Winnie had agreed to give her a month on trial but within two weeks she was established as permanent. And now Charlie was a part of the family, as well.

Lin Su didn’t know if that made her happy or scared to death.

* * *

Charlie liked the beach area, even if he did stay out of the sun—his own preference because he didn’t want his laptop to overheat. And he stayed sheltered if there was a wind. It wasn’t easy for him to make friends as a rule, but the area around Mrs. Banks’s house where his mom was working was populated with kids younger than he was and their parents. That made it easier. On this morning, there was a pretty brisk breeze and not too many people around. He sat on the steps right off Troy’s patio where he was out of the wind. He got his laptop out of his backpack and, holding it on his knees, fired it up. He logged onto Troy’s Wi-Fi and brought up a TED Talk on astronomy that he’d listened to about ten times. Can astronomers help doctors?

He loved TED Talks. It broke everything down into understandable terms. He was particularly interested in medicine but he didn’t dare tell his mom that. She’d start to freak out about the cost of college or something.

He was a little lost in the video when a shadow crossed in front of him. He looked up to see a guy two steps up moving toward him, grinning. “Well, I’ll be damned,” the guy said.

If you’re just going to kick sand in my face, get it over with, Charlie thought.

The guy was big. He had a little sandy-colored whisker growth on his chin and cheeks and hairy legs sticking out of his board shorts. He did wear glasses, at least. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. A computer nerd on the beach.”

Charlie slowly lowered the screen. “What’s wrong with that?”

The guy let his backpack drop off his shoulder, lifted the flap and pulled out a shiny silver laptop. “Not a thing, my man. I just thought I was the only one. Come on, let’s go to Cooper’s.”

“I’m okay here,” he said, embarrassed by his shyness.

“Come on,” he said again. “I’m meeting some people. We’ll get a drink. Juice or something. We’ll open up the computers for a few minutes till they get here.” And then he walked off, stuffing his computer into his backpack, willing Charlie to follow.

Which he did. He figured if the guy was going to kidnap him or beat him up, he wouldn’t do it in front of Cooper. At least he was reasonably sure.

By the time he got up the beach stairs the guy’s stuff was all set up at a corner table out of the breeze on the deck but he wasn’t there. Charlie stood there in indecision. Then the guy appeared from inside, still smiling, a bottled juice in each hand. He handed one to Charlie and indicated he should sit down.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Charlie,” he said.

“I’m Frank,” the guy said, sticking out his hand for a shake. “New in town?”

“I...uh... My mom works for Mrs. Banks...”

“Oh—the new lady? ALS, I heard.”

Charlie nodded.

Frank clicked away at his keyboard while Charlie just sat there. Then he pushed up his glasses and read the label on the plastic bottle.

“Allergies?” Frank asked.

“Peanuts, shellfish and insect bites.”

“You carry an Epi?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That juice is okay. No additives. No MSG, no artificial sweetners, no gluten or corn syrup.”

“Oh,” Charlie said. “Thanks.”

“So—what are you doing on the computer? Games?”

“I have a few games, yeah. You?”

“I have some papers to read.”

“You’re a teacher?”

He laughed. “No, a student. I’m reading some published papers for research—physics, mainly. And astronomy. Have you heard the term ‘astrophysics’?”

Charlie nodded, feeling a little better about everything. The guy didn’t look like a nerd even if he was wearing glasses. Kind of thick ones. “The study of physics as it applies to heavenly bodies.” He opened up his laptop, clicked it back to life and turned the screen toward Frank, showing him the TED Talk.

Frank grinned and said, “You are my brother. I’ve seen that one. How old are you?”

“Fourteen,” he answered, fighting the blush. “I’m short for my age.” He had rejected the word small, even if it was accurate.

“So was I,” Frank said.

“You’re not anymore. I guess you grew.”

Frank chuckled. “I have an older brother, big jock. He got all the testosterone in the family. I think he was shaving in the sixth grade. I started shaving two or three weeks ago. I was small, skinny, nerdy.”

“No way.”

“Way.”

“You get beat up a lot?” Charlie asked.

Frank frowned at the question. “I had a couple of secret weapons. There was my brother, for one thing. But also I helped kids with their homework all the time. Kept me safe. Why are you listening to that video? You like astronomy?”

“Yeah. I like science. Where are you a student?”

“MIT,” he said.

“To be an astrophysicist?” he asked, in awe.

“Physics is my study but I love astronomy so I’m looking at it, but who knows? I’m not even two years in yet.”

“You live here when you’re not at MIT?” Charlie asked.

“I’m home for a visit—just a few weeks. I’m getting ready for fall. How about you? What are you headed for?”

I’m headed for being a freshman if I live that long and no one beats me senseless for being a nerd, Charlie thought. “I start high school in the fall. So I don’t know.”

“You know what you like, though, right?”

“Science. Math. Star Trek and House.”

He laughed. “A Trekkie doctor, I like it.”

Troy came outside with a cup of coffee. “Oh, God, there are two of you!”

Frank laughed and looked back at his screen. “You have your laptop out half the time,” he accused Troy.

“Schoolwork, young man.”

There was the sound of whooping and laughter wafting across the bay. “And here come the women,” Frank said. Two young women were approaching on paddleboards from the marina side of the bay. “Do you know when Landon and Cooper are going to get here?”