Page 7 of Time for Change

“Yes, you do! I heardid you in the bathroom.”

“Okay,” I say, trying to steer the conversation away from farting. “Let me see if Uncle Caden wants to come over, and then we’ll look at your work from today. Gi, did you get all of your homework done?”

She nods. “I did my writing assignment with Miss Libby, but I still have to read.”

“All right, how about you go to the living room to get that done while I order dinner. Capisce?”

“You’re weird,” she replies, rolling her eyes as she digs her book out of her bag. Once she has it, she takes off for the living room.

“I like your weird, Daddy.”

The corner of my mouth curls up. “Thanks, buddy. I like your weird too.”

“Do you think farts are funny too?”

Smiling, I concede, “They’re a little funny, yeah.”

He nods. “They make me giggle when I hear them.”

“All right, I’m gonna call Uncle Caden. Want to color while I order the pizza?”

“Yes!”

I retrieve one of the coloring books and container of crayons from the cabinet, and while he searches for a new sheet to color, I grab my phone and dial Caden.

“’Lo?”

“Hey, whatcha doing?”

“Not much.”

“The kids wanted to know if you wanted to come over for pizza?”

“Hell yeah. Nothing with that nasty fruit on it though,” he counters, referring to pineapple. I know he’s not a fan.

“I’ll order it. Can you pick it up on your way over?”

Caden snorts. “That’swhy you wanted to invite me. You don’t want to go pick it up yourself, and you’re too damn cheap to have it delivered,” he retorts.

He’s not wrong. I don’t really want to bundle the kids up again to go retrieve it ourselves, but I don’t mind paying for delivery. “Actually, I don’t want the high school kid to have to drive in the snow to deliver it when you’re perfectly capable.”

He sighs. “Fine. Order it, but it better be paid for when I get there.”

Chuckling, I reply, “Yep.”

“Me talk!”

“Buddy, Uncle Caden’s bringing the pizza. Why don’t you just talk to him when he gets here?” I say to my son, who has his little hand extended for the phone.

“Is that my little buddy? Put him on,” Caden insists.

“Be quick, though, so I can order dinner,” I tell Christian as I hand over my cell.

“Unca Caden, do you think farts are funny?”

Chapter Three

Stevie

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