“Ana. Ana girl. I’m not avoiding you.” She looked at me. I said, “All right. The truth is that I’m hurting a little. Maybe more than a little. I miss Sa’afia, what do you expect? And you’re caught up in that, a little. Which is my fault, not yours.” I wasn’t sure if that last bit was true. Ana might have a lot to do with Sa’afia leaving. Or she might not. Neither of them were talking.

“Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Going to bed. Um, alone.”

Ana sniffed. “After work?”

“Okay. I’ll see you at The Longshoreman. Six o’clock good for you?”

Ana nodded. “I’ll see you there.” She seemed less happy about it than I’d expected. Nor did she leave. “Jaime.”

“Ana?”

“Sa’afia told you about my Dad, didn’t she?”

“Yes. It wasn’t her fault. I made her.”

“I’ll bet.” She grinned. “You beat it out of her.”

“Something like that.”

“He’s in town.”