“Luke, sweetheart, dinner’s on it’s way,” June called from the kitchen doorway. “We can finish your homework later tonight.”
“All right,” the boy replied and stowed his work in his backpack.
June brought their food out and sat down with them to eat. Luke ate with an appetite that was astonishing for his small size, which made Pat all the more sure he’d win his bet with Aelissm. He’d been just like that at Luke’s age, and his mother still saw fit to tease him about it from time to time. He felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t talked to her since before he’d left for Northstar, but he’d called and talked to his sister twice.
Aelissm and June’s conversation bounced quickly from one topic to the next. It was a tendency of theirs that Pat had become accustomed to, even if he hadn’t quite mastered
