“He’s no Spencer.”
She nods. “What else did you do? I’ve only been to Toronto once, and I was too young to remember most of it.”
“It was cold,” I report. “Not as cold as here, though. I went to a hockey game the second night. They lost.”
“Sad.”
I shrug. “I don’t care much for hockey.”
“Why did you go?”
“Because Dad got us platinum seats. When you have good seats, you go.”
“And you wouldn’t go if you had not-good seats?”
“Nope.”
“How was your flight?”
“It was okay. I like flying. I don’t know why I never got my license.”
“Because Gunnar would have thought you were copying him. Both racecar drivers, both like speed. If you were both pilots…”
I chuckle. “You’re probably right.”
“I know.”
“What have you been doing during my welcomed absence?”
“I didn’t say it was welcome.”
She doesn’t look at me when she says that, but it still feels like my stomach’s been kicked. In a good way.
“I painted. Before you start to nag me, I did my exercises and walked.”
“No one has ever accused me of nagging.”
“You kind of nag me. In a good way.”
“Must be just you.” Another kick in the stomach at the way Sophie sounds like me nagging her in a good thing.
“I had tea with Mrs. Theissen. I think she likes my Dad.”
“She—what?” I’ve never told Sophie about the day I came across Duncan and Mrs. Theissen in the hallway, and the way he was leaning against the wall suggested it was more than a conversation about staffing. “Is that a good thing?”
“He’s had a thing for her for years,” she surprises me by saying.
“And… you’re okay with that?”
“I want him to be happy, so sure. Stella doesn’t know about it, so I’ve never said anything.”
“How did you know?”
“I figured it out.”
“Are you good at figuring things out?”
She looks at me evenly. “I like to think so.”
