between cooking meat and dill pickle.
“They have their regulars. It’s how they survive, really. Most people in the trendy metropolis seemed to have agreed that buffets are a bit hokey. I like it, though.”
“Smells weird,” Duncan said.
“The smell of choice,” I said.
“Oh,” Duncan said, seeming to take it as gospel.
Getting our trays, the loading commenced. Duncan got way more than he could even eat in one sitting, most of it from the dessert section. He was likely just overwhelmed by choice. I could relate.
“It’s basically free you know,” I said, seeing Addie’s tray.
“I know, I’m just, you know, pacing myself. My tummy has been going a bit weird recently.”
“Oh, I see. Might what to get some ginger ale.”
“Great idea, Honey,” she said, testing out a pet name.
“You’re welcome, Pumpkin.”
I had underestimated Duncan’s dedication. He did indeed get through all of his first choices. More than covering his part of the admission charge. I figured buffets are basically free if you eat more than you paid to get in.
The rigour of success had taken its toll, however, and by the time Addie and I were finishing our dessert, Duncan was yawning. He didn’t make much of a secret of it either. Addie and I glanced at each other in silent agreement. It was time to go home.
Clem pulled right up to the front steps, making the trip from the car to Duncan’s bed as short as possible.
“Night, Clem,” Duncan said.
“Night, Dunc, sleep tight.”
“You can leave the car here,” I said, before getting out.
“Thanks, Tobi.”
“Don’t push it, Clem.”
“Worth a try,” Clementine said with a shrug.
“That’s my motto.”
“Would you like me to take you up?” Addie asked.
“Can Tobias do it?” Duncan asked.
“Um, sure.”
It was an odd thing to be volunteered for. Not that I minded at all. If anything, it was a good sign. If I was going to be with his mom, Duncan and I might as well try to get along. Neither of us were going anywhere anytime soon.
It was something of a negotiation to get back out of the room. Duncan continuing to come up with new and interesting ways to stall.
“Why are you afraid to go to sleep?” I asked, addressing the issue point blank.
“How did you know?” Duncan asked, in wonder.
“Lucky guess.”
“I have bad dreams.”
Not quite what I expected, but still well within my wheelhouse. In fact, I knew exactly what to do. It was really quite lucky that he had chosen the room he had. Otherwise, I might have had to walk out for a few minutes which would not have been a good look.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“It’s called dream catcher.”
“Looks like a spider web,” he said.
“That’s just because it is.”
“You’re silly,” Duncan giggled.
“Only when it’s really serious,” I said, hanging the dream catcher in the bedroom window.
“What does it do?” Duncan asked, not unreasonably.
“It catches and holds bad dreams so they can’t get you.”
“Does it actually work?”
“Usually,” I said, not quite going into the reasons why I knew.
“Okay,” he said just rolling with it. I knew we weren’t related in, any way but I could already see a lot of me in Duncan.
Despite his admirable resistance, it didn’t take Duncan very long to surrender to the void of sleep. Checking to make sure that he wasn’t just faking to throw me off the scent, a decoy I knew well, I slipped from the room closing the door gently behind me.
Addie was already in bed when I got to our room. It gave me pause to see her naked and lovely sitting up in bed reading. Like a muse in a classic painting. Shedding my suit, I joined her under the duvet, already feeling her warmth.
“Is he okay?”
“Sleeping like a baby.”
“Waking up screaming ever four hours? I’m familiar.”
“Like the dead?” I tried again.
“Better and somehow also worse.”
“Yeah, I have a history of that,” I said.
“I’m really glad things went well. I really didn’t know what he would make of the whole thing.”
“I wasn’t so sure myself,” I admitted, “but I did know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I love you and am willing to do anything I have to in order to make you and Duncan happy. I love you, and I love him because he is part of you.”
She thought I didn’t see it. She tried to hide it, and did it pretty well, but nothing really got past me. I knew she was touched.
“Would you like some dessert?” She asked.
“Had some, thanks.”
She took my hand and lay it on her pussy to make herself clear. She was already