“First of all, I think it’s slightly more complicated than that, and secondly, of course not everyone can swim. Especially not people who spent most of their girlhood in the hospital. By the time they were done with me, I barely knew how to take a shower on my own. I’m great at sponge baths though, in case you’re wondering.”

He fought the smile rising to his lips. “I’m not going to feel sorry for you.”

“No one is asking you to.”

“I’m not going to let this go either. How long have you known?”

That one was easy. “I didn’t know she was your mom. He told me right after the camping trip that he was seeing someone, but only that her name was Minerva.”

The rest was hard. She didn’t know what to do, what to say—or even if there was anything to do or say in a situation like this one.

“Oscar knew.” Harrison’s mouth was a grim line. He was still clutching Bubbles, but he set the animal down now.

Like the obedient, well-trained puppy that she was, Bubbles took her release in stride and settled herself comfortably at Harrison’s feet. Sophie’s chest tightened at the sight of it. He’d accepted that animal into his life so easily—fell in love with her after a few hours. In a short time, their lives had become so intertwined it was hard to imagine the two of them existing separately from one another.

Naturally, human relationships were a little more complicated than that, but that didn’t stop her from feeling jealous.

“Yeah, he probably did know,” Sophie agreed. “You can hardly blame him for not telling you though. Your dad would have never forgiven him. Will you tell me about her?”

He blinked, caught unaware at her rapid change of subject.

“She looks like you. Well, I guess it’s more accurate to say that you look like her, but you know what I mean. Her smile can light up a whole room—I bet that’s what your dad sees in her. How long after your diagnosis did she leave?”

“Twenty-four hours. Possibly less.” He shook his head and stared at her as if unsure how she managed to get such an easy answer out of him. “Look, Sophie—this isn’t some cute love story that’s finally found its happy ending. You realize that, right?”

Sophie ignored him. “From a few things your dad mentioned the other day, it sounds like they’re going to move in together—but not at your house. He said something, something about it having too many memories. I didn’t know what he meant at the time, but that makes sense. She probably wants to go somewhere they can start fresh.”