station?” Wolverine asked, all casual-like.
Before she could answer, Adam’s dad threw his arm around his son. “Yup, you would not believe how much this guy’s baby brother adores him. Worships him, in fact. And Adam steps up every single time, no matter what the inconvenience.” He slapped his son on the back. “Helluva thing!”
“That is so, so sweet, Batman!”
“Hey, that’s what Wendell calls him too! It’s a thing you guys do, right? Cool.”
This was crazy. It was as if his father knew exactly what to say and how to say it.
His
father. “Yup, as soon as I come in with old Batman here, Wendell will be right as rain! Happens every time!”
Robyn looked at Adam like he was a piece of chocolate.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure, Wolfman.” Adam’s dad turned back to Robyn. “Robyn, a
real
pleasure. But now we gotta go. A superhero’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, right?”
“Later, man.” Wolverine punched Adam in the arm.
Adam did
not
wince. “Yeah, man.”
“Bye, Adam,” said Robyn.
“Bye, Robyn. Catch you next week, okay?”
She turned. Wolverine turned. Adam and his dad got in the car. The blisters in his stomach came back.
“I’m sure she nodded,” said his dad.
“Huh?”
His father turned the ignition key. “When you said that about catching her later. I’m sure she nodded. You’ll definitely have to watch that wolf guy, though. Hey, she’s older, eh? Real cute too. Quite a find, I have to say—yes, sir! Now that’s my boy!”
“
Daaad
, you’re, like, creeping me out here.”
“Oh. Sorry, kid.” His father stared straight ahead as he drove.
Adam felt shorter.
“But … well, thanks for back there, for what you said about Sweetie needing me.”
“Hell, it’s true.”
“Yeah, but the way you said it, you made me look real good, I think. Don’t you think?
I
think you did.”
His father contemplated the stop sign. “She likes you.”
Adam thought of the prayers and the rosary and the holy water and all the Catholic trappings. “No, she
needs
me.”
“That, you will soon come to realize, is pretty much the same thing, my son.”
Sweetie needed him
and
loved him. Adam was knocked flat as soon as he got in the door.
“Batman, you came! I knew you’d come, they promised you’d come! I’m sick, Batman. My troat is stripped. Do you want some of my banana medicine? It’s delicious. I’ll give you some. We can have it with dinner. Our mom, Mrs. Brenda Ross, is making us lamb stew. Thank you, thank you for coming home, Batman!” Adam was slobber-hugged some more.
The kid still felt hot. Adam forgot about killing him.
“Mrs. Carmella Ross called and wants you to call her back.”
“Let the poor boy breathe, Sweetie!” Brenda came into the hall, took Adam’s backpack and kissed his head at the same time. “You’re growing like crazy! You are! Speaking of growing, I got you two new pairs of gray flannels. They’re on your bed, in your
real
bedroom. You’ll be taller than your father by next week!” She smiled at him like she was proud of every inch.
“Let’s go, Batman!” Sweetie put his hot plump hand into Adam’s.
“No, Sweetie, give Adam a minute to wash up and call his mom, okay?”
“Okay.” Sweetie sighed, and then sighed once more just in case they had missed the first one.
Adam took the stairs three at a time. No anxiety blisters at all, not here, not now. He had a major mojo going for him. He should do his List right now. Robyn
needed
him. He was growing. Dad tried real hard to do a cool thing for him. He had new pants and there was lamb stew for dinner! He punched in his phone number.
She finally picked up after six rings.
“Mom? Hi, it’s me.”
Nothing. The temperature in the room changed.
“Mom, are you there? I can hear you breathing.”
Still nothing.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
“Adam? Adam, I can’t stand it. There’s been another one. Another letter. Adam, who could hate me that much? Who, Adam?
Before she could answer, Adam’s dad threw his arm around his son. “Yup, you would not believe how much this guy’s baby brother adores him. Worships him, in fact. And Adam steps up every single time, no matter what the inconvenience.” He slapped his son on the back. “Helluva thing!”
“That is so, so sweet, Batman!”
“Hey, that’s what Wendell calls him too! It’s a thing you guys do, right? Cool.”
This was crazy. It was as if his father knew exactly what to say and how to say it.
His
father. “Yup, as soon as I come in with old Batman here, Wendell will be right as rain! Happens every time!”
Robyn looked at Adam like he was a piece of chocolate.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure, Wolfman.” Adam’s dad turned back to Robyn. “Robyn, a
real
pleasure. But now we gotta go. A superhero’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, right?”
“Later, man.” Wolverine punched Adam in the arm.
Adam did
not
wince. “Yeah, man.”
“Bye, Adam,” said Robyn.
“Bye, Robyn. Catch you next week, okay?”
She turned. Wolverine turned. Adam and his dad got in the car. The blisters in his stomach came back.
“I’m sure she nodded,” said his dad.
“Huh?”
His father turned the ignition key. “When you said that about catching her later. I’m sure she nodded. You’ll definitely have to watch that wolf guy, though. Hey, she’s older, eh? Real cute too. Quite a find, I have to say—yes, sir! Now that’s my boy!”
“
Daaad
, you’re, like, creeping me out here.”
“Oh. Sorry, kid.” His father stared straight ahead as he drove.
Adam felt shorter.
“But … well, thanks for back there, for what you said about Sweetie needing me.”
“Hell, it’s true.”
“Yeah, but the way you said it, you made me look real good, I think. Don’t you think?
I
think you did.”
His father contemplated the stop sign. “She likes you.”
Adam thought of the prayers and the rosary and the holy water and all the Catholic trappings. “No, she
needs
me.”
“That, you will soon come to realize, is pretty much the same thing, my son.”
Sweetie needed him
and
loved him. Adam was knocked flat as soon as he got in the door.
“Batman, you came! I knew you’d come, they promised you’d come! I’m sick, Batman. My troat is stripped. Do you want some of my banana medicine? It’s delicious. I’ll give you some. We can have it with dinner. Our mom, Mrs. Brenda Ross, is making us lamb stew. Thank you, thank you for coming home, Batman!” Adam was slobber-hugged some more.
The kid still felt hot. Adam forgot about killing him.
“Mrs. Carmella Ross called and wants you to call her back.”
“Let the poor boy breathe, Sweetie!” Brenda came into the hall, took Adam’s backpack and kissed his head at the same time. “You’re growing like crazy! You are! Speaking of growing, I got you two new pairs of gray flannels. They’re on your bed, in your
real
bedroom. You’ll be taller than your father by next week!” She smiled at him like she was proud of every inch.
“Let’s go, Batman!” Sweetie put his hot plump hand into Adam’s.
“No, Sweetie, give Adam a minute to wash up and call his mom, okay?”
“Okay.” Sweetie sighed, and then sighed once more just in case they had missed the first one.
Adam took the stairs three at a time. No anxiety blisters at all, not here, not now. He had a major mojo going for him. He should do his List right now. Robyn
needed
him. He was growing. Dad tried real hard to do a cool thing for him. He had new pants and there was lamb stew for dinner! He punched in his phone number.
She finally picked up after six rings.
“Mom? Hi, it’s me.”
Nothing. The temperature in the room changed.
“Mom, are you there? I can hear you breathing.”
Still nothing.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
“Adam? Adam, I can’t stand it. There’s been another one. Another letter. Adam, who could hate me that much? Who, Adam?
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