Page 19 of Schooling Little Sage

Arlo squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll weather the storm with you by his side and he’s always welcome to hang out here.”

“Thanks, Arlo, I’m sure he will.” For never having pets of his own, my boy was drawn to them. Even the horses befriended him. He chatted away as he cleared their stalls much the same as he did with Arlo’s menagerie.

I stood back and watched as Arlo gave the boys a few strawberries to feed to the resident tortoise, Michelangelo. My shy boy waited for Devon to go first then jumped when the tortoise opened his mouth and he dropped the strawberry. Arlo showed him again how to hold it by the top with his fingers, well out of reach of those unforgiving jaws.

“Daddy, did you see that? I fed Mikey.” And he’d nicknamed the tortoise. Yup, he was in heaven.

“I did, sweetheart. He’s a big one. You should see if Master Arlo has a saddle so you could ride him.”

“Don’t go giving these two any ideas, Warner.” Even Arlo couldn’t keep a straight face, likely imagining the possibility.

“You boys ready to head to the stables?”

“Yay! You get to see where me and Daddy work, Devon.”

I hadn’t thought Sage would be that excited. Guess this Daddy underestimated his boy. Bad Daddy.

They skipped ahead of me, swinging their entwined hands between them as they sang a silly, unfamiliar song. Probably making it up as they went.

“Daddy, can we feed them apples or carrots?”

“You may, but not too many. One each, understood?”

“Yes, Daddy,” the duo readily agreed.

They grabbed a mix of treats. As they stopped at each stall, Sage proudly displayed his knowledge of the horse inside it, starting with their names.

“Watch out for that one, he nips.” I had to laugh, recalling the first time Snickers accidentally nipped Sage’s work glove. No blood nor injury of any sort, but it had definitely left a lasting impression on him. He still gave the sweet lady a carrot and rubbed between her ears before moving on to the next equine, but he made sure his gloves were tucked away first.

“This is so cool, you guys get to play with the horses every day.” Devon really overlooked the shoveling of poop aspect of the job.

“As far as jobs go, I’ve got no complaints. You boys ready for lunch?”

“Yes!” they cheered. Telling them to wash their hands now would be a waste. They’d likely pick up every twig and leaf they come across during the short walk to the cafeteria. We’d just have to make a pit stop at the restroom inside first.

I swear, I’d never been more entertained than I was today. These two Littles were filled with boundless energy that would give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money. This right here, having a boy of my own was what my life had been missing.

Barely an entrée or side dish was missed between the two of them. They’d pretty much taken one of everything with the promise to share. Nibbling, chatting, even excitedly wiggling in their seats they somehow managed to consume everything on their plates—plus dessert. I wasn’t sure if I should be impressed or scared of what might hit them later. Upset tummies were no fun.

Sage’s happiness was my own and witnessing this was a true testament to how far he’d come. This coming Monday would be the first afternoon he’d spend in the nursery, and I knew he was a bit stressed about it. Having spent this time with Devon, taking his mind off that was perfect. Even if none of the rooms were a fit for him, I hoped he would make a few new friends in the process.

“One more stop, boys.” Their eyes widened and they giggled. “Follow me.” Today was the day for silly made up songs as they sung another, marching along behind me like toy soldiers.

“Afternoon, Warner and Sage. What brings you by?” Becky asked the moment we stepped inside the store.

“I thought I’d bring these two by to pick out a new toy.” The boys squealed. “And earplugs for me.”

“Silly Daddy.” Sage rolled his eyes.

He’d really come into his own since the first time he called me Daddy.

“Go on, you two, pick what you want.” They ran toward the toy section. I had a few things of my own to buy while they were busy. It was time this Daddy had special stuff at his place for his boy. As I grabbed the items off my list, Becky was kind enough to keep it all behind the counter for me until we were ready to check out.

“Look, Daddy, I got a turtle like Mikey.”

I didn’t have the heart to point out that the real Mikey was a tortoise, he was far too excited with his new stuffy.

“You did. Is that what you picked for today?”