Tight-Knit Family

We're Watching Marvin Throw Kisses

Dylan

"Dad?"

"What is he doing here?" Papa said, quickly running behind the bleachers and trying to hide behind Charlotte, but ended up completely cocooning himself underneath them instead. 

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked. "Dad, this is a terrible idea, and you damn well know it!"

Dad smiled and winked at me. "Dylan asked me to come, and since he asked me to come, I came!"

Now, what he was saying was true. I had asked him to come to the game and stay in the parking lot just in case something happened, but I never asked him to get out and watch the game on the bleachers with the rest of us. But alas, Jason was Whizzer's son too, and Whizzer had just as much of a right to watch the game as everyone else in the family.

"How's the bald spot looking?" Papa asked after a few awkward seconds of silence. Emma looked at him with disgust and alarm and said, "Who's bald spot? Mine?"

"No, Em, your father's."

"Dad has a bald spot?" I asked, then immediately regretted saying it when I saw Dad's embarrassed face. 

"He does, Dylan. And I wanna see it again, I haven't seen it in a while. After all, your father's perfect, it's just this one imperfection of his that's so amusing. Whiz, do you mind sitting in front of me?" Papa asked.

Emma and I looked to each other as Mendel and Trina moved closer to each other on the bleachers, Mendel so close to the edge that it looked like he was going to slide off any minute. 

"What is happening?" Emma whispered to me. I shrugged and said, "No clue. It's so awkward to look at though, I've never seen anyone be so attracted to someone's balding head before."

Emma laughed and then took my hand. "Pickle, it may seem awkward in the moment, but look at how they're acting. They're talking to each other and laughing. There's no fighting, no discourse, just them being the same loving people they were in the beginning, when we were first adopted. I have a feeling that this awkward interaction is going to be the thing that fixes everything, that saves our family."

I smiled at Emma and took in the scene. "You know what, Em? Maybe you're right, but I don't want to overthink and stress myself out too much about this. I'm just going to focus on the game and cheer on my little brother."

Emma smiled, agreeing with me and sitting back. Then suddenly, Dad tapped me on the shoulder.

"Kids, amazing news. Your Papa and I are back together." Dad said with a sweet smile, attached to Papa's arm.

Emma and I looked to each other and squealed, hugging each other and then going to hug our dads. "That's amazing! So, does that mean you guys are going to start living together again?"

"Yep! I'm gonna sell my own place and move back in our old house, the one next door to your aunties." Dad said. 

Papa laughed and kissed Dad on the cheek. "We can worry about arrangements and things like that later, but for now, let's cheer on Jason. He's.. not doing his best today, that's for sure."