Page 18 of Mr. Broody

“Why are you coming with us?” I arch an eyebrow at him.

“Daddy!” Bodhi whines, his entire body going limp as if he’ll melt into a puddle if we don’t start walking down the stairs.

“Whatever, let’s just go.” I follow Bodhi down the steps, and I’m thankful that I took Reed’s advice and got a specific driver to always be outside the condo ready to take us to school.

“Mack!” Bodhi runs across the sidewalk to him.

“Your driver is your manny?” Conor asks.

“It’s my way of keeping him around. I need someone consistent in Bodhi’s life day-to-day, and no one is going to sign up for the job now that he’s in school all day.”

“Just pay him a full-time salary,” Conor says, opening the passenger door and climbing in. “What’s up, Mack?”

I get into the back seat of Mack’s small sedan, and my knees hit the back of the front seat when Conor slides his seat all the way back.

“Thanks for that,” I mumble.

“Let’s stop for some coffee. Bodhi, do you want a frap?” Conor asks.

“Yeah!”

There goes his need to be on time.

“No, he doesn’t,” I say and look at Bodhi next to me. “You don’t want to be late, right?”

“All the kids would be jealous if I had a frap.”

“No.” I shake my head.

Bodhi’s eyes go to the rearview mirror, and I catch Mack looking back at him. I roll my eyes and stare out the window, knowing Mack will get him one after school. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.

“This isn’t as much fun as I thought it was gonna be.” Conor cracks his neck side to side.

“You could get your own Uber and go get coffee,” I offer.

“I could.” Conor turns to Mack. “Tell me how you got this gig.”

Mack tells Conor how he kind of fell into the role of being a manny with another family, who was the same one that referred him to me. He’s talking about one of Reed’s friends. I tried the nanny thing many times, but it never worked out. The women were more interested in becoming Bodhi’s mom and my wife or girlfriend than just being a female figure in Bodhi’s life. So, when Reed told me about Mack searching for a job because the family had decided to move, I jumped at the chance.

Once we hit the street that St. Patrick’s is on, my gaze strays to Jade’s childhood home. I find myself searching for her on the front steps or in the window, but she was always a late sleeper. The entire house still looks dark, although I’m sure the twins are at school already.

“Reed and Victoria’s!” Bodhi points at the house as we pass it.

Conor follows the direction Bodhi’s finger is pointing, now thrust in front of my face. “Who?”

“It’s my Big Brother and his wife’s place,” I say.

Conor whips his head around. “You have a brother? How did I not know this?”

“It’s not his real big brother, he’s like a dad to him,” Bodhi says.

“The Big Brother/Big Sister program? He was my Big Brother.”

Conor still looks a little confused. Then again, I don’t wear a pin that says, “My name is Henry, and I’m an orphan.”

“The school bell is about to ring. Better get in there,” Mack says, pulling along the curb.

I step out of the car, and Bodhi slides out of my door. It’s amazing how much has changed and how much hasn’t. The building’s been renovated and doesn’t look anything like the school I attended, but there are still the moms and dads milling around and sipping their coffees, gossiping about all the other parents. Since Bodhi is the only kid walking to the door, I figure they’re talking about me. Probably about me being late… again.

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