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“Makes sense. I’ll find someone great to look at, too.”
Allegra walks in the moment I finish my sentence. I check her out slowly. She is very pretty, but I’m proving a point.
“Walt, I love my friend. Please don’t make me unfriend her or kick her ass. Better yet, I’m going to lock you in the greenhouse.”
I laugh. “You wish. Keep your eyes to yourself, Milagros. Now go entertain your friend.”
She flicks me off then leaves to hugs her friend. Tucker and I finish cooking in time for my parents’ arrival.
We duck out to have a mini-info session with Mayhem and Hunter while Günter pretends, he’s not there. Unlike last week, we all made it to the table this time.
“Daddy Walt?” Rowe side-eyed Sparrow but doesn’t correct her. With three Mr. Cambridges at the table after y’all.
“Yes?”
“How did you get Rowe interested in singing?”
I smile big because it’s one of my favorite memories.
“Well, I could show you, but he might not cooperate.”
“Hell no, Zombie.”
My mom smacks his arm, pulling chuckles out of everyone.
“Fine,” I start with a sigh. “I only almost died…”
He puts his ice cream spoon down with an exaggerated sigh.
“Fine.”
“Good!” My mom claps her hands with a wide smile. “This used to be the cutest thing ever.”
“He’s much bigger now, so it’ll be harder.” I grab a rolling chair and pat the seat. Rowe huffs but sits. I unbutton my shirt as I explain. “To give you a little context, I’d do this when I’d come over to babysit or when he came to my house. The one you live in now.”
I tie my sleeves around my neck to make my shirt look like a cape. Everie narrows her eyes. It could be because my shirt is off in front of her friend, but this is how it went.
“Ready kid?”
Rowe crosses his legs since they are too long to just hang. “Sure.”
I start Don’t Stop Me Now. I walk toward him, singing the slow part of the song, bending like he’s still small. He smiles despite himself. I sing with all my might like I used to, but now it means more when says he feels alive. It’s a reminder that I’m alive and there isn’t a reason I can’t be my more fun self.
I step behind Rowe as the song picks up speed. Rowe holds on as I push the chair around, zigzagging throughout the space as I sing the song. Rowe sticks his arms out like he’s an airplane. I wave my hand like I’m selling him the biggest adventure ever.
Rowe sings by the time the first verse ends like he did when he was younger. I spin the chair so he can face me in time to tell him to give me a call. I turn him and start pushing him around again. We sing together as we continue our ‘adventure’. I pause and lift my hands dramatically as Rowe and I sing ‘esplode’. After I transfer my ‘cape’ to him, I pick him up, noting how solid he is now. He wraps his arms around my neck and legs on my waist like he did when he was about six years old. I dance around to the guitar solo, then he gets on my back, so I sing the rest, running around with him on my back until the song ends.
I’m laughing as he slides off my back, but I’m tired. “Whew, that’s much harder to do with an adult.”
We all laugh while some of my family clap. Everest smiles like she just saw the cutest thing she’s seen.
She’s probably picturing me doing these things with our future kids and I’ll be happy to do it.
