when the time comes

 Tristan forgot what he was even talking about. He found an old photo of his dad when he was his age. He smiled. He didn't even know how he had it after all this time.

"This fool thought he was cowboy," he told Jade. Oh, Tristan couldn't help but have his eyes water just a little as he talked about the old man. "He's kind of a daredevil." He chuckled. "Maybe a renegade." He sighed. "He liked to rope horses from a pickup truck. Nothing ever got in  his way." He sighed. "Well, except me."

He pressed his lips tight. He didn't mean for it to be this way. He shook his head no, and wiped his runny nose with the back of his flannel shirt. 

"I dunno where it all went wrong," he shrugged. "Maybe I never liked my little sister. Maybe I loved her too much. But..." He cleared his throat. "My dad's working at the zoo now."

"Your dad?" Jade looked at him.

Tristan nodded, thinking back when he saw his dad at the zoo. Of course, they said nothing to each other when they met. It was like they had secrets to hide. Like they couldn't be connected in any way.

"What's he doing there?"

"Probably anything that needs getting done," Tristan told her. "He's a pretty good animal handler." He nodded. "He seems to think he knows what animals are thinking."

"Really?" Jade smiled.

"I would not lie about that." Tristan was even-lipped. "I really was going to ..you know, see my parents again. I was. I just thought it would be best to wait. But now..I dunno..I dunno if I can see him after all this time."

"Why not?" Jade wanted to know. She took his hand then. She said she would go with him. Of course, he wanted to tell her that was a bad idea. Only he couldn't.