I had barely had a chance to crack open a textbook after breakfast when my door flew open revealing an angry Ali on the other side. "Just what the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

I kept my eyes on my work. "Go away, Ali."

She ignored me, as usual. "First you have the best date with a sweet, gorgeous girl who thinks the world of you. You dance the night away, and I saw the way you were looking at her, Casanova. Then you didn't even bother to kiss her goodnight? And that stuff with Mom and Dad and his ex? 'Oh we just can't wait to meet her!'" She mocked in a high-pitched voice.

"It's complicated, Ali."

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Well that must be the Castillo family motto!"

"Go away, Ali. Do you need a translation? ¡Lárgate, Alison!"

"Fine, I'll leave you to wallow in homework and Mozart. But first, I want to know why you're leading Roni on. She really felt a spark last night and was surprised when you didn't kiss her. You're my brother, but Roni's my best friend!"

I sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, but I want to take things slow. Sophia and I were… well, lets just say we got intense very fast physically. Roni's young, I don't want to rush or pressure her into anything she isn't ready for. We have another date next week to see a movie, maybe then the time will be right."

"Bullshit Miguel! I know you kissed her that day at the warehouse when we saved your ass. And don't look so surprised, you know Roni and I don't have secrets. So it was ok on the spur of the moment but not after a wonderful date?"

Damnit. I threw down my pencil and buried my head in my hands. "Truth is, I don't know what my problem is. I like her Ali, I mean really like her. But I guess I'm not ready. Maybe I never will be. I worry I'm replacing Sophia, that I'm being disloyal. I know what Sophia would want me to do, but I have a mental block I can't get past."

Ali's expression softened and she pulled me into a warm hug. "I'm sorry, big brother. I guess love takes time after what you've been through."

"Is- is Roni really mad at me?" I asked sheepishly.

Ali smiled. "Nah. She felt a little insecure, but I talked her through it. She's really looking forward to next Friday. "

"Thanks, Ali."

"No problem. But you owe me big time, pal. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to hear Roni swoon over you forever." Ali's face looked as though she had just tasted something bad. "Apparently she thinks you have a cute butt."

I felt my face turn bright red.

Ali flopped back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Her voice became a hushed whisper. "Anyway, what do you think about this May Ying chick? Aren't you pissed that they never told us the truth?"

"No. I mean, maybe. A little." I finally set my book down and rubbed my face. "What difference does it make anyway? Being mad doesn't change anything. Besides, maybe it's a sign that Dad is finally willing to tell us a little about himself. Remember that family tree I had to make in fifth grade where half of it was blank because Dad never, ever talks about his family and I was too afraid to ask?"

She nodded.

"I still don't press the issue of Dad's past and childhood. I don't know why but I get the feeling that it's bad. Real bad. And this whole May Ying and Dale Menton thing kinda proves it. Who would want to re-live all that pain?"

"I guess you're right. I'll give her a chance, Mig. But I just hope she isn't some sort of home wrecker."

I smiled a bit. "Oh come on. Can you see anyone sweeping Dad off his feet? And Mom letting it happen?"

Ali giggled. "Yeah, you're right as always big brother. I guess I can give her a chance."

That evening, after spending a few hours rehearsing an orchestra piece with my friends Eric and Christina (and getting the third degree from them regarding my date with Roni), I arrived home to the warm smell of Thai cooking and the bright, cheerful sounds of conversation coming from the kitchen. I set my violin case and backpack down in the entry way and turned to enter the kitchen. There I found my father and mother chopping vegetables at the kitchen island while Ali and a petite Asian woman pored over a photo album at the dining room table. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but they were chatting and laughing and had clearly bonded.

Mom looked up and smiled cheerfully. "Oh Miguel! I'm glad you're back!"

Dad put an arm around me and led me to the table. "Yes, I'd like you to meet May Ying. May Ying, this is my son…"

May Ying stood and gave me a kind smile. She was short, only about as tall as Ali, if that. He long, smooth black hair was highlighted by only a few strands of grey and was neatly clasped into a ponytail. She looked up at me with a shocked look of recognition, as if she had seen me before. "Miguel! Of course!" She greeted me with open arms, hugging me tight. Then she stepped away, studying me while grasping my forearms. "I feel like I know you already! Your father has told me all about you over the years. Do you have any idea how much you look like your Dad when he was young?" Her voice was sweet and calm, with only the slightest hint of a Thai accent. And although she appeared small and delicate, when she hugged me I sensed a strength to her.

