AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mom, can Max stay for Goosebumps tonight?”
“Sure, if he wants.”
I nod and try to contain my excitement. Sharing what I love with my kids was one of the things I was looking forward to most as a dad, and now I get to.
“Mom gets so scared when we read Goosebumps,” Olive says. “You’ll see.”
“I can’t wait,” I say.
“You should hear Mom’s scary doll voice. It’s so silly.”
Turning towards Emily, I motion to her. “Proceed.”
“No, not now.”
“Come on,” Olive eggs on. “Mom, do the voice.”
Emily takes another drink of wine and clears her throat. “Maxwell, do you want more wine?”
Her voice is high-pitched and squeaky and ridiculous, but I grab my chest like I saw an apparition.
“I was so scared,” I say over Olive’s chuckles.
“You wonder why there’s no dolls in this house,” Emily says. She points to Olive.
“They’re just dolls, Mom.” Olive props her elbow on the table and flaps her hand, like she’s explaining a mutual fund to me. “I really want this one doll, but Mom won’t let me.”
“That doll will come to life, I know it. It’s the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen, and it will not live with us.” Emily grabs for her phone and shows it to me. The skin of the doll is a grayish white, dressed in a period dress, with black holes where the eyes would be.
All I need is for that doll to end up at the foot of my bed in the middle of the night.
“Your mother is right. Very creepy.”
“Mom,” Olive whines. “You never let me live my dreams!”
“Get used to it.”
“She won’t even let me watch M3GAN. It’s not even rated R.”
“It’s too scary for you,” Emily says.
Olive swivels her head to mine. “Max, can I watch it?”
Emily’s pizza falls from her hand. “Why are you asking him?”
“Well,” Olive says, flaring out her hands, “Kenzie’s parents are divorced, so when her mom says no, her dad usually says yes.”
A guffaw leaves my mouth, and then I’m laughing so hard, tears fall from my eyes as I wipe them away. “Sure, you can watch it.”
“Max!” Emily says out loud.
“You let her watch Thelma and Louise.”
Emily huffs and leans back with folded arms. I hold out my hand, and Olive smacks it.
“I want to watch it first,” Emily says.
“Mom will have her eyes covered most of the time,” Olive says. I feel eyes on me, and when I turn, Olive stares at me, her pizza slice mid-raise.
