Lucas smiled. “That’s awesome.” Daniel glanced between them, then down at the cocoa in his own hands. “You’re always welcome here, Lucas,” he said softly. “Just so you know.” Lucas wasn’t sure what to make of that—but the warmth in his chest said maybe he’d needed to hear it more than he realized.
Lucas muttered a thank you and walked off with a strange weight in his chest. He couldn’t name it. Not yet When he got home, his dad looked up from the couch. “Where’ve you been?” he asked. “Out,” Lucas said, kicking off his shoes. “Hope you weren’t sulking at that grave again,” Dana called from the kitchen, her voice laced with mockery.