He chokes on the sentence.
I have a grandfather
in Fernley. Maybe we’ll
meet one day. Maybe he
listens to me on the radio.
Oh. He’s old. Probably
not exactly an X listener.
Brendan gets to his feet,
and I notice that Montana
and Nikki are standing
a respectful distance away.
Uh, look. This is kind of
a lot to absorb and …
I stand too. “Like I said,
I don’t expect anything
at all from you. So no
worries about blood tests.
I’m an adult, and I can
take care of myself.”
We start toward the girls.
Montana looks wary.
Guess I have to tell
the story twice, huh?
Oh, well. Relationships
shouldn’t have secrets.
Suddenly I notice
Nikki’s stance. She’s
pissed. Maybe even
more than pissed.
Because of what just