I liked it when he did that so I didn’t mind not getting a kiss.

He settled in, leaning against the side of my chair, his eyes moving to Dad.

“Hook, how you doin’?” he asked quietly.

I looked to Dad to see Dad taking Abel and I in.

Finally, he focused on Abel. “Be better once I put my man to rest.”

“Gregor said they’d do whatever you wanted. Just tell me what you want and I’ll get them to arrange it,” Abel told him.

Dad held his eyes and stated, “Viking funeral.”

“Come again?” Abel asked.

“Snake had shit parents, four shit wives, and mostly a shit life, unless he was with his brothers. Didn’t get much of what he wanted outta life, that’s just the way life rolled out for him. It sucked watching, but respect, Snake never let it get him down. Man always talked about wanting a Viking funeral. Thought he was nuts, picking the wrong women, not havin’ great luck, and wanting an end he couldn’t have, seein’ as we lived landlocked and no one lets you do that shit. Reckon the vampires could do that shit though, so I like the idea of Snake gettin’ one thing he wanted, even if he gets it after he’s gone.”

My chest depressed.

“Then he’ll get that,” Abel said.

“’Preciate it,” Dad muttered, looking back to the sea.

Abel gave him time before he asked, “You process the other shit I told you?”

“One thing at a time, bubba,” Dad kept muttering. “We put Snake to rest, then I’ll deal with my little girl and her man savin’ the world.”

Abel looked down at me.

I again shook my head.

He nodded and looked back to Dad. “You had breakfast, Hook?”

“Not hungry.”

“Gotta eat, man,” Abel told him.

“Not somethin’ I don’t know,” Dad replied.

“Hook—”

Dad cut his eyes to Abel. “Son, obliged for the concern, but you gotta know when to let an old man be.”

“I never die,” Abel returned. Dad blinked and I stared, not knowing where that came from.

Dad recovered first. “You bein’ immortal, I got that.”

“What I’m sayin’ is, that means I have a long fuckin’ time of remembering what Snake sacrificed for Lilah and me, a long fuckin’ time to be grateful for it, and a long fuckin’ time to honor that memory.”

Yes, my Abel was good at this.

Dad’s throat convulsed, but he said no words in reply, just nodded.

“You want time with your girl?” Abel asked.

Dad swallowed, cleared his throat, and answered, “If you mean alone, no. You don’t have to leave. But I want time with my girl.”

“You got it,” Abel murmured, looked down at me and shared, “Gotta shower, bao bei.”

“Okay, honey.”

When he bent this time, he touched his mouth to mine.

Then he went to take a shower.