“Aren’t we going to go inside?”
“Yes. The whole reason we came out here was to see the penguins. Come on, let’s get you out of the sun. How about an ice cream to help you cool down?”
Gramps nodded and let me take his elbow. We walked back to where the girls stood in line. After ten minutes of waiting and five minutes of Dolly changing her mind on what flavor she wanted, we found a place to sit and enjoy our cones before heading inside.
“Thanks for the ice cream.” Izzy smiled as she licked at her cone. It had already started dripping down her hand.
“Yeah, thanks, Uncle Alex.” Jordan, Frankie, and Dolly echoed the sentiment. Dolly’s shirt already held more ice cream than was left on her cone. Char might not be thrilled when I returned her daughters much messier than when I’d taken them, but hopefully a day of “me time” would lessen the reaction.
As I sat at the table, surrounded by family, I wondered what it would be like to have kids of my own. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind before. I’d always figured I’d be happy being an uncle and leaving it at that. But after spending the night caringfor a basket full of puppies, I considered the possibility. Having someone, or something, so dependent on me made me want to step up and meet their needs. I’d always been a one-for-one kind of guy. This one-for-all and all-for-one never resonated with me before. But what if it could?
I glanced over at Gramps. He’d had a son and look where that got him. Alone with no one but two bitter grandkids to look after him. What would life be like if my dad hadn’t passed away? If my mom had stuck around?
I shook the thought right out of my head. Didn’t do any good wasting energy thinking about what might have been. The best course of action was to focus on the here and now. And the future. That meant putting all of my attention and efforts into making sure Munyon’s daughter had the best freaking wedding money could buy.
“Y’all done yet? There’s a penguin show in a few minutes.” I wondered what the show would consist of. I’d worked around penguins for a while now, and while they were smart birds, they were also stubborn buggers. Beyond their flapping their flippers for a fish, I wasn’t sure what kind of tricks they’d be willing to perform.
With the ice cream polished off, I picked up the napkins from the table and tossed them in the trash. I waited while Jordan took her sisters into the bathroom to wash off hands and cheeks and chins, and then we all headed indoors to find the penguins.
The theater was half-full with only a minute to go until showtime. I got the girls situated, just as the show started. It wasn’t really a show, more like a training session. The birds swam through the water, rang a few bells, and ate a bunch of fish.
The girls clapped along with the crowd at the end of the display. “Now who wants to go meet the penguins?” I asked.
“I do.” Frankie skipped down the concrete steps toward the tank.
“I have to go potty.” Dolly’s mouth screwed into a precocious frown.
“Again?” Jordan asked. “I just took you.”
Dolly shrugged.
“Jordan, can you take your sister to the bathroom? Gramps, go with them and make sure they come back? Izzy and Frankie can stay with me.” I didn’t want to split up the group, but I had to get a few words in with the penguin trainers while I had the chance.
“Fine.” Jordan took Dolly’s hand and stomped off in the direction of the bathroom.
“Gramps? Keep an eye on them, okay?” I nudged my chin toward the girls.
“Yeah, okay.” Gramps shuffled off behind them.
“Now let’s go meet those penguins, shall we?” I pointed down the steps.
Izzy took off toward the tank, leaving me to follow. Taking care of some penguins for a couple of weeks had to be easier than trying to corral four girls and a grumpy old man. On the way down to the front, I noticed a few cracks in the concrete and a couple of places where the tank of water had been patched up. No wonder the director was willing to make a deal with Munyon. His penguin amphitheater was in massive need of repairs. The habitat probably matched.
I stood at the edge of the tank until one of the staff came over. “Do you have a question?”
I held out my hand. “Hi, I’m Alex Sanders.”
“Nice to meet you. What can I do for you?”
“I’m taking a handful of your penguins for a couple of weeks.”
“That’s right. The wedding. You’re the scientist from Antarctica, right?”
I didn’t bother to correct him and tell him I was just a grunt who’d happened upon the job. “Are you in charge here?”
“Supposedly. What do you need?”
“I was told I’d be able to pick the penguins that would be coming to Ido for the wedding?”
