Page 18 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
I glanced at my dad, who was smirking. He shrugged his shoulders. “This is your territory, Cal. Not mine. Why can’t penguins fly?”
I scowled at my father. Then I looked down at Asher. His eyes were wide as he stared up at me, ever the curious child. I put my hands on my hips. “You know what, kiddo? I don’t know the answer to that question, but we can find out. Let’s look online.”
“Okay.” Asher nodded.
I pulled out my phone and typed in his question. When I found the answer, I nodded. “Here it is. Penguins can’t fly because their wings function more like flippers than bird wings. They’re made for pushing them through the water, like a seal. Make sense, Ash?”
Asher nodded. “Yeah, it does. Thanks, Dad.”
“What are you doing in school today?” I asked my son.
Asher pursed his lips. “Umm, I think more show and tell. And watching a Christmas movie. Maybe the Grinch.”
I smiled down at him. “How about we go to the zoo instead?”
Asher’s eyes lit up as he gasped with excitement. “Really?”
“Really. Go upstairs. Dress warm. And make sure you put on socks because you’ll be wearing your boots. Hurry up. Chop chop!”
Asher bolted out of the kitchen and upstairs. My father chuckled. “He’s a spoiled little fella, isn’t he?”
“He deserves it.”
“That he does. He’s a good kid. A great kid. And how better to spend your time off than with him?”
“You’re coming too, Dad.”
My father grinned. “You bet your ass I am. You aren’t leaving this old fart at home.”
“You’re sixty six, Dad. You’re not an old fart.”
“That’s a matter of opinion. You wait and see how your knees feel when you’re closing in on seventy. You’ll see where I was coming from.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I waved him off. “So you’ve said. Many times.”
“Because it’s true.”
I smiled at him, and we both sat at the kitchen table to wait for Asher to get ready. “So, I was invited to my fifteen-year reunion at Westview High tomorrow night.”
My father raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”
I nodded. “David invited me. They’re hosting it around Christmas because more people are in town. They’re hoping for a better turnout than the ten year.”
My dad put on an innocent expression. “More people like Lina Nelson?”
I looked at him sharply. “I haven’t spoken to her since graduation night. I’d be shocked if she shows up. She’s living out in the Big Apple and has a career in modeling, last I heard.”
“Well, it will be nice to see everyone,” he said.
“I’m still not sure if I’m going.”
“What? Why not? It would be nice to see some old friends. It would do you good, son. You’ve disconnected from a lot of personal relationships. Maybe this is perfect timing.”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
We arrived at the zoo shortly after it opened that Thursday morning. Not many people were there, as most kids were still in school, so we had free rein of the park. As per Asher’s request, we did the path in reverse, starting at the end and working our way back to the beginning.
Asher lingered outside each and every exhibit for as long as my father and I could bear. He was especially fascinated with big cats, which I understood, because they were powerful and magnificent creatures that stalked my son on the other side of the glass.
