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Chapter 1

Wes

One minute I’m frustrated looking for actors that portrayed Batman – both live action and animated – in this word search gifted to me by my wife this morning, and the next I’m frustrated by the developing confrontation I somehow idiotically stumbled into with my only son.

Who isjustlike his mom.

Down to the tiny eye twitch that precedes a heated argument.

I adjust myself in the seat that I’m occupying across the table from him on our private jet and wordlessly meet his crystal glare.

Despite the fact that I’ve become more accustomed to flying over the last decade, I still don’tlike it.

It still fills me with a sense of uneasiness, just like it did when I flew to bring him home after his first “plane-vacation” during our darkest times as a family.

And I become even moreuncomfortablewhen the turbulence of the flight matches that of my child.

I can only handle one choppy thing at a time.

I would appreciate him waiting his turn.

The smoothness of our journey finally resumes allowing me to calmly declare, “We’re not going to Doctenn for Christmas, Wyland.”

“How is this fair?!” he squawks, damn near knocking over his holiday flavored energy drink. “How come we can fly to fucking Texas foryouto be seen at some stupid fucking hockey game – a sport you don’t even give a shit about – but when I ask for us to go to somewhere thatmatters to me, you won’t even bother to hear me out?!”

“This was awork trip.Part of our sponsorship agreement with the league.”

“And I’m asking for afamily trip.Part of your dadship agreement with your son.”

“Dadship is not a real word.”

“I used it like it was real.”

And there’s more of his mom along with her attitude.

“We’re not going to Doctenn for Christmas, Wyland.”

“How come you’ll do shit for everyone else in this familybut me?”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true!”

“It isnot.”

“It is!”

“It is not.”

“It is!”

Thirteen on the verge of fourteen yet still fights with me like he’s two and half on the edge of three refusing to eat grilled chicken nuggets because they aren’t shark shaped.

Has his passion for the ocean dissipated since then?

No.

It’s actually increased.

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