The Humdrum Life of a Hero

Chapter 18

Tapping my fingers nervously against the kitchen counter, I watch outside as Tony, Jay, and my dad all laugh over something my dad has said. Their faces all look red, but that's most likely due to the wind and cold temperatures. I mean my dad can be funny, but he's not doubling-over-with-laughter-and-red-in-the-face funny.

I hear the loud pounding of the hammer against the new piece of fence they're putting up. That fence has been shabby for years, so it's weird for anyone, especially my dad, to take interest in it. It's not like he's ever here to look at it's chipped white paint and various dents.

After they all went out there now two hours ago, I had to get out of the house, and picking up Nick was the perfect excuse to do so. When I arrived at the same half-million dollar house where I dropped him off last night, Mrs. Walsh looked spent. She obviously didn't have time to put on a pair of Spanx or reapply her designer make-up before she answered the door. She wasn't as put together as she was yesterday, but I wouldn't expect anything less from this rowdy group of hell-raisers she had to take care of for eighteen hours. I'm sure she was too busy making sure no one died to care about her appearance.

She handed me back Nick's medicine, which was administered without problem I'm told, and then she gladly handed me back my kid, who may or may not be responsible for a broken vase.

Again, I wouldn't expect anything less from a group of ten-year-old boys.

I offered to pay for it, but she said it was fine. I hurried Nick to the car after that just in case she happened to retract her offer. Nick was fast asleep as soon he was strapped in in the backseat, an obvious sign that they wrecked havoc late into the night.

At home, I helped Nick drag all of his crap up to his room, and I even helped him to unpack. Basically I was doing anything to take my mind off of what might be going on out in my backyard. I gave Connor another round of medicine, and then I ended up tucking both of the twins into the bed.

But now, standing here, alone in the kitchen, I would welcome the chaos that generally comes along with those two. Don't get me wrong, I love silence, but today's silence is unwelcome. I've been left alone with my thoughts, which always seem to create these elaborate scenarios about the conversations they're all having out there.

Most of them involve Tony and my dad whacking Jay in the head with a hammer.

Luckily, none of my crazy scenarios have come true. The worst that has happened so far is Tony glaring at the back of Jay's head when Jay was holding a nail for my dad. But Tony's glare was one of jealousy, which is understandable.

Tony doesn't get a lot of time with our dad as it is, and then Jay comes in and hogs my dad's attention. Tony just wants Dad to acknowledge his existence, and my dad can't do that if he's trying to figure out what exactly Jay's doing while he's not here.

On the other hand, Jay's dad is so self-involved that he can barely remember he has a son, and the same goes for Jay's mom as well. Jay has nobody, except for Tony and me, to acknowledge his existence either. He just wants the same fatherly attention as Tony does.

One might say they're just two peas in the pod.

Jay turns away from the fence, letting Tony take his place next to my dad, and faces the house. I wave to him, not knowing if he'll even see me. But he does, and he gives me two thumbs up and a smile the size of Russia.

And to think we were both worried for no reason.

Forty-five minutes later, all three of them come inside for some hot grilled cheese and tomato soup. I underestimated how many grilled cheese sandwiches one can eat, so I end up having to make four more. Once they're done eating, my dad claims he's tired, that work has gotten the best of him, and retires upstairs for an afternoon nap, giving me strict instructions to wake him up for his college football game later this evening.