And perhaps most dangerous of all—I realized I didn’t dislike the feeling nearly enough.
After the bake sale catastrophe turned into triumph, the children regarded me differently. This was not to say they’d transformed into angels who spoke in calm, indoor tones. That would’ve been suspicious. But something subtle had shifted.
The four of us walked toward the parking lot together beneath the fading gold of early evening, and for perhaps the first time since I’d met them, the children moved around me as if they had decided I truly belonged in their orbit. Of course, they’d shown their affection for me in the past, but now there was a new level of respect that I didn’t hate.
Billie skipped beside me. CJ walked backward for several steps while explaining to Bianca that the PTA incident would absolutely become “a cornerstone chapter” in his memoir.
“You can’t write memoirs at eleven,” Bianca said, sounding utterly exasperated.
“Watch me.”
Billie looked up at me. “Can we tell Daddy I defended your honor?”
“We’ll phrase it differently, but yes.”
CJ snapped his fingers. “Protected your dignity.”
“That sounds safer,” I admitted.
Bianca adjusted the book under her arm. “Technically, the kick itself created additional indignity.”
Billie gasped. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
The Museum of Play was only fifteen minutes from the school, and since it was still early and the children were still hyped up with post-bake-sale adrenaline, I made an executive decision.
“Would anyone object to extending the outing slightly?”
Three faces turned toward me.
CJ narrowed his eyes. “That means a surprise.”
“Usually a fun surprise,” Billie added.
Bianca studied me. “Where are we going?”
“The Museum of Play.”
Silence.
Then Billie screamed.
The other two remained more composed, though CJ’s notebook nearly fell from his hands and Bianca’s back straightened with sudden interest.
“The interactive one?” Bianca asked.
“Yes.”
“With the physics exhibits?”
“Yes.”
“With the historical toy archive?”
“Yes.”
“With the giant climbable digestive system?” Billie shouted.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
