what should we talk about

Samantha felt she and Sky hit another milestone.

He told her about his father.

"But, you can't say anything to him about it." Sky was adamant about it. "Just call him Gramps." He told her about his stroke. He wasn't fully recovered from it.

"You're mother must be a saint." Samantha smiled.

"I don't think you get this.." Sky sighed, explaining it all over, again. "My mom is a liar."

"Well..maybe..he made her lie." Samantha suddenly felt he needed the truth.

"Oh, they both lied." He rubbed his chin as if he might go in a tailspin, but she took his hand before it was too late.

"I wish you could be honest to him about this." Samantha liked being that person Sky could confide in.

"I just dunno what it might do to him." Sky was awful sad about it, but she kissed away what the sad might bring.

"OK, he's Gramps and what do you call his wife?" She winced.

"Not anything, really." Sky said she'd been more to a mother to him than his own mother.

"You know, what we should do, is invite them to Open Mic Night." It would be at the library in the middle of the week. "We could sing, again."

"What?"

"Yeah, you and me." She mentioned how fun the Library fund raiser had been. This could be their weekly thing to help the library.

"Woe....she can sing?" Well, it was a blast from the past to hear from Sky.

Hansen was walking home on the cobbled streets of Paris, from another long day at the Chef's school. At least, he was in his skinny jeans now, hiking up the old streets with his messenger bag, and Sky was giving him the lowdown about Samantha.

"Dude, you can do this." Hansen smiled. "I dunno what it is that frightens you so? Is it actual stage fright?"

Sky said he could play anywhere.

"Well, then, there you go..you..did it in the library." Hansen didn't have time to think much about anyone back home.

He guessed he was glad he broke up with Sara when he did. Still, he felt so alone. So it was great catching up with Sky who was with a new girl now. She sounded as if she was the one.

After the call, he was so happy, but then full of sadness. A part of him wanted to call Sky right back.

Seriously, he hadn't met anyone in Paris, evidently..full of strangers. A part of him, didn't want to meet anyone. After all, he'd be back home in a few months. There was definitely nothing keeping him here.

But here he was. It was getting late. Practically, dusk. Hansen went into a coffee bar and ordered just a coffee.

He sat there thinking about his brother and his family. They had a new baby. He guessed his brother had all he ever wanted now.

He swiped his finger through the new photos his brother sent. Not one photo of him and his wife together. Just the baby.

"Hey." The tender voice woke him. He looked behind him. There was a small girl with curls.

"What are you doing here?" Hansen looked at Matti. They were practically family. He guessed. Her sister was married to his brother.

"What are you doing here?" She took a seat next to him at the bar.

"Oh, trying to stay awake, so I can study..up on my French..I guess." He really didn't know much.

"I can take care of that." She smiled.

"You've got an app for that?" He couldn't help to grin.

"I took four years of French." She informed him she'd always wanted to move to Paris.

"Really?" He winced.

"I have my own apartment." She sounded proud of the fact.

"Wow." It wasn't like he knew her all that well.

They pondered over their coffee, for some time. Funny, he felt he had no where to go, and then she said he should come home with her.

"I haven't had a home-cooked meal in ages." Her smile was bright and Hansen was glad to find someone who actually spoke English.