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“At his age, if he’s interested, then he’s definitely a creep,” Morgan said.

The man untied his apron and hung it on a hook near the kitchen door.Then he smoothed his hand through his hair, and walked toward them, not breaking his gaze.

“He’s coming over,” Abby said.

“Excuse me,” the man said as he approached their table.“I’m so sorry to be staring at you.”He looked directly at Abby.

“See, hewaslooking at her,” Charlie whispered to Morgan.

“It’s just I’m a little taken aback at how much you look like a woman I went to high school with,” he said, not letting his eyes off her.

“Okay…” Abby said.

A light went off in Charlie’s head.“What was her name?”Charlie asked.

“Carla,” he said.

“Was she about five feet three with dark eyes and a dumb penguin tattoo?”Charlie asked.

“On her right wrist,” the man said.

“Yes!Carla was our mom,” Morgan said.

“Oh my God, you’re her daughters,” he said looking, like he had just been handed a box of his favorite candy.“I’m Antonio.”

The women introduced themselves by name and birth order, and he reached out to shake each of their hands.

“You saidwasyour mom.Did something happen to her?”he asked.

“She recently passed away,” Charlie said.

“Oh no, she was so young.I’m so sorry for your loss,” Antonio said.The women thanked him, and he continued.“Is it just a crazy coincidence that you came in here today?”

“No,” Abby said, reaching into her purse and pulling out the magnet.“This was hers.”Abby held it up.

Antonio took the magnet out of Abby’s hand.He turned it around and around.“I haven’t seen one of these in years.I gave it to Carla a long time ago.I can’t believe she kept it.”

“It must’ve meant a lot to her,” Charlie said.

“Carla meant a lot to me,” Antonio said.

“We’re discovering things about our mother’s past we didn’t know.We came to Brooklyn to find out more,” Morgan said.

Antonio gestured to their table.“Do you mind if I sit?My legs get tired from standing back there all day,” he said, hooking a thumb toward the kitchen.

The women gestured to him to join them, so Antonio grabbed a chair from another table and pulled it up to theirs.

“Dylan, bring these ladies some garlic rolls,” Antonio called over to the one-zit wonder.Dylan nodded and went into the kitchen.

“Did you know our mom well?”Morgan asked.

“We grew up down the street from each other but didn’t start hanging out until high school.My dad owned this restaurant, so Carla and I would come here after school to do homework and goof off.”

“Were you her boyfriend?”Abby asked.

“No, we were just good friends.”

“Did you know our dad, too?”Morgan asked.