Page 58 of DadBod

“They won’t listen to me. Well, Ryann won’t.”

Glancing at the chart again, I see Calvin’s list: dust the living room, clean his own bathroom, take his dirty laundry downstairs to laundry room, and help with dishes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. “Okay.” I nod. Ryann’s list is similar except she’s helping with dishes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and she’s in charge of cleaning her bathroom and the one on the main level. Looking up at Elizabeth, I ask, “When am I telling them about this?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Does this mean I don’t need a cleaning person?”

“I wouldn’t want her to lose her job.”

“It’s a good idea.” I nod. “She can focus on the laundry and the other things she normally does, plus I could ask her about windows.” Most housekeepers won’t touch windows. At least that’s what my mother says.

“Good luck with Ryann.” I watch Elizabeth walk around the kitchen island and reach for the purse that’s resting on the corner.

“You’re leaving?” She’s leaving? I came home early hoping…

“I thought I would.” She looks up at the clock. “You’re home really early.”

“Want to watch a movie or something?” Shit. Where did that come from? It’s because I don’t want her to leave. Not yet.

“Um.” She glances at the clock again. “The kids would probably enjoy some one-on-one time with you.”

“We can watch a family movie. Make some popcorn. I’ve got a great recipe.”

Elizabeth gives me her smirk. “I’m sure you do.”

She sets her purse back down onto the counter. “I’ll stay for a little while.” Turning, she makes her way for the stairs. “I’ll get Calvin and attempt to coax Ryann out of her room, while you make that popcorn.”

“Sounds good.” I take off my jacket and place it on the back of the chair. Next, I roll up my sleeves and search for the popcorn pan my mom always used, a black iron skillet. It makes the best popcorn. Next, I gather up what I need, parmesan that I grate myself, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a special blend of seasonings that I created just for this.

I hear Calvin racing down the steps first. “Dad!” he shouts. “You’ll never guess what I did today.”

“What?” I smile at his happy face.

“I helped adopt puppies.”

“You did?”

“I did.” His head moves up and down slowly. “And I met a really great one.”

Chuckling, I add the popcorn to the sizzling oil. “You met a great what?”

“Puppy.” My son sounds exasperated with me. “Duh.”

“Hey,” I snap. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Sorry.”

“Okay.” I glance up to see him looking dejected. “What kind of pup was it?”

“A mix. He had spots on him and one blue eye and one brown eye.”

“That’s interesting.”

From the corner of my eye, Elizabeth enters the kitchen without my daughter. “She’s not coming down?”

“Not for me. Maybe if you ask her to join us.”

“As soon as I’m done with this.” The popcorn starts its work in the pan, and the smell is delicious. I ate at the restaurant, but I’m hungry again.

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