Chapter 78

“Where’s your father, Arnold?”

“He’s back home. Mom and I flew down to Naples to visit her family, but he couldn’t get away from his office.”

It took quite a while, but when Chris and his aunt finished exchanging information, Chris said, “That certainly clears up a lot of things.”

“That’s for sure,” his aunt said.

“And it all makes sense,” Chris said. “Granddad was a great guy, but he would always get so irate if anyone dared to question him about anything he decided to do.”

“Which is why nobody ever did,” his aunt said.

“Yeah.”

“I told them that you’d resolved to contact your family in the New Year,” Mickey said.

“Yeah. As soon as I get all this medical stuff behind me, but that’s going to take a while because I still have one operation to go.”

“It’s very brave of you to go through two surgeries when you didn’t absolutely have to do so,” his aunt said.

“Perhaps, but the chance to get rid of that ostomy bag was a powerful incentive.”