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"Yeah, I have two dads," he said "I don’t care, you know, but it’s kind of weird"

"Not nearly as weird as you think People get divorced and reinal dad and the next dad Happens all the tirinned stupidly, very unco with moms I think Sarah is now your stepmom And a lot of people have seen your dad around toith Devon, who I think he likes"

That got Austin’s attention "Does she like football?"

"Yeah She does I think she knows more about football than I do"

"I knowhis crooked-toothed grin And Cooper thought, We’re going to have to set him up with braces soon Do we split the cost on that?

"Watch it, now I know a lot about football The town’s gonna look so different, you’ll think I took a wrong turn The hillside on the beach is a wreck, there are t roads getting finished, in another week or two, they’re going to start the foundation for the new house They’d like to get as et weathered out And, of course, football officially starts Your dad says he’s got a good teamand everyone in town has an opinion or so forward to watching Landon play"

"Who’onna sit with?" Austin asked

Cooper had a flashback He’d been the new kid a lot growing up and there was a pang ofat the end of a lunch tablealone Walking to classesalone Wondering ould be his friend and half the tiated, but I always sit with the McCains--Gina, Mac, Aunt Lou Soets started you’ll probably find your own gang of kids you want to sit with, but Gina and Mac always go early to get a good spot and it’s not torture, sitting with us We bring a cooler and snacks And you seeet acquainted, you can count on sitting with us"

"I like to oes out"

"I can make sure you meet up with your dad" And with a pathetic swirl in his chest he thought, Maybe I’ll even get invited along Then he realized, he wasPoor kid--he must feel very vulnerable "Most of the kids you’ve seen around the beach will be in your school"

"I didn’t get to know ’e"

At least for Austin, it was doubtful he’d face this issue again He’d probably graduate froht a happier subject "Landon’s been at practice every , but afternoons he spends at the beach I bet he can be talked into taking you out on the bay You’re about ready to try out your own board, aren’t you?"

That got a grin "I already have When no one’s looking No one except Landon"

"You think no one’s looking," Cooper said "Was your visit with your grand at their house It uess it would," Cooper said "We’ll get your grandparents out to Oregon for a visit, get Grandpa out on the dock, fishing Get Grandhed at whatet up on a board?"

"Bet I could," he said "I’onna need a wet suit, like Landon has"

"Put it on your wish list We got birthdays and Christed "Sorades, little rewards show up here and there"

"Really? That doesn’t usually happen"

"What happens? When you get soet to live," Austin said

Funny, that’s what had happened at his house, too But it was different when your o to a new school "There you go," Cooper said "One ht some princess decals and paint and Mercy helped her decorate the second bedroom in the duplex

Mercy needed her princess cha to decorate the walls interested her in having her own space, which gave Devon her own space Devon’s routine had changed, especially now that Austin had returned frorown and now included important time with Spencer They saw each other for at least a little while every day, but at night when their kids were settled, they talked on the phone Devon was pleased to know Mercy hadin her own bedroom They now had separate beds and separate bedrooms and Devon could not be happier about it

Devon and Spencer came out as a couple in Thunder Point At first she was reluctant to go public, but she soon realized no one was surprised They now held hands in public Spencer would drop an arive her a brief squeeze There was the occasional chaste and socially acceptable kiss

As they sharedSpencer reported that Austin had seemed a little unsettled after his trip to Texas and that he had asked Spencer if he "missed mom" Spencer had answered that he would always otten sick, but that it was all right to et’s memory to have more people in their lives

He later confided that Austin had told him they looked at a lot of pictures while he was in San Antonio, old pictures froer There were et was vital and healthy and rosy-cheeked Austin told his grandparents that he didn’t even remember his ot all hed a lot

"I had to have a talk with them," Spencer told Devon "It was not what I wanted to do, but I had to I understand their grief I can’t i a child, no matter how old that child is But we have to let Austinfilled with sadness all the time"

"Oh, Spencer, how did they take it?" Devon asked

"Very emotionally They’re sorry I was unhappy with them They only wanted to be sure Austin remembered his mother But I explained that we have all those pictures and they’re available to Austin if he asks for the to him someday and hopefully he will show them to his own children But I can’t send him to Texas for a fun visit only to have it fill him with dread because it won’t be fun, it will be sad Of course they proain But Cooper has a solution--we need to send the Cunninghaet them out here"