Page 63 of Free Fall

“What would I do if knew Korean? I mean, what benefit would it give me?”

“Beats me. The pleasure of learning it? You could ask me the same about climbing.”

“Hmm.” I don’t know that I want to commit to anything right now, but he’s given me something to think about. “I should probably get off my cousin’s couch before I start spending money on language lessons, though,” I say.

“Your cousin’s couch?”

I realize I’ve never told him about my living situation, so I fill him in.

“So, those kids I saw you with at Papa Bear—and the boy I met—are your cousin’s and his wife’s?”

“Did you think they were mine?” I ask, laughing. “And Leenie was what? My wife?”

“No, no, of course not. I just assumed you had your own room there, and she was a friend or a roommate.” He frowns. “I mean, I hadn’t really thought that much about it. I mainlyjust wanted to get you away from them so I could have you to myself.”

I sigh and lounge back down. The next song to come up on the playlist after “Replay” ends is one of my favorite BTS songs, and I sing the lyrics softly.

“How do you know what the songs are about? In general. You know, if you don’t know the individual words?”

“I look up the translations online. The first word of this song,bogoshipda, means ‘I miss you’ and this song is about the loss of an important friendship.”

“Ah. Never experienced that. I hear it sucks.”

“It does.”

“So youhavepicked up quite a few words, then.”

“Of course.Hajimameans stop or quit or don’t do it. Andsaranghaemeans I love you.”

“Mm.”

“Are you really interested in all this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s all pretty frivolous.”

“It makes you happy. What’s more important than that?”

“Being responsible. Making a living. Getting off my cousin’s sofa.”

“Overrated. All of it. Especially the being responsible stuff. Fuck that.”

That makes me laugh. “Remind me not to introduce you to my father. He’s all about responsibility. Spent his life on it.”

“Most men do.”

“Women too.”

“Of course,” Dan agrees. “Responsible for the men in their lives, and the kids, and their work, and so much more. Or so I hear. I admit Peggy Jo’s one of the only women I’ve ever known who’s responsible like that. My foster mothers weren’t good for much when it came to me.” He pauses, considering for amoment. “Though I guess Edith—my third or fourth foster mom—was pretty great. She cared about me. It’s not like she meant to get sick.” Dan’s eyes go sad, and he shifts his gaze to the stars. “That’s why they sent me away from her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. And when I was older, Mrs. Crawford tried to be a good parent for me. But by then it was too late, and I wasn’t having it. I made the poor woman miserable. So, I got sent off to Mr. Anderson’s, and I cut out of there as soon as I could. Never looked back.”

“You had a rough time growing up,” I say, stating the obvious.

“Can’t deny that.” He clears his throat. “It’s all right, though. Taught me not to rely on anyone.”