“Would you believe it if I told you she was born in a car?” I said with a laugh.

“You’re pulling my leg.”

“It’s true, I swear.”

He smiled again, a lock of hair falling over his left eye, making me want to reach out and brush it away, but he held out a hand. “I’m Jack,” he said.

“Lily,” I answered, and before I could say anything else, someone bumped Jack from behind and half a pint of cold beer sloshed straight down my shirt.

“Oh, fuck it,” he said, which made me burst out laughing because with his accent, he made the word sound so formal and posh, it was downright delightful. “I’m so sorry,” he continued as he reached for a few napkins and pressed them into my hand. “Here, take these.”

I dabbed at my sopping shirt as he offered his apologies again and I waved him off with an it’s fine gesture. “I never liked this shirt much anyway.”

His turn to laugh, and, amid another thousand apologies, he offered to buy me a drink. I decided on a Diet Coke, and when he returned, we squeezed into the space at Monica’s table, where she was still deep in conversation about her near-death experience with nitrous oxide. As Jack and I chatted, I barely noticed the first hour go by, didn’t pay attention to the second one, either. That was how easily the conversation flowed between us, as if we’d known each other for years, and there was no way I’d end the evening without getting his number. And I had, but it was his house number because I’d gone home with him, and we’d been together since.

Ash looked at me now, his eyebrows knitting together. “Beach...body...” he whispered.

“That’s the name of the garage,” I said. “You remember.”

“‘We’ll give you a better body at Beach Body.’” He hummed the tune of the ancient advertisement Mike had made for radio years ago, and never updated, and I let out a laugh as I covered my eyes with one hand.

“That’s not my handiwork. We used to make fun of that damn thing all the time. This is amazing, Ash. I can’t believe that came back.”

“Neither can I,” he said. “I wish there was more, things about us.”

I hesitated for a moment. “We could go back to Maryland, see if it helps.”

He shook his head, his expression changing to one of concern. “No, I can’t. I promised Maya I wouldn’t leave again. Besides, a large part of my memories is here. I have to try to find those first. Figure out who I am, not to mention why I left. I owe it to Maya, and to myself, and you.”

“Then let me help,” I said. “Because I’m not giving up on you.”