An older woman gives me a wry smile. "Men are all the same," she says. "Don't take any notice of them. They don't mean anything by it. They're good boys, really."
"You know them?"
She nods. "They live just outside of town. Been through a lot."
I smile politely, but inside I'm thinking that going through a lot shouldn't excuse catcalling strangers on the street. "I'm heading to Nolan's Diner. Is it close?"
"Sure, it's just a little further along there." She points in the direction the trucks went.
"Okay, thanks."
I'm around fifteen minutes late by the time I arrive and use the diner’s restroom, and Uncle Walter is already here waiting patiently. I notice him right away in a corner booth, even though he has aged since I last saw him. He is wearing a black band t-shirt, and although I can't see his lower half, I'd put good money on a bet that he's wearing low-slung jeans. His eyes are on the menu, but as I get closer, he glances up. I see the moment of recognition. "Maggie?" he says with awe in his voice. "Oh my God, you look just like your mom." He stands and slides out of the booth, grabbing me by the shoulders so he can look me over. "I just… where the hell does the time go?" When he tugs me into a fierce hug, I hug him back, reliving a memory of the day we left Hope Valley all those years ago.
Uncle Walter has aged, but not too badly. He's still the same shape, but his hair is a little thinner on top, and his laughter lines are more pronounced. When he lets me go, I take a small step back. He's familiar, but after so much time, this all feels strange. "Here, take a seat. You must be famished."
We slide into the booth opposite one another, and I rest my purse on the seat next to me. "What do you want to drink?" Uncle Walter has an empty bottle of beer in front of him.
"Just an iced tea," I say.
He waves at the waitress, who comes quickly to take our order. It isn't busy in the diner at this time; it's late for lunch but early for dinner.
"Was the drive okay? I was worried about you."
"It was fine. Tiring but okay."
"And how are you feeling… about, you know… the news?"
I shake my head and shrug. "It's… I just don't know. I mean…" Trailing off, I gaze out of the window, watching the steady stream of traffic pass us by. How many times did my dad drive down this very street? How many times did he sit in this diner? So much time has gone by, and I'll never know enough about his life.
"It's complicated," Walter says. "I get that, and you'll need time… to process… to deal with it all." I reach out to grab the menu, needing something to distract me. "You're going to have plenty to do."
"With the house."
Walter nods. "A lot changed for your father over the past nine or so years… after you guys fell out."
"We didn't fall out as far as I was concerned," I snap. "I got mad with him, and he… he just never called me again."
"He didn't think you wanted to have anything to do with him anymore," Walter says. "It was hard for him, you being so far away."
"I just did that journey in a day," I say. "And I'm only nineteen. A fully grown man should have found it easy."
Walter shakes his head, sliding back against the cold vinyl of the booth seat. "I can't tell you what happened or why it happened. I'm not here to try to explain the actions of a dead man. All I can do is tell you about the will and give you the note your father left for you. You're gonna have to come to your own conclusions about it all."
The waitress returns with our drinks and asks for our food order. I'm still not feeling like I can stomach anything too flavorsome, so I opt to order a bowl of fries. "Order something more than fries," Walter says. "That's not going to fill you up."
I shake my head. "That's all I want right now."
Walter orders a steak, and the waitress retreats, leaving me to face this awkward conversation. "I didn't expect him to leave me anything."
"You're his only blood-related child," Walter says. "Of course, he was going