It had been almost a full week since I last saw Jo. We’d been texting back and forth on a daily basis, and she was giving me updates about Sam. She was enjoying spending more time with him than usual and said she was sure Sam would be ready to meet me soon. The last week had been tough without seeing her, so those words made me elated.

My mother had already gone out and purchased a bunch of science-related toys for her grandson. She knew she would have a little while longer to wait than me to meet him, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop buying things for him. She was happier than she’d been in almost a month, and that happiness was good for her health. She was bright-eyed and full of energy like I remembered her being.

The only person I hadn’t spoken to yet was Ryan, who I was presently on my way to meet for lunch. I’d texted him and asked to meet up, and he suggested a local diner that served good burgers.

I pulled into the parking lot and spotted his Challenger. I parked beside him, got off my bike, and headed inside as I tucked my gloves into my helmet. I paused in the doorway as my phone buzzed. I checked the message, which was from Jo, and found myself smiling.

“I miss you,” was all it said.

“I miss you too,” I typed back. Then I slid the phone in my pocket and looked around for my friend—and Jo’s brother. I hoped I wasn’t walking into hot water.

Ryan was sitting in a booth by the window. The seats were cherry red, the tables were turquoise, and the floors were black and white checkered tiles. The place looked like it was straight out of the fifties.

I slid into the booth across from Ryan as a waitress in an apron and poodle skirt came and stood at the edge of the table. “Can I get you boys anything?” she asked. She was in her late forties with permed brown hair, cat-eye glasses, and purple lipstick.

Ryan glanced up at her. “Hey, Sherry. Just a bacon cheeseburger for me.”

“And a water?”

“You got it.” He smiled, closing his menu and handing it to her.

Sherry looked at me and raised her eyebrows expectantly. “And you, sugar?”

“Uh,” I said. Clearly it did not matter to her that I’d just sat down. “The same as him works for me.”

“Great,” she said dryly, flipping her notepad closed and tucking it into her apron. “Be right back with those waters.”

Sherry bustled off, and I glanced at Ryan, who had leaned back in his booth and was resting his arm along the back of the seat. There was a smirk playing on his lips, and he shook his head slowly at me. “I should have known.”

“Ditto,” I said.

Ryan chuckled and rubbed at his jaw. “So you were as surprised as me to find out Sam was yours?”

“Give me some credit. I think I was more surprised. Dad.” I pointed my thumbs at my chest.

“Fair,” Ryan said. “Still. It’s weird. You and Jo? That was enough of a pill to swallow. And now?” He paused as he tried to find the right words. “Now you’re my nephew’s father. It’s fucking weird.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered.

Sherry came back and placed our glasses of water in front of us. I stared at my glass, which was sweating. The water pooled around the base of the cup and started inching slowly outward.

“But Jo seems happy,” Ryan said. I looked up. “Like, really happy, man. Better than I’ve seen her since she got back from the Coast Guard. It’s like she’s her old self again.”

“I think that has more to do with being rid of Brett than it does with me.”

“Don’t be daft. My sister cares a lot about you. So I just have to say one thing about all this, and then I’ll leave it alone.”

Here it was. The big warning. The thing I’d been bracing myself for all week.

Ryan took his arm from the back of the seat and leaned forward, clasping his hands together in front of him upon the table. “Don’t hurt my sister. And don’t hurt Sam. This isn’t the kind of thing where you can dip one toe in and change your mind when you get bored in a few months. Not when there’s a kid involved. You get what I’m saying?”

“Loud and clear.”

Ryan nodded assertively. Then he leaned back again, and his expression became less severe. “Good. So, tell me, did Brett shit himself when you showed up?”

There was a reason why Ryan was my best friend. His word was law to me, as mine was to him. He’d said his piece and trusted I understood the full meaning behind it. I wasn’t going to fuck around with Jo. She meant more to me than I could comprehend. And Sam did, too.

“He wasn’t as big of a coward as I thought he’d be, if I’m being honest,” I said. “He fought back for as long as he could. Had he been sober, I might have had a real fight on my hands.”

“He’s big as an ox,” Ryan acknowledged with a nod. “Good thing he’s always plastered.”

“Agreed.”

Sherry showed up with our food, placing our plates in front of us. The smell of grease, bacon, fries, and onions wafted up toward my nose, and my stomach growled. “This smells amazing,” I said appreciatively, rubbing my hands together.

“Best burgers in Houston, if you ask me,” Ryan said.

Sherry put her hand on her hip. “Anything else for you two?”

“No, thanks Sherry.” Ryan smiled politely.

She arched an eyebrow at me.

