Aaron curled his lip. “That’s not even close to being funny, Josh.”
“Come on, man. Smile for a second. I’m good here. Tell me you at least trust me.”
“Not for a second,” he said. “I trust Toby to watch you.”
I looked at Toby. “Are you watching me?”
“Yeah,” he said and laughed.
“So I have to listen to your rules?”
“Yeah,” he said louder.
“Okay,” I said. “What’s the first rule?”
“Chocolate milk!” Toby yelled.
I looked at Aaron. “He’s the boss.”
“Not too much,” Aaron said. “If I get to take Rae out and come back and Toby is throwing up because of you…”
“Go,” I said.
“Love you, Toby,” Aaron said. “Be good for Uncle Josh.”
“Love you, Daddy,” Toby’s voice said.
I could handle a lot of stuff in life, but when Toby’s little voice said love you to anyone, it hurt my heart.
For good reason.
The door shut and I was alone with Toby.
“Okay, little buddy, they’re finally gone. It’s just us. What’s first?”
“Chocolate milk!” he yelled and pumped his fists.
“That’s right. Chocolate milk it is. Do you want a little chocolate or a lotta chocolate?”
“Forever chocolate,” Toby said.
I laughed.
“You’re crazy, kid. But so am I.”
I sat Toby on the counter, went to get a kid’s cup and caught sight of him from the corner of my eye. It made the world stop for a few seconds. I caught myself reaching for my back pocket. So I could get the letter. And I could fix everything.
But the letter was gone.
Delilah was gone.
She was gone.
“Uncle Josh?” Toby asked.
I opened the cabinet door and hid my face until I could catch my breath.
If I couldn’t have a drink, then I needed to talk to Amelia.
I hid behind the couch and made the shotgun pumping sound with the plastic spoon. Chick-chick.
“You can’t get to me, man,” I called out. “I own this town.”
I heard Toby giggle. He was working with a ladle that had unlimited firing power.
I jumped up and started to make gun sounds, pumping the spoon-slash-gun, knowing my life was on the line.
Toby was waiting for me, standing on the coffee table, pillow cushion in one hand as a shield and his ladle-slash-super-gun shooting so fast that I stood no chance.
The bullets crashed into me so hard that I started to wiggle. I dropped my spoon-slash-gun. I stood there gasping for air as I reached over the couch, thinking I could get to Toby.
He just stood on the table with a defiant and mean stare in his young eyes.
“You’re a goner, dude,” he said.
That’s when I fell forward over the couch. I rolled down the couch and hit the living room floor with a thud. I looked up at Toby and then shut my eyes and let my head fall to the side.
I was a goner.
Apparently, Rae had a rule against saying you’re dead.
“Let’s do it again!” Toby cried out.
I started to laugh and as I sat up my back pocket vibrated.
Amelia was finally getting back to me.
It had been the longest half hour of my life.
I never knew a kid could do so much in that short period of time. I swore we had completed two days’ worth of fun already. And each time I got a toy or a game out, Toby wanted to do something else. Maybe it was the chocolate milk and the sugar making him act this way. Which meant I needed to keep him running to burn that off before Aaron and Rae got home. Aaron could only get mad at me for about five minutes. But Rae… she’d do anything to find a plausible excuse to hurt me.
Sorry. Covered an early shift. Home now. Yay.
I took a second to ponder the notion that I was text messaging someone. That wasn’t my thing. I didn’t do the technology thing. It was easier to set guidelines, rules and expectations over a few drinks. Making it clear that the night was going to be lived like a vampire would. Come out and play. And at sunrise, vanish before you got burned.
Toby had retreated to the loveseat and sat with his legs dangling off the edge as a cartoon played.
hey. come hang out. i have to tell you my story still. not your place. pussy distracts me.
I got to my feet and grabbed some of the cushions and put them back in order.
I put the ladle and spoon away too.
Amelia sent another text.
Should I come to your place? I’ll bring my notebook so I can interview you.