Page 70 of Dizzy

I shove a handful of chips in my mouth. I got no idea what Steve thinks about my kids. I know if I follow my inclination—pay him a visit tomorrow, remind him who the fuck he’s dealing with—it ain’t gonna play out the way I want.

“You talk to him about this?” I hedge.

Parker snorts. “Yeah, I asked him why he hates us so much.”

Fair. It was a stupid question.

“What about your mother? What does she say?”

“She says clean up your shit and stay out of his way. Then she says she’s got to get back to work. That’s what I’m sayin’. We may as well be here. The bikes are here.”

“What does Carson think?”

“Carson thinks Steve doesn’t like him ‘cause he’s fat.”

“Carson ain’t fat.” He’s got a little baby chub left on him, but wait until he has his first growth spurt. He’s gonna be a linebacker. I was the same way. “Why’s Carson think that?”

“’Cause it’s true. Steve makes him eat egg white omelets for breakfast. Calls him husky all the time.”

The fuck?

“Carson thought he meant husky like the dog, so he didn’t mind. Then I told him what it meant.”

“You really needed to do that?”

Parker’s lip sneaks up. “Guess not.”

Yeah, Steve and I are gonna have a conversation. He’s a gym rat. Tans. Got himself veneers. The whole shebang. But I still got at least fifty pounds of muscle on him and no compunction about makin’ him get his teeth done again.

“I asked Mom. She said we can’t live here during the week ‘cause there’s no one to watch us after school while you’re at work. If Fay-Lee stays, she can watch us.”

That’s what Sharon said? She probably was sayin’ what first came to mind. Sharon loves her kids. She’d never agree to change the custody arrangement. ‘Course she did just ask me to take ‘em for a month or so. And she don’t seem to notice that it’s a pretty even split now. But I’m only “watching” them for her when I take ‘em extra days.

I sigh. I don’t know what to say. “I’ll talk to Steve.”

“He’s gonna tell you what you want to hear, and then keep bein’ a dick to us.”

“You think so?”

“That’s what he always does.”

This is a fuckin’ mess. I’m happy Parker’s speakin’ his mind, though.

“I’ll talk to your mom then.”

“You’re just gonna piss her off, and it’ll make everything worse. I told you I talked to her. She basically said it’s our fault.”

“I’ll sort it out.” Somehow.

“It’s okay.” Parker tilts his head back and rests it on the couch, the weight of the world on his thin shoulders. I fuckin’ hate this. It’s not what I wanted for him or Carson.

“I’ll take care of it.”

Parker grabs some chips from the bag. “I told Steve if he calls Carson ‘husky’ again, I’m gonna punch him in the face.”

That’s my boy. “What did he say?”

“Gave me a lecture. Told Mom. She took my phone.”

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