a ploy for attention; he was trying to process his fears and emotions. Fourteen was a tough age. You were caught between wanting to appear like an adult and still feeling like a kid.It was also the time when kids began to understand adult motivations more clearly. Sometimes, those realizations left you feeling unfulfilled. There was no point in lying to Evan. He would see right through it. And Fallon didn’t want to lie.

“I never thought about it much,” Fallon replied. “Not until recently. I think your dad has always been a little selfish. He loves you. He loves me and Grandma. But yeah. He tends to think about himself before he considers anyone else. I think it’s because everyone has always told him how great he is. He was a straight-A student, a varsity athlete in his sophomore year, and he always had girls chasing him.” Fallon chuckled. “He was a lot to live up to for me.”

“He called me on Monday,” Evan said.

“Is that a good thing?”

“I guess. He gets quiet when I tell him about stuff.”