Page 65 of Learning to Change

Magic.

He laughed and showed up in the doorway. “You’re welcome and I’m glad you’re feeling better after your nap.”

“Sometimes you need a nap.” It just happened. “Thank you for putting me to bed too.”

That was always nice but no one did it to grown-ups unless they were board game special, so I was glad I was special to them and wouldn’t have to put myself to bed anymore.

Oh, and being board game special meant I got snacks in the tub too. “You remembered I’m hungry.”

Dean rolled his eyes to look silly as he wiggled past Tate. “First of all, I could hear your tummy all the way in the kitchen, so I couldn’t ignore it even if I tried, and second, we need a bigger bathroom.”

“Yes, and a bigger tub so we can all climb in.” I looked down at my bubbles and frowned. “I don’t have enough room for you guys and my toys.”

Tate laughed. “You don’t have enough room for us and the water.”

Very true.

“But you can sit there and play with me.” That was good too. “And you can talk to me when I have to get a by-myself-shower. We’ll make a schedule.”

Yes. I was so smart.

“But you both have to put me to bed. I think that’s very reasonable.” The bathroom was small but there was space for both of them in my room. “Unless we’re always going to sleep in Tate’s bed?”

He had the biggest bed, so we’d let him have the big room when we’d moved in sophomore year, and it was nice to see that I was finally getting rewarded for being nice.

Hmm.

Something made them confused because their heads tipped to the side and they looked like confused puppies.

“I like schedules.” Dean was so nice and smiled.

“And tucking you in is very reasonable.” Tate was still looking confused but then he was magic too and reached in the tub to find my missing person. “There we go.”

“Thank you.” He was so helpful. “Now they can get eaten.”

Dean sighed. “I’m not even going to respond to that statement.”

Tate giggled at Dean’s drama. “I will. Who’s going to get eaten first?”

“Oh, that’s hard.” We figured it out, though. The dolphins didn’t eat anyone because that wasn’t how they were naughty, but the sharks thought my people were tasty and we even had a monster that sucked some of them under the water to eat them.

“How is playing in the bathtub this stressful?” Dean was frowning and shaking his head as we lost another of the people.

“They’re stupid?” I looked down at their bodies and shrugged. “They should’ve gotten out of the water after the first one was lunch.”

It wasn’t my fault that they were dumb.

“No self-preservation instincts.” Tate shrugged too. “It can’t be helped. Some people just weren’t meant for the gene pool.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s offensive in some way.”

Not if Tate was right.

“I’m hungry.” But distracting Dean was a good idea. “Did you make my snack? I’m not a prune yet. See?”

I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers.

Tate snickered but Dean raised one eyebrow and leaned closer. “I think I see wrinkles.”

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