Sometimes being with your biological family is more trouble than it’s worth. They don’t get that you’re an adult and turned out different from what they expected. His father’s latest woman friend had brought her niece along as a dinner partner for Sky, and the hopefulness that they’d make a match was obvious. Marty was a nice enough girl, but—she was a girl. He’d had too much tequila and then the chilies and other spices had upset his stomach. All he wanted to do was drink a gallon of water, and leave. It was as if they’d poisoned his birthday. There hadn’t been a cake, either, and he was very partial to cake. With candles and singing and balloons. He didn’t even get a present. Well, Marty was maybe supposed to be his present. Maybe it was the tequila that didn’t mind these strangers borro
