Budding zygote.
Bet you didn’t think you’d ever see that word in a text from me.
Doc
You’re full of surprises.
Me
There’s also a French pre-K in the city. Not sure I’d like the kid to be able to talk about me in another language though.
Doc
Or be immediately more stylish or cooler than you.
Me
I am the definition of cool! Why hasn’t anyone come up with a hockey-focused pre-K?
Doc
How about we let the kids reach appropriate ages before we break their bones, teeth, and spirits? At least seven.
I opened the door, expecting to see Paige with the boys. Instead, I was greeted by my father. My half-brothers, Ezra and Liam, waved at me.
“Hey, guys! Great to see you.”
And it was. We did a couple of fist-bumps that morphed into something cool and complicated—Ezra was twelve and had more coordination, but ten-year-old Liam did his best—and they trooped past me into the house. I had wanted to wait until all the boxes were unpacked and the place was boy-friendly before inviting them over. Paige, my dad’s current wife, had said she’d drop them off for an afternoon of video games and pizza.
Living in Boston for the last ten years, I didn’t get to see them as often as I’d have liked. That would change now, and I hoped to establish closer relationships with them. But it also meant seeing more of Nick, which wasn’t ideal.
“Did you want to come in?” I asked him.
“Sure. Paige told me to get the skinny on the new place.”
“Is she okay? I thought she’d be bringing them over.”
He held up both hands. “Oh, she’s fine. Well, she has a migraine, but that’s par for the course for her.”
My father, ladies and gentlemen. Empathy personified.
The boys had already found the unhealthy snacks I’d laid out for them on the coffee table. I was prepared to buy their affection with treats, if necessary.
“Can we eat these?” Liam asked, looking to his brother for guidance.
“Course we can,” Ezra responded. “That’s why they’re there.”
“Yeah, Liam-o, they’re for you.”
Liam grinned, probably because I’d given him a cool nickname. He was definitely the more bookish of the boys, a little shyer than his big brother.
“So, I’ve got the new Sonic game and the hockey one, too.”
“Are you in the hockey one?” Ezra asked.
“No, but Theo is. It’s the legends edition.”
“Cool,” Liam said, then went for the Doritos.