“I’m good, thanks,” I said hurriedly. She bustled off again to tend to other tables. I glanced at Ryan. “Why is she so scary?”

Ryan squirted a mountain-sized amount of ketchup on his plate and drowned a fry in it before popping it into his mouth. “She’s always been that way. One of those women you can just tell had a rough go of things when she was younger. Once she gets to know you, she’ll soften up a bit.”

“I might be too afraid to set foot in this place again.”

“She’s not that bad.” Ryan chuckled.

As we ate, we talked about all sorts of things. He told me about his work, and I told him about my Humanitarian Assignment that started in a little over a week. He was enthusiastic about it and cracked a joke about being glad to hear that Sam’s father wasn’t unemployed anymore.

“That sounds so weird,” I said, leaning back and patting my stomach after I swallowed my last bite of food.

“Sure does. But you’d better get used to it. I’m sure in a few months, Sam himself will be calling you ‘dad.’”

I hadn’t even thought about that. Being called dad for the first time was going to be strange. I scratched the back of my head. “Do you think he’s going to like me?” I asked. This question had been rolling around in my brain all week. I was actually intimidated by a nearly five-year-old, and I’d never cared more about what someone would think of me.

“He’ll like you sure enough,” Ryan said. “He’s a bit shy, so just take it easy with him at first. Follow Jo’s lead. She can read the kid like a book, and she’ll guide you through it.”

“But what if he doesn’t?” I asked, leaning close to my friend. “What if he thinks I’m an ass or something?”

“Well, you are an ass.”

“You know what I mean,” I said, a little annoyed that Ryan would joke about this. I was legitimately concerned.

He waved me off. “Relax. He’s a kid. If you listen to him and pay attention to him, he’ll like you. It’s not rocket science.”

“I’m an only child. I had no cousins. I have no experience with kids. At all.”

“Well, you’re about to get some. Don’t overthink it. By the time Jo decides to introduce you, the time will be right. She won’t move too quickly. He’s a cool kid, man. Which is another reason why I’m so shocked you’re his dad.”

“Is this joke ever going to get old?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“Of course not,” I groaned.

Sherry came back to our table and cleared our plates. Ryan nodded his chin at me. “My buddy here just found out he’s a father, Sherry. He’s a little scared. You have a few children, right? Got any advice for him?”

Sherry gave Ryan something that might have been a smile but looked more like a grimace on her serious face. Then she turned to me, balancing our plates on the inside of her forearm. “Always think big picture,” she said.

I looked at Ryan then back at her. “Could you clarify a little?”

Her expression remained completely neutral. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Kids will make you crazy. Don’t lose your shit over the stupid stuff. Save it for the big stuff.”

“Uh, all right,” I said slowly.

Sherry turned to Ryan. “Happy?”

Ryan laughed and nodded. “Yeah, thanks. Words of pure wisdom, Sherry. Pure wisdom.”

Sherry rolled her eyes and left us alone again. I looked at my friend. “She literally scares the shit out of me.”

“Me too, sometimes,” Ryan admitted with a nervous laugh. He took a sip of water and watched me as I took my phone out of my pocket to see if Jo had sent me another message. There was one, which was just a kissing emoji, and I felt like a damn fool for smiling at it. Ryan cleared his throat, and I put my phone facedown on the table. “How long has it been since you saw my sister?”

“The same day we gave Brett the boot. Last Friday.”

“What do you say you call her and take her out tonight? I pick Sam up around six, and he doesn’t come home until tomorrow at noon. The two of you could… I don’t know. Spend some quality time together.”

“Quality?” I asked, waggling my eyebrows.

“Don’t push me,” Ryan growled. “Or I’ll knock your teeth in. I don’t want to think about you and my sister doing—no. I can’t even say it. We’re sticking with quality time.”

I smirked. “It’s top-notch quality if you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t,” Ryan said, glaring at me.

“I’ll take you up on that, though,” I said, ignoring the dark look in his eyes as I picked up my phone and dialed Jo. She picked up almost right away, and her voice was sweet as honey. “Hey,” I said. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Nothing,” Jo said.

“Not anymore you’re not. Be ready by seven. I’m taking you out.”

“Out where?” she asked, her voice going up a note.

“Somewhere. For a real date. I’ll pick you up.”

“Wait, Zach, what should I wear? I haven’t been on a date in years.”

“Seriously?” Jo was quiet on the other end. Fucking Brett. I sighed and shook my head. “I’m not telling you. But dress nice. You deserve a real date.”

She giggled into the phone, and we said goodbye. Then I ended the call and gave Ryan a smug look.

“Pleased with yourself?” he asked.

I draped my arms over the back of my seat. “Very.”