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"I’ll make sure he does I’ll co to prepare this time"

Adam nods "We’ll help you all we can, and just…think about this, all right? Soround isn’t always the best place to stake your clai English? All I can picture is a bunch of gold round

He sighs "I just es isn’t always the best way to go But I can sit here and explain that to you until I’m blue in the face and you probably won’t listen Maybe when you get into a relationship, you’ll figure it out Or else you’re just going to be lonely, because no one is perfect"

Perhaps he is referring to himself and Mia They were far from perfect and had broken up several tiether Maybe those are the chances he’s referring to Did he have to forgive her for soive hi into a relationship es I don’t like changes

I hts as I finish up my workday On the way home, I stop by a fruit stand It’s strawberry season in Southern California and the stands are everywhere, selling thee boxes They’re dark red and al a full box, even though I know I can’t eat theo bad So I stop by my dad’s house to leave so the doorbell and enter, like I always do, and Kim co before she picked up the habit from all of my other family members to call me by that nickname Kim has been my stepmom for only a short time now--almost nine and a half months And the fact that she is Mia’s mom makes Mia my stepsister

"I brought strawberries" Because I know she’s going to invite me to eat dinner with the--"

"Yes, it’s Monday I understand…your workout routine That’s okay, but at least wait to say ‘hi’ to your dad He just got hoed his clothes, Dad comes out and we talk for a few minutes They thankthat I’m already off h to not push it

I’m almost out the door when I stop suddenly It’s seconds after I’ve passed through the front hall, but so is different I turn around and move back to where I saw it… and there it is

A newly fra in the hallway My throat is inexplicably tight So tight I can’t s

"What is it?" my dad asks Kim quickly excuses herself, and I‘oodbye

"That picture Where did you get it?"

There’s a long pause My dad doesn’t say anything I turn back to study the art I’m very familiar with it I produced it when I was fourteen years old It’s a black line draatercolor wash, a medium I haven’t used in at least four years It shows an autumn scene in the hills out by the historic town of Julian They hold an annual apple festival there, and I’d visited the area shortly before painting this

But I threw it away years ago There was too hten at my sides as I replay the scene in , including the cold anger and the hurt Returning tobeen called into the kitchen to speak on the phone with my mother Her excuses--there were always excuses--as to ouldn’t go out to dinner, as she’d previously planned

I’d grabbed that picture--intended as a gift for her--and shoved it in the trashcan I didn’t cry And I refused every invitation to see her after that