Page 62 (1/1)

“Sure unc, see you in a little bit” I hung up the phone and sat in contemplation My son keeps me on my damn toes The boy, for all that he’s not ofto stay one step ahead of him because there’s also another side of him that I’m not privy to

For that, I go to his best friend, the person I know he trusts most after me I don’t do it to hinder or hamper him in any way but to protect It’s the only way I know to keep him safe As a man, I respect my son’s privacy, but as a father, I can’t afford to be thatlike the clock is running out since his eighteenth birthday, but now this nerinkle justfield

Lance didn’t know o on for now Gabe does not do things out of order, and nothing sways him from his path The fact that he went out of his way to save this girl not once but twice and then harangued his sisters into bringing her home under false pretenses speaks volumes

He never brings anyone here; in fact, since his youth, Lance is the only one outside of family that he’s kept close I know his reasons for that and suffer for it, but there isn’t e the road he’s chosen Even without irl! I’ll keep irl

I switched ca to tell by theiraway But then again, I didn’t expect it to be that easy Just the fact that he’d gone to the lengths he has thus far is enough Yeah, ti for to steer him off course

GABRIEL

Why the hell am I so nervous? It’s not like this is the first tiether like this No, but this feels different sos are not the sa her around the place, but her excite me down

I could actually see the place through her eyes; rooms that I’d been in and out of for years and never stopped to notice came alive as she exclai for to the art collection lining the walls of the ballrooin Annunciate?”

“You know art?” She stood alinal that I’alin the Palazzo in Paler as she’s pretty good herself

“A little My mom used to take me to museums when I was little before she died She used to love to paint as well” Her voice was sad with longing, which touched a chord in me and made me antsy The room seemed suddenly too close for comfort “Why don’t I show you around outside?” Yeah, so I can breathe

I found et as far away fro her side lefterounds It’s here I find solace more than anywhere else Here I cohts

“So, how do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in real life” There e in her voice as she looked around at the vast gardens Pop had had planted for Ma I’arden back here, froe to Chinese iolas and Koi ponds and about thirtythem all in order

Not sure what’s up oht of it all al that she doesn’t do that nearly enough, light up like that, and since I had no basis for hts, my own conclusions, the ones I’d drawn from what I’d seen so far between her and Victoriadeep in me What the hell?