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Jason had to sies” Bacon sizzled in the pan, the salty arolanced around at the encroaching wilderness and fished their can of bear spray out of the tent, keeping it close by

As Maggie cracked eggs into the pan, Jason grabbed his sketchpad and pencils from the tent It was silly of him to always keep his pad by the bed at ho it all the way to theto art school, and he’d never be a real artist

Standing under the rising Montana sun with pine needles beneath his sneakers, he let hio to Parsons or CalArts or the Rhode Island School of Design He i real friends who understood hi to parties and all the stupid stuff he’d dreamed of since he was a kid

His prep school friends had gone off to college and careers and forgotten him, especially after he left hoape-’s faces when he’d told the his own place, even if it was only a tiny studio apartment They couldn’t fatho the sa everyone else did

“But you’re too young”

Even now that he enty-five and an official adult, people still didn’t think he was old enough to be a father Didn’t think he was good enough He’d prove theht choice, even if it had meant no art school

Shaking his head, Jason snorted to hio to art school anyway No, it would have been an Ivy League business degree for hih-rise No s across paper

He ran his fingertips over the ses of his sketchpad It was only a cheap one froet them for even less at the Dollartown in the strip h hiie had everything she needed and more

It was ridiculous anyway He was never going to create story illustrations or comic books like the ones he’d loved to read since he was a kid His art was never going to be anything Yet the lure of pencils and paper called to hi he should be a better father

He sat on a fallen log and sketched a few pages of the ca across the wide horizon beyond the looie by the fire, opti fro to Montana He’d given her that, at least

After breakfast—mercifully free of any aniie scared off with her delighted shrieks—they headed to the visitors’ center for a guided nature walk Jason glanced in the rearview h his messy blondish hair, which was due a wash Ah, the

It was also due a cut, and he could i hiy His olden hair had always been perfect, even if it was just in a ponytail for yoga Even on weekends, his dad had worn button-up shirts and his Rolex

If Jason had chosen differently all those years ago, he’d probably be sitting behind a desk at his father’s fir the stock exchange

With a pang, he thought of his younger brother, Ti to Harvard according to his Instagram Jason would love to talk to hi, but that door had closed when their parents made their ultimatum

Maybe now that Tie, he’d reach out Andto do with me If he did, surely he’d have tried to contact Jason before now?

Jason gave his head a mental shake as he turned into the lot and parked He shouldn’t hold his breath for Tiie was his fao not to dwell

“Dad? You co?”

Jason juie had already clah Jason’s , hopping a little in place, a grin lighting up her face He returned the sht behind you,” as he closed the s