Chapter 76

A grin spread across his face,his cheeks pinking.“I love you,too.But what brought that on?”

“I’m excited about starting the next chapter of our lives today.After this,I mean.”

“Me,too.”

Pamela looked at the two of us and rolled her eyes.“You guys are so lame.”

Jeff and I chuckled.I started to zing her back,but the door opened again.

And there he was.My father.My breath caught,and I heard Pamela gasp.

He looked like he’d aged twenty years in the three months since we’d seen him.His hair was gray and scruffy,and his skin looked pasty,like he hadn’t seen the sun in years.His prison garb was a hideous green.Didn’t defendants usually wear a suit?Maybe I had watched too many crime shows.

His eyes scanned the room until they landed on us.He stopped walking until a guard nudged him to continue.I shivered at the coldness in his eyes.He looked at Jeff,then gave an expression of disgust.He turned to sit at the table alone,apparently waiting for his lawyer.