Fourth Week of September

The crash woke him up. Jamie sat up, his heart beating fast, and looked around.

"Chester!" he called. "CHESTER!"

The bunny looked up and hopped to a different corner of the crate.

Another thump, from downstairs.

There were definitely robbers in the house. Or monsters. The creepy kind, like you saw on Scooby Doo. Only for real, not just masks with people inside them.

A quieter thump.

That did it!

Jamie slipped from bed and ran as fast as he could to his Momma's room. She was sitting up, already awake. And when she saw him she held out her arms and he just knew she was going to make everything all right.

She made a little pocket for him in the covers and it was cool at first and smelled like Momma on the pillow. And then it got warmer, and nice feeling, and the tired came back.

As he drifted off to sleep, he remembered that he'd left his cape in his bedroom. For a minute he worried. But Momma sure felt like a cape; she made things safe like a cape. Maybe she was a superhero, in disguise.

He bet she was.

Another tiny thud.

"Everything's all right," she said, smoothing his hair the way she did. "We love you so much, sweetie. Everything's going to be fine. You just rest, OK?"

He tried to remind her…of something. But his mouth was really sleepy.

"And Chester, too," she whispered.

Momma always knew.

First Week of October

He knew the picture would make it better. He knew it, because he'd colored really carefully and made his words just like Momma taught him.

As he snuck down the steps to surprise Daddy with it, his hoop had come flying out of nowhere and it really scared him with a big crash.

Why was Daddy trying to hurt him?

He didn't know what to do.

"Jamie!" His dad yelled like he was in pain or something. So Jamie went down the stairs with all his courage on, and gave Daddy the picture.

"Son," Daddy said, and it made his chest feel funny. "Daddy's sorry. For everything."

He watched as his Dad stood up really tall like he used to be. "Come here," he said as reached his arms around Jamie.

Daddy hugs used to be the biggest things in the world. Jamie dropped his face onto his Dad's shoulder, and he never wanted to let go.

Second Week of October

"Superman," Jamie announced.

"Oh, no way," his Uncle Lucas argued as he pulled to a stop at a red light. He glanced back at Jamie in his car seat and made a face. "Green Arrow, totally. Or Batman – but not the movie versions. And especially not Val Kilmer."

"I don't know who Val Kimmer is, Uncle Luke," he said.

"Well, let's keep it that way. Ice cream," he prompted.

"Uncle Skillz is much better at this game," Jamie sighed. "Chocolate."

"I knew that," Luke admitted. "Uncle Skillz, huh? Even though I am also your Godfather?"

"Does that mean you're married to Brooke?"

"Uh…" Luke coughed. "Why would you ask that?"

He hated it when his Uncle answered a question with a question. "Because she says she's my Godmother. Does that mean you were married to her when I was born? Does Lindsey know Brooke? How come she knows so much about me and I don't remember her?"

"OK," Uncle Lucas laughed. "One at a time! No, I was never married to Brooke. But she has been my friend for a long time."

"Friend like Lindsey?"

"Uh, no…well…it's complicated. A different kind of friend."

"Like Chester?"

"Well, kind of more like that – but don't tell Brooke, OK?"

"OK. So why does she know me so good?"

"Well, the word is well," Luke corrected. "Uh, because we've sent Brooke emails and pictures about you over the years, I suspect."

"YOU did?"

"Well, mostly your mom," Luke admitted.

"Uh huh," Jamie sighed, frustrated.

They pulled up in front of Uncle Skillz' apartment and Luke helped him out of the car and slipped his cape back on for him the way he liked it.

"What's the face you're making, buddy?"

"I think I need to talk to Uncle Skillz about Brooke," Jamie told him, man-to-man.

"Why?"

"Because his voice doesn't make that funny noise when he talks about her."

"I do not make a funny voice," Lucas denied, pushing open the lobby door and starting up the stairs.

"Yes, you do," Jamie shook his head and wondered why adults were so dumb sometimes.

Third Week of October

"Right about now…" His dad sang softly with the music as he walked another lap in the pool.

"The funk soul brother," Jamie finished, as he swam beside him.

"Check it out now," Momma sang loudly from the edge, where her legs were dangling in.

"The funk soul brother!!" Jamie and his dad shouted.

"Right about now, the funk soul brother, right...about...now…" his mom sang, then she jumped into the pool with them and swam over. "Know what I think?"

"What?" he asked, holding on to Daddy's shoulders as they rounded for another lap of the pool.

"I think I could beat you both in a race," she challenged.

"Oh, you do?" Daddy disputed, but his face was smiling so Jamie knew he wasn't so mad anymore.

The sun was sinking, but it was still kinda warm. The new Nanny, Carrie, had left before dinner and now it was just Momma and Daddy and him.

Suddenly, his parents were splashing and Jamie hung on real tight to his Dad's neck as they zoomed pretty fast across the pool.

"I win!" Momma yelled.

"You had a little advantage, don't you think?" Daddy chided. "OK, so what do I owe you?"

Momma kissed Daddy and then floated close and wrapped her arms around them both. And it wasn't yucky, at all.