they were in the center of the table next to the tea set. “It looks like you’re feeding the masses,” Max joked.
“You’re sure going to make someone a good husband, Toby,” Aunt Sandy said as she took down some glasses from a cabinet and began to fill them from the fridge. “I always told Melissa that you were the best catch.”
“Loyal Dad,” Jamie muttered under his breath.
“What’s that, Jamie?” Dad asked cheerfully, and spooned chili into his bowl. “Hey, Max, did you hear? Jamie’s getting a dog!”
“I did hear that—Aunt Sandy told me. I didn’t think you were up for that.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Jamie is the best with dogs, aren’t you, Jamie? There’s a black Lab out there at the ACC that follows him around. He’s already adopted Jamie.”
Hazel had made her way under the table and pushed between their legs to Jamie. She nudged his hand. Jamie responded with a caress of her head.
“Duke is his name,” his dad added as he continued putting chili in bowls.
Aunt Sandy handed glasses of water around, then slid into her seat. “When’s Duke coming home?”
“He has to be neutered first, so a couple of weeks after that.”
“Labrador. Loyal dog,” Jamie said. “Intelligent and loyal.”
“Oh, that is so true,” Aunt Sandy said. “And such happy dogs, too.”
“Loyal dog. Loyal Dad,” Jamie muttered.
Max looked at his father, but he didn’t seem to notice Jamie’s muttering. Jamie wasn’t usually so talkative.
“That’s what I’ve always heard,” Aunt Sandy agreed. “Labs are the number one dog of choice in American households, did you know that?”
Jamie started to rock in his seat. “Loyal, loyal, loyal, loyal.”
Max’s dad finally looked up. “What’s the matter, Jamie? You don’t like the chili?”
Jamie suddenly pushed back from the table and went down on one knee to the floor. He wrapped his arms around Hazel and laid his cheek against the top of her head.
Max exchanged a look with his dad. His dad shrugged.
“Jamie, your supper is going to get cold,” Aunt Sandy said.
Jamie did not let go of Hazel, and Hazel seemed happy to let him hang on.
“Yep, we’re going to be shopping for a dog bed and some food bowls this week, aren’t we, Jamie,” his father said as he sprinkled cheese on top of his chili.
Jamie said nothing.
“Jamie? Hop up here and eat your chili,” Aunt Sandy said again.
Jamie reluctantly stood up and resumed his seat. He picked up his spoon and stuck it into the bowl. “Loyal dog, loyal Dad.”
“Very true,” Aunt Sandy said. “Intelligent and loyal.”
“Loyal. Loyal. Loyal Dad. Loyal Dad,” Jamie repeated, and looked at his father, then at his chili. He began to rock back and forth again.
It was not unusual for him to rock, and the repeating of words, the echolalia, was often seen in people with autism. But still, Max knew his brother well enough to know that something was bothering him. But the hell if he could figure out what. “I have an idea,” he said. “I don’t have to be on campus before ten tomorrow. What if Jamie came to my house to hang out with me and Hazel? I can take him to work in the morning.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea, isn’t it, Jamie?” Aunt Sandy chirped.
“You want to go with Max?” Dad asked.
Jamie glanced up and glared at his father, startling Max. “Loyal Dad, loyal dog.”
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Max said. “Jamie.” He waited for his brother to turn and look at him. “Loyal brother. Are you coming with me? We can watch an Air Bud movie,” he said, suggesting a series of movies that featured a dog.
Jamie’s eyes widened slightly. “Yes,” he said. And then he attacked his chili with gusto that made Aunt Sandy happy.
* * *
It was nothing, Max decided later. Something had aggravated Jamie. Dad had probably done something that had annoyed Jamie, but whatever it was, Jamie had clearly forgotten by the time they arrived at Max’s house. He sat on the living room floor with Hazel’s head on his lap, his attention glued to the Air Bud movie.
Max decided it was a good time to attack his kitchen on the chance that Carly might grace his house with her presence again. He was happily imagining that as he worked, sort of smiling to himself, when Jamie appeared at the end of the kitchen bar. “Dog show.”
Max looked up. “Yeah. The DVDs haven’t come in yet.”
“Loyal dog, Max. Loyal Dad. Dog show.”
Jamie was clearly trying to tell him something, but