Page 405 of The Doctors Will See You Now

Lexi came off the stage and ran right into Winnie’s arms, Wes following closely behind. I lingered back a little to let them have a moment and surreptitiously pulled out my phone.

Me: We’re going for dinner, and then I have to work early in the morning. Why don’t you meet me at my office for lunch tomorrow? I’ll text you with a time.

Charlotte: Work? Tomorrow? That’s a SUNDAY.

Me: Yes. It’s amazing how people never get the memo about Sunday being the day of Sabbath for brain injuries.

Charlotte: But you’re, like, in charge, aren’t you?

Me: Yes. Of fixing brain injuries.

Charlotte: Stop having a good argument for everything.

Me: My fellow surgeons also help me out so I don’t work every other Sunday when I have Lexi.

Charlotte: I said STOP with the good explanations. Not give better ones. You should have taken the job in California.

Me: One flaw with that plan for yourself.

Charlotte: Yeah?

Me: You live in New York.

Charlotte: Stop being smart. It’s like you’re a brain surgeon or something. Jesus.

I grinned down at my phone and glanced up just in time to see Lexi—and Wes and Winnie—coming toward me, so I slid my phone back into my pocket without answering and welcomed Lexi’s hug around my neck. “Dad! Mom said you’re coming to dinner with us! Is that true?”

“Yeah, of course. We have to celebrate your win, don’t we?”

She rolled her eyes. “Those questions were easy, Dad.”

I shook my head and gave her one last squeeze before setting her on the ground. “Nope. You’re just smart.”

Lexi pushed away and grabbed Wes’s hand, ready to go. I laughed as she prattled on with a million questions about where we were going, how many minutes it would take to get there, and the anticipated wait time to get our food.

I guessed that was why it caught me off guard when she stopped short and reached back for my hand with her free one.

Despite my surprise, I didn’t hesitate to take it.

And, hand in hand, the four of us left together, like a big human chain of modern family.

Sundays were for lounging and doing absolutely nothing. It was a rule designated by the Mayans or something, and on my normal weekend, it wasn’t a motto I argued. But as I scrolled through the cable stations and found absolutely nothing to watch and the anticipation of my upcoming lunch date with Nick started to make my self-diagnosed Restless Leg Syndrome flare up, I decided to snag my phone off the coffee table and bug him via text.

He was working while I was following Sunday’s number one rule of be a lazy motherfucker, but he’d been the one to plant the seed of a lunch plan in my head. It was his fault I couldn’t fully stagnate like normal, and he should be the one to pay for it.

Me: How’s work?

I watched as the text bubbles in our chat box moved, letting me know he was already formulating his response.

Nick: Pretty low-key. What are you doing?

Me: Cursing your inability to lounge naked as stated in rule 1A today.

Nick: No rest for the wicked, sweetheart.

Me: All work and no play make Nick a dull boy.

Nick: Haha. Jesus. Did you just put my name into a reference from The Shining?