just enough to make the trees rustle a little. The sky looked clearer than usual, stars scattered everywhere, shining so

garden lights, and I pulled the

ch after dinner. He was always calm, always in control. But tonight

finall

eyes staring ahead, "the first

d to hi

n your face. I thought you were smiling at me... and my heart did someth

ght off guard.

in it. "Yeah. I thought you were smiling at me.

st tig

hen I knew you weren't smiling at me. You were smiling at him. And that was it

. My mouth opened a littl

ouldn't help it. I stared," he said,

My eyes just followed you. I never look

ing the wine in

kwood invited me

ant to go

d at hi

ome someone else's wife. But I told myself maybe... maybe i

es were steady but distant.

d my

soaked in blood." He turned his head. "I knew it was something bad the moment I saw you alone li

, here

blanket. My throat ached, but

sat in silence, the sound of the

"What about your famil

ole face shifted like I had touched a place he didn't wan

old when my mom

still,

a hotel. She saw him walk in with another woman.

art d

. Got in. I followed her, got into the back seat. She started dri

slightly but h

ing her to slow down. She just kep

hing went dark. Th

ldn't

r... and she was there, bleeding. I called her name over and over but she didn't answe

my eyes. "I'

father. I blamed him. I still do. I started

Global when I was twenty. I didn't want anything from my father.

ce. Trying to hold the

he only time I see his face is on th

at's why you alw

ile. "Yeah. I don'

I looked at him and said, "We a

d a brow

was ten. She took me to the beach, said she

ared at me,

rely drank water. I thought maybe she'd forgotten so

"I passed out and woke up in a ho

as already done. I never forgot m

my chest again.

on't even know if he's alive or if he even knows I exis

lence wasn't awkward. It w

r now. "I guess we're both just

h. That's what

e brushed my hair against my f

need to get a perfect rev

slightly, but he

How they hurt me. I need people to see their tr

long moment. And then he s

I knew I wasn'