Now, Timmy stood there holding the chef hat we keep in the toy box behind the couch. “You ready to cook, Chef Connor?”
He nodded eagerly, then opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out a cookie sheet. I dragged over his stool so that he could get to counter height, then opened the box and let him put the fish sticks on the cookie sheet.
He arranged them, then sipped his milk while we waited for the oven to preheat.
“Okay, Timster,” I said when the oven was ready. “Tell me how many minutes.”
“Three!” he said, holding out three fingers. “Me three!”
“You will be soon, buddy. But let’s set the timer for fifteen. Remember? Put it right there at the red mark.” The oven has a timer, but I use the dial kind in what may or may not be a misguided belief that letting him fiddle with it will enhance his education.
“Five!” he squealed as he moved the dial to fifteen.
“And who am I to argue with my little Einstein?” I asked, then kissed him on the forehead.
He pointed to his hat. “Chef, Mommy. I’m a chef.”
“Right you are. Okay, Mr. Chef. Hop down and let’s go get your apple juice out of the fridge.”
I pulled open the door, but instead of grabbing a juice box, he snatched a huge Honeycrisp apple.
“Please, Momma?”
Since who was I to argue with a kid who wanted to eat fruit, I took the apple, washed it, then put it on the cutting board as Timmy climbed back up on the stool. “Me cut! Me cut!
“What’s the rule?”
“No knives. I know Momma...”
He sounded so much like his sister I almost laughed. “You go find the movie and I’ll cut up the apple. Deal?”
“Okay….”
He wandered off, and I quickly sliced the apple. I was putting it on a plate when he shouted that he’d found the video. I checked the timer, then headed over to pop in the disc.
Timmy was two slices into his apple when the timer dinged, and I went to retrieve his fabulous meal, making him promise not to take a bite until I said so because the sticks needed to cool.
Meanwhile, I cut up some cheese for me—enough to share, because I know that’s inevitable—and another apple, because it really did look good. Soon enough, the fish sticks were ready to eat, and I was snuggled with my little man on the sofa, juice for him and wine for me.
We finished our food, and I gathered our plates and headed into the kitchen. I’d just dropped them in the sink and trash respectively, when I heard Timmy shouting, “Uncle David, Uncle David!”
I poked my head back in, then glanced at the TV screen. But, honestly, the animated man who was the composer and humanlead in the cartoon movie didn’t look a thing like David. I told Timmy as much, at the same time silently acknowledging that it was pretty cool of Stuart, despite his dislike of Eric, to let us put the uncle label on him.
The “David” label came because as far as the world was concerned, Eric was David Long, a high school chemistry teacher. In reality, David Long died in the car accident that injured his leg, and Eric had moved into the body. Not the typical family situation, but we’ve gotten used to it.
Adding the uncle title made it easier on Allie since she and her father had been spending so much time together both at and away from school. I’d been concerned that their time together would be frowned upon by the school staff at best, and deemed creepy and inappropriate at worst. The uncle solution nipped that potential problem in the bud.
“He doesn’t look at all like Uncle David,” I told Timmy, still looking at the television. When he only bounced more enthusiastically, though, I realized that he’d actually shifted his attention from the show to the French doors that lead to the back yard.
I turned that direction and, sure enough, “Uncle David” was standing right there.
Well, hell.
Not that I don’t want to see Eric. As a general rule, I do. But not today. Not after the earlier argument with Stuart. As far as I was concerned, Eric was supposed to have slipped into the back yard, removed the bodies, and slipped right out again.
Knocking on the back door—especially when for all he knew, Stuart might be home—wasn’t on the agenda.
Then again, Stuart’s the one who got all pissy and then left….
