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“Hey. More homework?”
She pauses her Switch to frown up at me. “I finished it.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
“Did you need something?”
I know she’s trying to be a brat, but she’s so cute it still sort of makes me want to smile. “Oh, nothing much. I have this huge bowl of popcorn downstairs and all three Shrek movies on Blu-ray.”
Her nose wrinkles. “What’s Shrek?”
“You’ve never seenShrek?”
“No.”
“Sophie. It’s a cultural phenomenon. An epic love story. A comic masterpiece. I can’t in good conscience allow you to continue through life without having seen it.”
“It sounds weird.”
I push her door open a tad wider, leaning against the frame. “There are princesses in it.”
“I’m too old for princesses,” she says stoically.
“Well, when we’re done we can visit the retirement home.”
Her lips purse. “You’re not gonna leave me alone, are you.”
“Not a chance, doll.” I beam.
She looks annoyed the entire walk down the stairs, and then begrudging, when she settles onto the couch in the living room, but I notice that she doesn’t hesitate to grab a fistful of popcorn, even if she munches on it with a little more aggression than needed.
“Why is it calledShrek?”
I push play as the DreamWorks logo glides across the screen. “Because that’s his name.”
“That’s a weird name.”
“Well, he’s an ogre. So.”
“Ew. I thought you said this was about princesses?”
“No, I said ithadprincesses.”
She makes a face as the opening scene starts. “What is this weird song?”
“Oh my God, Sophie. I will not let you sit there and slander Smash Mouth.”
“Is that old people’s music?”
I pull my popcorn bowl away from her extended hand. “Ma’am, do you want to lose your popcorn privileges?”
“Fine,” she huffs. “I guess it’s okay.”
Her barrage of questions continues up until Donkey’s proclamations about staying up late and swapping stories, finally laughing when Shrek kicks him out of the house and makes him pout. I give her a look, and she immediately tries to mask her glee. “I guess it’s kind of funny.”
“Just wait until you meet Lord Farquaad,” I say.
She looks like she’d rather pull out her hair than admit she’s enjoying the movie, and I notice her eyeing our dwindling popcorn.
