Valeria's POV
We sat there sipping our drinks and talking about nothing in particular. My father asked Elliot about school, about his friends, about what he liked to do for fun. Elliot answered enthusiastically, telling him all about his best friend Marcus who lived next door and how they liked to build forts in the backyard.
"We made one last month that was so tall I could stand up straight inside!" Elliot gushed in excitement.
My father smiled, a real smile that reached his eyes. "Is that so? What did you use to build it?"
"A couple of useful but harmless stuff like old blankets and some chairs from Marcus's garage. We pretended to be explorers.”
"That sounds like quite an adventure," my father chuckled, leaning back in his chair.
"It was! Marcus brought his binoculars and we watc
