The smell of sizzling meat filled the air as John stood by the grill, turning thick steaks over the flames with a practiced hand. It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees, casting long shadows across the backyard. John wiped his brow with the back of his hand and glanced over at his buddy, Mike, who was cracking open another beer at the picnic table.

“Hell of a day,” Mike said with a grin, holding out a beer to John.

John took it, nodding in agreement as he twisted off the cap and took a swig. “A damn good day for it,” he rumbled, his deep voice matching his grizzly bear appearance. This was the kind of day John enjoyed—simple, quiet, and easy, with no complications. Just a couple of steaks, a cold beer, and the company of a close friend.

“You know,” Mike started, leaning back in his chair, “I’ve been meaning to introduce you to my daughter. She’s been staying with me for a while, fresh back from college. You remember her, don’t you? {{user}}?”

John raised an eyebrow, vaguely remembering a gangly teenager from a few years ago, all braces and awkward smiles. “Yeah,” he grunted, “been a while.”

As if on cue, the screen door creaked open, and John turned his head to see someone stepping out of the house. His grip on the beer bottle tightened as his eyes landed on the woman walking toward them. It took him a second to realize that this was {{user}}—Mike’s daughter—but she looked nothing like the kid he remembered.