“Now what is that supposed to mean?” Ryan said. “You never lie.”

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Lucas said. “Like I said. Just a bad day.”

Usually after games, Lucas would try to find time to break down what had happened with Gramps, both the good and bad. But he knew that wasn’t happening today. He already knew what had happened. He’d been distracted, and let that affect his play, and nearly cost his team a game. Unacceptable. Maybe, because the Wolves had managed to hang on to their lead in the end, everything looked pretty much the same as always if you were watching from the stands.

But Lucas knew that everything was different, and that maybe nothing was ever going to be the same for him again.

Gramps had already left the gym. Some of the guys were talking about going to Gus’s for pizza. Ryan asked Lucas if he wanted to join them. Lucas said he’d pass, he had some schoolwork to do. And the way he’d played today, he’d probably drop his slice on the floor when he went to eat it.

“Schoolwork?” Ryan said. “On a Saturday? After we won a game? Dude, now I know you’re having some kind of melt.”

“Crazy, right?” Lucas said.

He told Ryan that maybe he’d call him later, and they could hang out. He promised his attitude would be better by then. Ryan said he was holding him to that.

“I hate playing lousy,” Lucas said. “Usually going up against somebody like Jake brings out the best in me. Not today.”

“You never play lousy,” Ryan said. “Sometimes you just don’t play great.”

“But I want to, every single time.”

“Even LeBron has bad games,” Ryan said. “Heck, his first year with the Lakers, he had a bad season.”

Lucas managed a grin.

“So you’re admitting I played bad,” he said.

“I give up,” Ryan said. “Sometimes I can’t win with you.”

In the car on the way home Lucas’s mom said, “We’ll have to find a way to fix this. With you and Gramps, I mean.”

“I’m not sure it can be fixed,” Lucas said. “I know he says he’s sorry. But aren’t you the one who says that sorry doesn’t fix the lamp?”

“The love between the two of you just didn’t go away because you found that picture and that letter your dad wrote,” she said.

“Not saying I’m gonna stop loving him,” Lucas said. “But I can’t help it if I don’t trust him anymore.”

They were at a light. She turned to look at him.