บท 34: Chapter 34

“But then you met Del?” he prompted, because it was obvious the family thing was a hard thing to talk about to Justin.

“Yeah. He’d moved next door and started to help with the kids so I could work part time. And when we moved to California to get away from it all, we decided it was easiest for the kids to call him Dad.” Justin rubbed the fingers of his one hand with the other and frowned, as if experiencing some sort of ghost pain.

Maybe Izzy wasn’t as careful as he thought with the staring, because Justin smiled tightly and said, “I got bashed by my uncle. Still have some pain in my fingers after fifteen years, and I’m still on insulin because they had to cut out my pancreas.”

“Right,” Izzy managed to get out. “I’ve seen you have the less sugary stuff here.”

“Yeah, it’s not as bad anymore, I guess my body adjusted over time a little. I can have some sugar but nothing like most people can.”

“I’m glad. That you all got out of that old life. You have it so well here.”