“Sure, if you’ve got a pen?”JP took the pen and hat the man offered and scrawled his signature on it.“Thanks a lot for the support.”
“Anytime.”
The kids came barreling up the second the fan was gone.
“Daddy, that was a stranger!”
“Your dad handled it.”
“I’ll take care of talking to any strangers, okay?”
Tori nodded, but Peter lowered his eyebrows.“You got lots?”
“Sometimes, buddy.It’s okay.They want to congratulate me for the goals I scored back when I was playing hockey.”
“I read about hockey!”Tori bounced.“I have books.”
“I want a drink, Daddy.”His Peter did not understand his sister’s fascination with hockey.
“I’d like to read them with you,” JP told her as he fished a water bottle out of his bag.
“Okay.I have “My Farts Followed Me to Hockey” and “Hockey ABCs.”
“Okay.”JP gave him a look.
“What?”He blinked over.“I didn’t write them.”
“My Fart Followed Me to Hockey?This is a real thing?”
“Yes.It’s a whole series.They found them at the library.”
JP just laughed.“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.We will definitely have to read that today.”
“She’ll love that.It makes her giggle.Her brother has gas a lot.”
JP laughed some more, but then tilted his head.“Is that a boy thing or is there an issue?”
“The pediatrician says he eats too fast.I remind him, but he just does, you know?”
“Is he worried she’s going to steal his food if he doesn’t eat quickly?”JP asked.“I mean, if she decided to just grab whatever was left on his plate, I can’t see him fighting her on it.”
Tori and Peter always had the same food, really, and Tori always got extra if she asked for it, so he didn’t think so.“I’d be more apt to say he didn’t want to waste any more time eating than necessary.Tori is the one that loves her food.”
“Like he’s got more important things to do than eat, eh?”
“Yes.Meanwhile, your daughter burns more calories running the stairs for fun…” She was an intensely physical little girl.
“I get that.”
That did not surprise him in the least.When JP had been playing regularly and training, he could eat so, so much.
“Dad!Dad, I climbed!”
Ian glanced over, eyes going wide.His baby girl was on top of the monkey bars.“Oh god.”
JP’s hand landed on his.“If she thinks you’re scared she’s going to be scared too.I know this from experience, too.”
“What do I do?”he whispered.“Oh god.Love.What do I do?”
