Seventy-Two

Gia

A month had passed since we moved into our new home. My dad came to visit us every Sunday, and he was a regular face at the Clubhouse cookout. He still didn’t feel like he could face his brother after going AWOL for so long, but with our support and plenty of encouragement, we helped to restore his shattered confidence. At least we had convinced him to stop blaming himself for everything that happened. Dad helped me to choose some plants for our garden, and he and Kian laid down some fresh turf, making everything look pretty. It made me so happy to see them getting along. It truly felt as if I had the family I always wanted.

“Gia,” Kian called out across the garden.

He was all sweaty from working so hard, and his clothes were smeared with dirt. Dad was standing alongside him, holding up an apple tree sapling they intended to plant. I emerged through the bi-folding glass doors carrying two bottles of ice-cold beer from the fridge. My guys had been hard at work all afternoon, and th