“You did what?” Okay, so that was entirely too loud, and Molly’s neighbor and her date were apparently trying to actually watch the movie. So Gavin stood, abandoned his Milk Duds, and herded the boys into the hallway toward the concessions stand.
Molly followed with him. Probably because she had way more experience with kids and he did likely require supervision here. Also, it would be more interesting than the movie.
“The other one came out.” Kellan’s voice pitched higher, because of the candy in his nostril or because he was getting nervous that he’d be smelling that Skittle forever.
“What if it seeps into his brain?” Ollie asked, not helping the situation.
“Is that going to happen?” Kellan’s voice trembled, which was good. Fear would possibly make it so he didn’t do this again.
“That’d be epic.” Brady lifted his knuckles for a fist bump.
Kellan did not bump it. Instead he looked at Gavin like he should know the solution to this problem he’d created.
To be clear, Gavin didn’t know the answer. Skittles in the nose was more of a Rachel area of expertise.
“Dad?” Kellan asked, again with the tremble. “What if it goes into my brain?”
“It’s not going to go into your brain,” Molly assured him. “We’ll just get it out.”
“How?” Kellan asked.
Molly glanced to Gavin, then back to Kellan. “Did you try blowing your nose?”
Kellan nodded. “It didn’t budge. I can feel it eating my brain.”
“That’s not how candy works,” Molly said like a promise, looking to Gavin like maybe he knew what to do.
He didn’t. Though, he did understand his son’s brain would probably be fine. Gavin was nearly sure. They didn’t exactly cover this in business school.
“Let me look.” Gavin got out his cell and turned on the flashlight.
“Always swipe, never pincer,” Molly said out of the side of her mouth. “First rule of removing a foreign object from a child.”
How the hell was he going to swipe up in his kid’s nose? With no idea, Gavin then did something he never thought he’d do—he searched his kid’s nostril for candy.
“What color was it, bud?” Molly asked. Gavin wasn’t sure who she asked, since he was searching the nasal cavity of his oldest.
“Green.” Ollie said the word likeduh. “So it looks like boogers.”
“That makes sense,” she said. He could practically see her curls bounce with her nod, though he was currently focused on the nostril.
It didnotmake sense.
Gavin tilted Kellan’s head the other direction, but there was not a green anything to be found. Just a lot of darkness.
“You’re sure there’s a Skittle up there?” He turned off the flashlight and studied his son. He seemed okay.
Kellan pointed to the bridge of his nose. “It’s by my eyeball.”
Suddenly, Gavin was exhausted. “What did your mom tell you about shoving things in your body that don’t belong there?”
Molly choke-coughed.
“She said don’t put things in myself,” Kellan said, somberly.
“Do you know why she said that?” Gavin asked.
“So he wouldn’t stick a Skittle up by his eyeball?” Brady oh-so helpfully supplied.
