Page 63 of Doctor Daddy

“I played video games all the time. I don’t have the time to do it now.”

“That’s because you don’t have a game console,” Peyton said. “I paid good money for this thing. The kids just left it. I might as well use it.”

“What do you do in your spare time if you don’t just sit around and play games?” Howard asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t have spare time.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Howard countered.

“Between work and completing the renovations on my house, I’m lucky if I have time to read a book or keep up on the latest obstetrics articles.”

“Now see, that’s a life choice,” Howard said. He groaned. The video game made a wah wah wah sound as his character died.

“Your turn,” he said as he handed me the control.

I took the controller and quickly flipped through the choices of avatars. I played plenty of video games. I just didn’t do it at home. I picked an obnoxious green lizard man and entered the ring against Peyton’s blue-haired little girl.

“You have a hobby, that’s why you don’t play video games.” Howard continued the conversation.

“What hobbies?” I asked. My focus stayed on the game.

“Working on your house, obviously.”

I didn’t consider the work I did mostly on weekends as a hobby. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was a hobby.

“Hobbies are good,” Peyton said. “You don’t want to burn out from working too much. But Mark here doesn’t know…” His words were choppy as he focused more on the game than on the conversation. “Mark doesn’t know how to have a good work-life balance. He’s Mr. All or nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say that” I grunted and shifted. My green lizard man rushed in and slid behind the blue-haired little girl. With a twist of my wrist, I did a thumb-finger-button combination that had my lizard lifting her off the ground and slamming her back down.

“Oh, you’re playing dirty,” Peyton complained.

“I’m playing as if I remembered how to do the controls,” I countered.

“You sure you don’t play games at home like this?” Howard asked. “Those are the moves only an expert would use.”

“I don’t want to have time for video games. I’ve been getting ready for a conference.”

“See, I told you he doesn’t have work-life balance. What conference is it this time?

“It’s a woman’s health initiative in obstetrics.”

“You don’t sound thrilled to be going,” Peyton said.

“I pretty much forgot I committed to going and received a confirmation email this morning. I’m not exactly looking forward to it. I’d much rather… ahh!” I grunted as my character was shoved back to the edge of the fight ring and one toe was out of bounds. I lost. I dropped the game controller on the coffee table in front of us.

“So close,” I commented.

“What about this conference?” Howard asked as he picked up the game controller.

“I forgot I told his colleague I was going to help him with the presentation and that I was available to sit on a panel. I'll be up there for a long weekend.”

“Where are you going? Maybe the sights will more than make up for the location?

“I’ll be up in Chicago.”

Howard shuttered. “Burr. Chicago in the winter. I do not envy you.”

“Brooke is still in Chicago,” Peyton added. “Maybe you should look her up. Karen is upset she isn’t coming home for Thanksgiving. Something about not having time off from work.”

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