Sarah had been so relieved when she’d heard Dana bragging about getting into Hawaii State and how she’d leave once she graduated and never look back. Good riddance had been both Valerie and Sarah’s reaction the day they overheard her.
Glancing back at her phone, Sarah shrugged again. “It’s been over two years. I’m sure she’s moved on.”
Valerie laughed. “I doubt anyone would want to deal with her annoying ass.”
Refusing to give into what Valerie was insinuating, that, like her, Sarah should be worried about what they might do on their weekend there, Sarah dropped her phone in her purse and turned to her cousin. “Regardless,” she said careful how she phrased this because she didn’t want to sound catty. “Until he gives me reason not to trust him, I’m not gonna start worrying about something like that.”
It was the truth. Unfortunately, Valerie had lots of reasons to think Alex might be going to Hawaii or anywhere else to live it up and hook up with as many girls as he could. There had been two full seasons of Angel leaving for his away games without her, and he’d never given her reason to think he might do something while away. Sarah trusted him completely.
“Well, I’m not saying this to make you paranoid. I’m just giving you a heads up.” Valerie glanced at her then back on the road. “I didn’t say anything last year because I didn’t want to give her the pleasure of doing what I was sure she was trying to do—piss you off. I also knew you’d been at the game since it was here and you were with him the whole time after. But somehow she and I have mutual friends on Facebook, and one of them got tagged on some photos Dana posted after last year’s game against SD. In them, she managed to take photos of herself with players and band members from SD we went to high school with. Among them, Angel and even Alex made her stupid wall. She posted so many I didn’t think it was a big deal. So I guess when the schedule came up for this year’s season she reposted the photos, only not all of them. The caption read something stupid like ‘I can hardly wait to hang out with my friends from SD at this year’s game.’”
Valerie turned into the Starbucks parking lot, and Sarah had to wonder if this is why Valerie had called her out of the blue. She turned to Sarah as she parked and turned the car off. “This time there were only a handful of photos, and, of course, the one she took with Angel was one of them. I guess she didn’t want to look like the big slut she is, because she only posted one guy. The other two were girls in the band.”
Other two.
So it wasn’t even a handful. There were three people Dana was announcing she was looking forward to reuniting with in Hawaii—two girlfriends and Angel.
Valerie’s news about Dana had also come with a warning. As she always had back in high school, Valerie insisted Sarah not sweat Dana for even a moment. “I was just giving you a heads up so you’re not blindsided or anything in case you hear something, but don’t go arguing with Angel over something that wench posted on her Facebook page. Obviously, she hasn’t matured at all and is still trying to push buttons. Don’t give her the pleasure.”
Taking Valerie’s advice, Sarah decided she wouldn’t give it another thought. After Valerie dropped her off, she re-read the email from her dad, and when her mom got home, she confirmed the younger photo of him was definitely him.
“Wow,” Luna said, staring at the photo of what he currently looked like. “Those are definitely the eyes I remember. Time has been a friend to him, I’ll give him that much. I expected him to look even older since he was six years older than I was and you’d think all that time in jail would’ve aged him faster. But, yeah”—Luna nodded—“that’s him.”
Sarah turned to her mom, her insides getting a little more excited as this began to feel like the real deal. She chewed the corner of her lip, wondering if she should mention that she and her brother were almost the same age, but she figured it was just a matter of time before her mother found out, so she may as well just tell her.
Glancing back at the monitor, she clicked on the photo of him. “This is Leonardo,” she said, “my brother. He’s nineteen.”
Luna half-frowned then smiled. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She leaned over to get a better look. “Your dad had a lot of tattoos too.” She murmured, staring at the photo. “He’s good-looking.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m more surprised he only had one other kid, but I suppose that had a lot to do with him being locked up for so long.”
Sarah was relieved her mom seemed more annoyed than hurt. Sydney called just after her mom left the room. She’d sent him the photos before she’d left with Valerie. His first words when she answered were “That’s him all right.”
More excitement bubbled inside her. “You sure?”
“Yep, that’s the guy. What did your mom say?”
“Well, she said he looks different. Obviously, it’s been twenty years.” She got up and headed to her bed. “She expected him to look different, but she was surprised how well he’s aged.” She plopped down on her bed and lay back. “He is six years older than she is, and he really doesn’t look it, but she said those are definitely his eyes and she’s ninety-nine percent sure that’s him.”
“So what now?”
“I don’t know. He sent me my brother’s contact information and said he really is anxious to meet me, so I guess I’ll write him next. All I know so far is he’s my age and goes to school in Phoenix.”