“I used to think I couldn’t miss what I don’t remember that well,” she said, leaning back and keeping her voice low, “and then I get surprised when it hits me.” Her gaze shifted to her sister. “Like now.”
“She’d be here, that’s for sure,” Zach said gruffly. “Twice I married women too good for me. Still surprises me that they fell for my line of bull.”
She supposed she should ask about the current lady in his life, but couldn’t quite manage it. Instead, she tried to imagine him as that young man talking her mom into taking on seven boys and him.
“She loved you,” Hannah said, surprised by the intensity of this sudden memory of her mom saying, “Your dad’s a good man. A real good man.” She hesitated, as her brain did a bounce, wondering how to segue to Charlie and Ellie.
“I—she was a good
