AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I toss a popcorn kernel up in the air expecting our oldest daughter Daisy to get it but instead our golden retriever Jack snatches it out of the air in front of her.
“Hey,” she says, then pats him gently on the head.
Penelope makes a snorting sound and gets up from her position on the floor, and Erica is quick to give her her own bowl of popcorn. I never would have expected having a pot-bellied pig would be so much fun.
But then again I didn’t expect the same of a family either.
“Where’s Elijah?” I ask, looking around for our son.
“He went downstairs to get some ice cream from the deep freeze.”
The deep freeze?
I jump up out of my seat, popcorn spilling everywhere as I rush downstairs to find him, my hand on the guardrail and my feet moving quickly down the stairs.
“Hey, Dad. What’s this?” he asks, holding up a pack of unmarked meat.
“Don’t worry about that. I’m sure it tastes like chicken, son.”
Scooping him up in one arm I reach for the oversized ice cream bucket hidden below the mystery meat, although it’s not a mystery to me, and carry him back upstairs.
“Billy’s parents won’t let him watchThe Silence of The Lambs, Dad. How come we get to watch it and not him?”
“Well, buddy. His parents get to make the decisions for his household. That’s why. I let you watch it because it’s never too early to learn what kind of people there are out there in this world. You’re the oldest son so you have to be ready to protect your brothers and sisters from…people like this.”
“I will, Dad. I promise.”
Messing up his hair with my hand I put his feet on the ground, grab some bowls and scoop out the ice cream.
“I don’t understand something, Dad.”
“What’s that, bud?”
“Is Hannibal bad, or good?”
“What do you think?” I ask, trying to sharpen his critical thinking skills.
“Well, I think he’s bad, but then he does some good things too like helping the police find Buffalo Bill, so he’s not totally bad.”
“Life isn’t as black and white as it seems, is it?”
He shakes his head. “Well then how will I know how to make decisions about stuff?”
“Judgment.”
“But where do I get that?”
“Life experience. Be patient, son. Enjoy your childhood while you can.”
“But I want to be an adult.”
“Your time will come, buddy. But right now how about you help me with these ice cream bowls for the rest of the family.”
He does as we serve the rest of the household during our weekly movie night. WatchingThe Silence of The Lambsmight not win me any parent of the year awards for a household of kids ten and under, but then again I never played by the rules.
And neither did Detective Dawson, which is why he had to wind up in my deep freeze after he tried to drive a spike between Erica and me.
Nothing, and no one, comes between my family and me. Never.
And if someone is foolish enough to try, I’ll eat them alive.
“Thanks for the ice cream, honey,” Erica says.
“Thank you, beautiful. For all of this,” I say, my eyes looking out over our home, our family, our pets…everything we’ve built. Together. And no one will ever tear it apart. Never. I won’t allow it.
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
