Page 64 of Harbor

Micheal chuckled, and rested his left ankle over his right knee before leaning back in the chair. “Fuck, I know all about that. It’s what sucks the most about working nights, I think. I like being a night owl, but I feel like I miss too much in the daytime when I sleep, too.”

Renzo didn’t think it was the same at all, but he chose not to say that to his uncle. What would be the point, really?

“The other two are still asleep,” Micheal added, like he was trying to fill the silence between them. Renzo didn’t know if that was the case, but right then, he wasn’t in the mood to talk, either. He wasn’t going to be rude, or anything, but he just had too much shit on his mind to be making small talk about anything. He wasn’t the type for small talk, anyway. “Didn’t even hear me come in from work.”

“Been a long couple of weeks for all of us, I think,” Renzo said under his breath. “They sleep hard when they get the chance because who knows when they’re going to get another one, you know?”

He didn’t bother to mention the fact that Lucia and Diego had probably spent more time sleeping in a car while driving than sleeping in a bed for the last little while, too. That likely didn’t help them. A car and a bed were not the same.

Micheal passed a look his way like he was waiting for Renzo to say more. Explain what he meant, or rather, what that statement really meant. Renzo said nothing; he explained nothing at all. This was about all he was going to give his uncle. Even if Micheal wouldn’t rat them out or send them running—Renzo didn’t believe he would, anyway—he didn’t think it was necessary to add one more person to this mess they had made together.

Better for it to be just him, Lucia, and Diego.

Wasn’t that bad enough?

He thought so.

“They can put shit out of their mind to be able to sleep,” Renzo admitted. “I can’t say the same.”

There, he’d said too much.

Renzo wasn’t saying more.

Micheal sighed. “I know all about that. So, while we’re on the topic …”

Great.

Renzo glanced over at his uncle. “What?”

“Say that with a little less attitude, Ren, huh?”

Had he?

“Sorry, long night.”

Micheal shrugged. “Ain’t nothing, kid.”

“You do know I’m not a kid, right? I’m …” Renzo blinked, his words coming up short all of the second. It took him a second, and then counting back the days. How many days had it been since they left New York, now? There was no possible way he didn’t realize … Had he … “I forgot my birthday.”

Micheal’s gaze drifted over the colors in the sky. “Oh?”

“I turned twenty last week, and I didn’t even realize it.”

“That happens as you get older, Ren. Things like birthdays and celebrating them become unimportant. They’re just another day in the grand scheme of things. Everybody always has something more important to deal with, I suppose.”

Well, that was his life on a regular day, anyway. Even if his life had been anything but regular lately. But even so, no matter what was going on in his life, Renzo never forgot his own birthday. Sure, he didn’t celebrate it and usually, it went by without anyone wishing him a good day except for maybe his sister. But he’d never forgotten it before now.

It was a testament to how chaotic these past weeks had been, really.

Micheal seemed to take note of Renzo’s silence, and looked over at him. “What, do you want a party or something?”

Renzo barked out a laugh.

Damn, it felt good.

How long had it been since he really laughed?

“I’m good,” he finally said, shaking his head. “Just surprised me for a minute. Stop calling me a kid.”