toward her.
“Thanks,” William responded. He glanced at the unopened menu. He already knew what
he was going to order. She clearly did too, choosing instead to watch William and
study his expression.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine. I think. It was only two weeks ago.” His mind drifted to the last
breakfast his family shared there. His grandfather and Manny laughing, trading old
inside jokes. His grandfather drinking endless amounts of coffee. Manny knowing
when to refill his mug. He didn’t understand how his grandfather would be able to
take a nap an hour after so much coffee.
Casey leaned forward slightly, her brows furrowing with quiet understanding.
“I am sorry. All four of my grandparents died before I was born so I never got to
know any of them,” Casey told him.
“Two of mine died when I was five. Along with my mother,” William confided. “In a
plane crash.”
“Oh, that must have been hard.” Casey frowned.
“I mean, I don’t really remember too much from back then,” William admitted. “How
about you? Did it seem harder without having any grandparents?”
“I don't know. I mean, holidays and birthdays were just my parents and me. We never
treated any of them as a big deal. I would get practical gifts, not what I wanted.
But I don't, like, feel I missed out on anything that other kids had. I think it
affected my father a lot.”
Casey flipped the menu open, then shut it again without a glance. William studied
her eyes.
“Luckily my dad had my grandparents,” William told her. “They practically raised me