“I like to draw dinosaurs.”
Keys lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah? You must be really good.”
Oscar nodded assertively. “I am! My drawings are in my new room. Do you want to see them?”
“I’d love to, but maybe in the morning?” Keys added, his eyes landing on the digital clock on the game console.
Oscar nodded, looking pleased. “I’m going to draw a stegosaurus next!”
Keys tried to not look so flabbergasted that Oscar was able to pronounce the dinosaur’s name correctly. “Because of the plates?”
Oscar turned and looked at him with wide, surprised eyes. “You know about the plates?”
Remembering that Oscar was supposed to be teachinghimabout dinosaurs, Keys shrugged nonchalantly. “A little bit.”
“Most people don’t know about plates,” Oscar said, like he had conducted extensive surveys on the matter. “I told Mommy about them, and she didn’t know.”
“Well,” Keys cleared his throat. “Maybe you can teach your mommy when you teach me about dinosaurs.”
Oscar nodded. “That’s a good idea! She told me they look like mountains.”
“They do kind of look like mountains,” Keys said offhandedly, wanting to defend Rose’s assessment.
Oscar laughed at him. “They’replates, notmountains.”
“Well, I know thatnow,” Keys deadpanned.
Oscar held up his hand, and for reasons unknown, Keys felt completely flattered to be offered a high five by a four year old.
“Keys,” Oscar said after a slight pause. For the moment, the video game seemed to have been forgotten. Which might be a good thing, since it waswaypast Oscar’s bedtime.
“Yeah?”
“Do your new brothers know how to play?” Oscar pointed at the paused screen, which made Keys feel awkward about having made the assumption they were done playing for the night. Shouldn’t he be the adult here and suggest they be done? But how could he, when Oscar was having so much fun?
“Video games? Yeah. A few of them play with me, and one’s even pretty good.”
“Better than you?”
Keys puffed out his chest. “Never! I’m the best!”
Oscar giggled. “Not at jumping! I’m the best at jumping!”
Keys hugged the boy to his chest. “I stand corrected. I’m the best at everythingexceptjumping. You, good sir, are the very best, absolutely the awesomest jumper in the universe!” The slight squeak of the door to his left made Keys stiffen. “Quick! She found us! Fall asleep!”
Catching on quick, Oscar fell over to the floor with Keys, andas Rose’s footsteps entered the living room, man and boy started making loud snoring sounds.
“This is odd. I swear I put Oscarto bedhours ago. I wonder how he got out into the living room.” Even over the obnoxiously fake snores, Keys could hear the amusement in Rose’s voice. That was a good sign at least.
Unfortunately, Oscar did not catch onto the objective of the snoring game and jumped up in excitement. “Mommy! We beat the big monster!”
“Did you?”
Like a coward, Keys remained on the floor, snoring away.
“Keys did most of it! And I jumpeda lot!”
“Uh huh. And why are your monster-slaying duties conflicting with your bedtime?”
