Page 90 of The Anaconda Downstairs

He sighed, putting down his half-eaten sandwich. “I don't wanna move. Mom says we have to. And... and we can't take Bananaconda with us.”

My stomach lurched at the mention of the snake, while I also held in a laugh at the new name he’d chosen, but I pushed past both reactions. I did my best to keep my voice steady. “That must be really tough.”

Billy nodded, his eyes welling up. “I don't know how I'm gonna find her a new home. Nobody wants a snake.”

I caught Pen's eye across the room, seeing the mixture of sympathy and determination on her face. I knew that look. It meant we were about to do something either very brave or very stupid.

Probably both.

Billy looked up at me, his eyes wide and hopeful. “Mr. Kingman? Do you think... maybe you could adopt Bananaconda?”

Aw, shit. Yep. I knew it was coming, and I still couldn't breathe. Why was the room spinning? “Me?”

Adopt a snake? Fuck that.

But before I could stammer out a kid-appropriate response, Pen's voice cut through my panic.

“You know, Ev,” she said gently, “this could be a great way to work on your fear of snakes.”

Really? Throwing me into the deep end was a great way? I thought maybe we'd go to the zoo and look at the snakes from far, far away or something. Not get a snake as a freaking pet. Couldn't we get a dog or something first?

I looked at her, torn between love for her support and terror at the prospect of living with a snake. But then I saw Billy's face fall, and something in me shifted.

“You're... you're afraid of Lady Bananaconda Hisstledown?” Billy asked, his voice small and confused.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “Yeah, buddy. I am. Since I was about your age.”

There was only one other person in my family that knew this story, and she wasn't here to tell it anymore. When I was about Billy's age, we went to visit my Aunt May who lived in a really old house out in the middle of nowhere, Texas. And the absolute urban legend of the snake in the toilet actually happened to me. Except that snake had actually bitten me on the ass.

And my mom has saved me. Just like it was no big deal, she pulled that snake off my butt and tossed it out into the yard. All before anyone else in the house was even awake. I'd been afraid of snakes, and old farmhouse toilets, ever since.

And when she died, my fear of snakes got worse. Because who was going to save me from snakes if she was gone?

To my surprise, Billy's face lit up with understanding. Then he cupped his hands and held them near my ear to whisper to me. “Like how I'm afraid of the dark sometimes?”

I gave him a nod and a chuckle. “Yeah, kind of like that.”

“But you're so big and strong,” Billy said, his brow furrowed in concentration. “If you're scared... does that mean I'm not being a big baby if I'm scared of stuff too?”

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. Here I was, a professional athlete, a grown man, being given a lesson in representation by a kid. I glanced around the room and caught my dad's eye.

Oh. He knew. Of course he did. Mom would have told him. He gave me the slightest of nods.

“You know what, Billy?” I said, my voice stronger now. “It's absolutely okay to be scared of things. Everyone is afraid of something. But the important thing is to let the people around you help you get over that fear. When you're ready.”

Billy nodded solemnly. “Like when my mom reads to me until I fall asleep?”

“Exactly,” I said, feeling a surge of affection for this wise little guy. “And maybe... maybe it's time I faced my fear too.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could really think about them, but as soon as I said them, I knew they were right. Pen was at my side in an instant, her hand slipping into mine.

“Billy, if it's okay with your parents, we'd be happy to give Bananaconda a home.”

The joy that spread across Billy's face was worth every ounce of fear I felt. He launched himself at me, wrapping his arms around my waist in a fierce hug. “Thank you, Mr. Kingman. Thank you so much.”

I hugged him back and caught my family all looking syrupy sweet at the sight of us. Declan gave me scowl, and Flynn was pretending to wipe away a tear.

“Aww, look at our baby brother,” Chris said dramatically. “All grown up and adopting danger noodles.”

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