“He had a steady girlfriend during what I call the sunshine years. She was nice.” He cocked his head to the side, as if remembering. “It was like he went through a remission of sorts. He held a steady job. There were no incidents.” He tugged at the comforter. “But she left him. I don’t know why, and he never talked about it.” He was silent for a moment. “There have been other women over the years, but…” Crinkling his forehead at me, he said, “You don’t want to know.”

I did want to know. I wanted to know everything. How could I support him if he left me in the dark? “What did he want this morning?”

“Just to vent. He was crying. It’s been fifteen years, and it’s like he’s stuck in a time warp.”

“Was he…was he drunk?” Finn said his dad was a functioning alcoholic, which was obviously horrible, but functioning suggested he could get through a day without calling his son crying. My concern was peppered with a pinch of annoyance, and I hated myself for it.

“He was coming down.”

“What about AA?”

“What about it?”

“Has he joined?”

“You’re a genius, Adi!” His exaggerated wide-eyed expression turned into a snarl. “I don’t know why I never thought of that.”

The air grew hot. “That was harsh.”

Finn scraped a hand across his face. “I’m sorry. It’s just…this is your first day, whereas I’ve been dealing with it for fifteen years.”

I knew his defensive response wasn’t personal, but it was hard not to internalize it. “I don’t mean to be pushy. I just want to be there for you.”

His expression softened. “I know, and I appreciate it. I’m not used to anyone else weighing in on how I deal with my dad. It’s been just me for so long.”

“That’s what your partner”—I pointed at myself—“is there for. But I get it. I’ve been your girlfriend for a hot minute. It’s a lot.” I smiled, desperate to lighten the mood.

“Thank you.” He smiled and kissed my nose. “I need to shower for work. Do you want to meet for lunch? I can take you to Lickety Splits.”

I was grateful for the change of topic, even if it was only a temporary distraction. “Yes to lunch, but I’ll pass on Lickety Splits for now. I got an idea for a story in between rounds of sex last night. Before I conduct more interviews, I want to see if I can turn the spark into a flame.” I pointed to my computer. “I already wrote a paragraph!” I beamed with premature pride.

Finn’s face lit up. “I’m glad my sexual prowess inspired your writing mojo.”