“I have.”
Mason watched him carefully.
Ryan looked at his son.
“You were right.”
Mason didn’t smile.
Ryan continued.
“You shouldn’t have had to do that. But I’m glad you did.”
Mason thought about it.
Then he nodded.
“Okay.”
A few seconds passed.
“Can I have a sandwich now?”
I burst out laughing.
I couldn’t help it.
After everything that had just happened, Mason was finished.
He had said what needed saying.
Now he wanted lunch.
I handed him a sandwich.
He sat beside me and started eating like he hadn’t just publicly dismantled his father’s entire self-image.
A little while later, Lauren walked over.
She didn’t go to Ryan.
She came to me.
“Can I say something?”
“Sure.”
“I didn’t know.”
“About what?”
“When I asked about sunscreen, I didn’t know he had just refused to do the exact same thing for you.”