Of course I didn't have any idea how much I looked like my dad when he was young, because I had no idea what my dad was like when he was young. For all I knew, he had materialized out of nowhere, already middle-aged wearing a plain black suit. But I just smiled and nodded. Everyone said I had a personality like my father, so maybe that was close enough. "It's nice to meet you," I replied cordially. I also wondered just how much my father had told her about me over the years. Did she know about Sophia?

"Miguel! Come check out these pictures of San Francisco!" Ali held up a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in fog. Her excitement indicated that she was over her feelings of betrayal. "I've always wanted to go there!"

May Ying leaned over and pulled out another photograph. "You should go sometime! It's a beautiful city. Weather is perfect, it's one of the things I'll miss! But while the coastline is gorgeous, the water at the beach is freezing!'

"Freezing water at the beach? I don't know if Ali could handle that!" Mom laughed. "She gets grouchy when the temperatures here dip below 75!"

May Ying smiled warmly. Dinner was surprisingly normal and even enjoyable and I was relieved that there was not the tension in the air that I had expected. I mean, it was still a little hard to wrap my mind around having my Dad's ex-wife staying in our house. Especially since 24 hours earlier I didn't even know he had an ex-wife. Fortunately that subject was avoided altogether in favor of more neutral subjects like Ali and my interests as well as news and how much Miami had changed in the last twenty years.

I was happy to listen quietly until I felt my phone signal a text message. I pulled my phone carefully from my pocket to subtly catch a glance at who it was. Dad does not like us using our phones at meals.

"Who is it?" All craned her neck to catch a glimpse of my phone.

Normally I would have told Ali to quit it and stop being so nosey, but we did have company. "It's Roni. I'll call her later."

Ali grinned and turned to May Ying. "Roni Tubbs is my best friend, she can't wait to meet you!" she supplied. "Oh, and she's Miguel's girlfriend."

Across the table I saw a surprised smile spread across my mom's face and my dad nearly spit out his wine.

"Alison…." I warned through gritted teeth. I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

After dinner, I sat in the back garden to practice my music a bit. With the sun finally set, the heather had cooled just enough to make being outside tolerable. I was engrossed in playing a the Mendelssohn violin concerto and scarcely noticed anyone behind me.

I heard a steady applause behind me. "That was beautiful!" I turned to see May Ying standing on the deck smiling sweetly. She wore a light scarf around her shoulders that waved in the slight breeze. Her applause seemed genuine but I couldn't help be a bit embarrassed. She gracefully took a seat across from me at the patio table. "I hope you don't mind me listening in. I am a huge fan of classical music."

I brightened a bit. "Oh? Do you play?"

She laughed heartily. "Much to my father's disappointment, no. I'm afraid ten years of piano and violin lessons had no effect. I just never had the patience to practice. But I still appreciate good music. But your dad was right! You're very talented, Miguel." She paused, leaving a momentary awkward silence between us. "I hope it's not too strange for you and your sister having me here this week."

I almost sighed with relief that she had not yet brought up the "girlfriend" incident from dinner. "Oh no! It's great- I mean, yeah, not weird at all!" I replied in a hurry. Super convincing, Miguel, I thought to myself.

May Ying grinned knowingly. "Your dad never told you about me before, did he?" Something told me not much got past her. Or maybe she knew my father pretty well. Probably both.

"Yeah, well, Dad isn't exactly a flowing fountain of information about his past."

She nodded again and focused her eyes our towards the water of the canal, with the moon perfectly reflected on it. "Some things don't change. But life was rarely kind to your father. I know there were some things he wanted to leave behind."

"I sure know what that's like," I mumbled without thinking. I heard my breath and prayed that May Ying would not ask me to elaborate.

"But things can change. You, Ali and your mom mean everything to him. It brings me such joy to see it all and to see him so happy." She smiled back at me and somehow I knew she meant every word of what she said. It left me a bit confused. Didn't she resent losing her first marriage? Didn't she feel betrayed, or that everything that my mom and Ali and I had should have been hers? How in the world did she, or my dad for that matter, move past having their lives torn apart by Dale Menton? "Anyway, I'd better try to get to sleep if I'm ever going to adjust to East Coast time! Good night, Miguel, perhaps I can hear you play again tomorrow?

"Sure, that'd be great!"

I sat back in my chair and looked up at the sky. How was it possible that meeting May Ying left me with even more questions about my father? And perhaps more questions about myself?