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She nodded and took another bite. “Jenner, the house is as beautiful as I envisioned.” Her stare shifted up to the glass windows that aligned the back of the home. “I remember when we talked about it, and I had this picture in my head—this is it.” Her gaze returned to me. “It’s unfortunate you can’t unplug here, that your parents don’t let you.”

I sighed, reaching for a set of chopsticks to pick up the nigiri. “They have no problem doing that when they come on the weekends. My father goes on bike rides, and my mother walks the beach. Their chef prepares them three meals a day, and they eat up there”—I pointed at the patio—“where they watch the waves between bites.” I chewed the savory tuna belly and took a drink of wine. “But when we’re here as a family, it’s all business.”

“I can see how your parents can unwind here.” She stared out at the beach. “It’s so gorgeous. Magical even.” She lifted her set of chopsticks and took a few pieces of the yellowtail sashimi that was peppered with j