"But Mom…!"
"Three bites. Then you can have fortune cookies."
Casey sighed dramatically but speared a piece of broccoli with her fork. "Uncle Easton, do you have to eat vegetables?"
"Every day," I said. "Part of being an athlete. Your body's like a car. You have to give it good fuel."
"What kind of car?" Casey asked, suddenly interested.
I held Palisade's gaze across the table. "Ferrari. Fast, high-performance…" I paused. "Requires premium fuel and careful handling."
Palisade's cheeks flushed pink. She took a sudden interest in her lo mein.
"What's Mom?" Casey asked, oblivious.
"Your mom's a Subaru," I said, still watching Palisade. "Reliable, handles well in any condition, surprisingly powerful when you need her to be."
Palisade's blush deepened. "I… we should probably talk about homework, Casey."
"But I want to know what car I am!"
"You're a go-kart," I said, grinning at Casey. "Small, fast, and still learning the track."
"What car is Beck?" Casey asked, turning to study him seriously.
Beck looked amused. "What do you think I am?"
Casey tilted her head, considering. "A Jeep. Because you're always helping Easton, and Jeeps can go anywhere and help people."
"I like that," Beck said, grinning at me. "Hear that, Henley? I'm a helpful Jeep."
"Don't let it go to your head," I muttered.
Casey giggled, satisfied with that answer, and went back to her broccoli.
"Too late." Beck turned back to Casey. "So, Easton tells me you're learning hockey. How's that going?"
"Really good! I can do backward crossovers now, and Uncle Easton taught me how to disguise passes."
"Disguise passes already?" Beck's eyebrows rose. "That's advanced stuff. Most kids your age are still learning to stop without falling."
"I fall sometimes," Casey admitted. "But Uncle Easton says that's part of learning."
"He's right. I fell on my face so many times when I was your age." Beck leaned in conspiratorially. "Want to know a secret? I still fall sometimes during practice."
Casey giggled. "Really?"
"Really. Just last week, I caught an edge during sprints and went down hard. Right in front of the whole team."
"What did they do?"
"Laughed at me,” he pouted, making a funny face, which made Casey giggle harder. “Every single one of them." Beck shot me a look. "Especially Easton."
"It was pretty funny," I admitted.
Palisade was watching this exchange with an expression I couldn't quite read.
After dinner, Casey dragged me outside to the driveway.
