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I look from my dad to the basket on Stella’s scooter, wide-eyed A couple watermelons take up practically the whole space, so the comment isn’t out of nowhere, but I can’t see really, really dirty after hearing it

“They are,” Stella replies “I think they’re going to be pretty juicy You and your son should come over and have some”

My brain tries to perfor, but Carly’s voice brings et the chance

“His name is Ryan, Mom”

“Ryan,” she says, a sassy tone to my name that makes my balls feel like they should freeze and put their hands up before anything else bad happens

“That’s right I’ a hand in a pathetic wave “It’s nice to meet you, Stella”

“Oh, you too, honey! I don’t kno ed to do it before ht”

My eyebrows lift up half the width of ht?”

“We’re finally going to have tiet to know one another! Oh, Sal, say you and Ryan can coht!” Carly’son her own scooter

Sal nods without even pretending to confer with me “Of course We’d love to”

“We’d love to,” I repeat Though, I don’t think it escapes anyone that my tone is a touch more ironic

Carly bites her lip, I assu, but it stirs all sorts of other thoughts inconstantly tonight at dinner

“Well, then We’d better get going,” I say fir way too much on my to-do list to care “I have a lot of work to finish up before we head over tonight Do you ladies have a preference in wine? Red or white?”

Carly goes to open herexcitedly

“Oh, hun, red all day, every day!”

I look to Carly She shrugs, but the esture of I’ll just drink soreement