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"Who said snot?" Rhea emerged from the trailer, nearly tripping over her gi. Her white belt hung loose around her tiny frame. I had her signed up for a grading, but she got too nervous and I had to cancel.
"Dad saw a snotty goblin in the O'Neil trailer," Lexi informed her.
"Goblins wouldn’t live in a trailer,” Rhea said, sagely. “They like bogs, mostly.”
"Well, I was just kidding I’m afraid,” I say with a smile, despite myself. “It’s just us and the Atlantic Ocean out here."
Lexi grabbed Rhea’s hand. "Let's go ghost hunting!"
Rhea squealed with delight.
"What about your dueling?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"We want ghosts!"
The girls tended to explore a little bit farther than I liked, so I decided to use the atomic option.
"Look, I can spar with you if yo—"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Lexi bounced on her toes. "Rhea, we can take him!"
I descended the ladder then cracked my knuckles for effect. "You ready for some Dad-jitsu?"
The girls didn't answer. They just flung themselves at my legs and hung on like barnacles.
***
After a few rounds of Dad-jitsu, the three of us headed into the trailer for some lunch. I wasn't the greatest chef in the world—except for chili, which I fucking excelled at, trust me—so I stuck to unburnable options. Sandwiches were my specialty, and the closer they were to PB&J, the more confident I felt.
"Your cheeks are red." Rhea beamed, proud that they'd managed to get me out of breath.
"Well, you two did pummel me pretty good."
Lexi picked up her sandwich and eyed it with distrust. "Mom says that PB&J sandwiches with pickles are an abomination."
"If they're so bad, how come you always ask for them when you're round here?"
She shrugged. "Tradition?"
"What do you eat at your mom's place?"
"Fancy stuff," Rhea chimed in.
"Peanut butter, jelly, and—what—kimchi?" I teased.
Both girls stuck their tongues. "Gross!"
"What? Sounds good to me. Asian cuisine uses lots of peanut."
"What are we doing after lunch?"
"I'm gonna go back to the tree house. Something distracted me before."
Lexi sighed. "That's why you'll never finish it, Dad. You're always getting sidetracked."
"You're the reason I got distracted!"
"Auntie Ida says you need to meet a good woman," Rhea said seriously.
