His job search was cut short when he heard sniffles coming from Hobie’s bedroom.
“Hobie, what’s wrong?”
Hobie sat on his bed, glaring at his Legos sprawled on the floor.
“It’s all wrong.” Hobie used his whole hand to wipe away tears. “King Dandelion can’t drive the spaceship and I can’t remember if Smort or Monte were the good or bad guys and my space jail for Queen Spacedragon is so stupid!”
Hobie tossed his space jail into the Lego bin where it broke apart. Walker kneeled next to his son. He used his shirt to clean off his cheeks. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay!” Hobie’s head was hot. “The story is ruined!”
“It’s not ruined. Stories can be whatever you want them to be.”
“No they can’t! Cameron and I came up with a story, and I can’t remember it.”
Walker picked up the spaceship set and brought it close to them. “Why don’t you take a good look and see what you can remember.”
“I can’t! Cameron knew the whole story, and I can’t do it like him!”
He threw the spaceship set against the wall, and it crumbled into little pieces.
“Hey! No throwing!”
“It’s all stupid!!” Hobie was as red as one of his Legos. He heaved in sobs. He kicked his Legos and collapsed onto his bed, kicking the mattress.
Walker wondered if he should call Cameron. Cameron hated him, but he’d want to help Hobie. He took out his phone. Hobie’s muffled crying hung in the air.
We don’t need him, Walker told himself. He fixed his gaze at Hobie, face shoved into a pillow. Then he turned to the Legos with steely determination blazing in his eyes.
Hobie wound up crying himself to sleep. When he awoke from his nap, Walker was still on the floor hunched over the Legos.
“What is that?” Hobie asked.
“Spaceship castles were part of the old story. So I decided to make a Pirate Spaceship.” Walker held up the Lego Pirate ship. The top half was covered pod-like in Lego car windshields. Two big engines were affixed to the bottom.
Hobie marveled at the creation.
“Monte knows how to drive a Pirate Spaceship.” Walker picked up who he thought was Monte. “He used to live on an island. He and King Dandelion can escape together. Smort wants to learn how to drive the Pirate Spaceship, but Monte doesn’t know if he’s ready for such an important mission.”
“Pirate Spaceship,” Hobie whispered. He handled it with extra care, as if it were a family heirloom. “What about Queen Spacedragon?”
“You tell me. It’s your story, too.”
The corners of Hobie’s lips quirked up. “They need to go find her.”
Walker spotted a Lego Queen under a discarded sock. He hid it in his hands. “Monte told me the Queen might be out there.” He pointed outside the room.
“Really?”
“They have to go find her.”
Walker jumped up and used his multi-second head start to hide the Queen behind a leg on the ottoman. He and Hobie raced around the condo, the Pirate Spaceship buzzing in his son’s little hand. They threw pillows off the couch, flapped through old magazines, searched under Walker’s comforter.
“Hey, are you hiding her?” Hobie asked.
Walker gave a guilty shrug. He barricaded himself into a pillow fort constructed from his West Elm couch cushions and chenille throw.
“You’ll never get me!” He teased.
