Oh, Evan. "But you're you, not your parents." Tess reaches out and threads her fingers with his. "There's nothing wrong, y'know, if what works for them doesn't work for you. You haven't let anyone down." Time for another nudge. "'Sides, much as I like your dad and think he's a great guy an'all, I like you a lot better."

She wasn't sure how open he'd been about his folks and sister and what they expected of him. Even the easiest of families left their marks. Elani, for one, had always wanted him to stay home. Maybe he'd heard his own share of, why can't you settle down and be happy.

And settling down meant staying on the Deck, natch.