Chapter 2
“Your family?” When he said his name is Freeman, I expected distant relatives. Not his parents.
“Yes.” He runs his fingers through his hair with choppy movements. “I was going to…” He gestures for the cookie tin. “They don’t want to…I haven’t seen…I don’t…” He tugs on his hair before letting his hand fall to the table. “It’s a long story.”
He looks at me, eyes brimming with sadness, and I want to pull him close and comfort him with my touch. I shove my hands under my thighs to stop myself from hugging a man I literally just met. “Families can be complicated,” I say instead.
“Very,” Nelson says and nods.
Grampa lets out a sputtering sigh. “I don’t understand people.” He stands, fetches the coffeepot, and divides the leftovers equally between us, his mouth set in a grim line.
