Page 137 of The Re-Proposal

“A little? Nah. It’s a lot of maneuvering. I just get in the way.” His gaze casts to the floor and his shoulders slump.

I flick the stove on. “So what?”

Joel’s head whips up again.

“What people see as a disadvantage is also your advantage.”

“What part of this,” he gestures to the wheelchair and heart machine, “is an advantage?”

I crack an egg and it sizzles when it hits the frying pan. “Human beings have tunnel vision. We only see our tiny corner of the world. We live in our comfort zones and we don’t like to leave it. That’s why there’s so much hate in the world.” I glance up at him. “People who are different force us to leave our comfort zones and find a new perspective.”

“So what’s my advantage?”

“You’re not normal.” I scramble the eggs.

“Gee, thanks.” He chops the onions more aggressively.

“It means you offer a fresh perspective.” I take the chopped onions from him and sauté them with the eggs. “Can you make some toast?” As Joel wheels away to the toaster, I continue, “You instinctively see the world from a different angle. You can solve problems from a place no one’s even thought of.”

“That doesn’t sound exciting.”

“What do you find exciting?”

“I dunno.” He shrugs again and gestures to my penthouse. “Being rich.”

“Money is easy.”

“Of courseyou’dsay that.”

“You’ve still got an advantage.”

“Come on.” He groans. “I’d have to work a bajillion years to earn this much. And I don’t even know if I’ll survive to next year.”

I slip the scrambled egg into a plate. “You’re not going to die, Joel.”

“Why do you care? Don’t you want me dead?”

“Why would I want you dead when you’re family?” I answer gruffly.

Joel doesn’t move.

I glance around. “The bread isn’t going to toast itself, kid.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Of course I mean that. Unless you want to make pancakes—”

“Do you really think of me as family?”

My spoon slows and I face the teenager. He’s watching me like he’s trying to see inside my head.

“Kid, you’re under my roof, in my care and my responsibility. What else do you call that?”

“An employee.”

“Who eats breakfast with me?”

“A live-in employee.”

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