“I’m at Fort Tilden.”

“You’re not staring out at the ocean and contemplating my mortality, are you? That would be super lame, kid.”

“I miss you.”

“Miss me? We talked this morning.”

“No, I mean I miss you . . . preemptively.” I wince at how that ends up sounding.

“Kid . . .”

“I know. It’s stupid. I know it’s stupid. You’re right there and I can drive up and see you whenever I want, but . . . everything is just so . . .”

“It’s so what?”

“So different than how it used to be.”

“Look. I know it wasn’t an easy decision for you to take over my job—” I hear the worry and regret laced into his tone and I want to squash it from existence.

“No! No, that’s not it. I’m actually starting to like it. It’s good work. And you took such good care of everything for so long that there’s barely any work for me to do.”

“You’ve always been a shitty liar.”

“Well, it’s a hard job. You know that better than anyone.”

“So, it’s not the work. What is it? . . . Your brother?” he guesses.

“. . .”

“Kid, if there’s something wrong with Jack, you gotta tell me.”

“He’s fine. He’s safe. He just did some more dumb shit and now . . .”

“Now you’ve gotta clean it up?”

“Something like that. Honestly, Pops, the less you know about this one the better.”

“. . .”

“Pops?”

“That’s not it,” he says after a moment.

“Huh?”

“I can hear it in your voice. There’s something more. It’s not just about Jack. What is it?”

“Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass to be so easy to read. I end up having to tell you everything.”

“Isn’t that why you called me? To tell me everything?”

“Good point.”

“So. Tell me.”

“. . . I think I’m falling in love?” Even though he can’t see me, I cover my face with one hand.

“Oh, boy.”

“What’s with that tone?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“Pops, don’t be a dick.”

“What, you want me to click my heels for you?”

“Well, you don’t have to be a total downer about it.”

“The words ‘I’m in love’ haven’t exactly ever been good news for our family, kid,” he says.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The last person Jack loved was that Melody person who stole his car. The last person you loved was Trent, who, God love him, is a total asshole. And the last person I loved was your mother and I don’t even need to explain—”