Parks Jr., clouded a bit at my use of his nickname, but then he realized who I was and broke into a grin. “Alex,” he said, grabbing my hand and pumping it. “Last time I saw you, you gave me a piggyback on the sidewalk in front of Nana Mama’s place.” I had a vague vision of that and said, “Long time ago. I think you’d break my back if I tried to do that now. I heard life’s been good for you.” “Was until I heard Sydney died,” Pinkie said, his eyes watering. “Straight up? I loved Sydney. I loved her since I was like eight and she was ten. There was something about her, you know, like things went in orbit when she was around.” “You ever tell her?” I asked. “Nah, we were friends, and then not so much after she married Finn Davis,” he said. “He preferred it that way.” “I heard Finn gave her a rough time,” I said. “I set him straight once, but what was I gonna do? I got a good life working offshore and just couldn’t be around to protect her, especially when for a while there she didn’t want to protect herself.”
