Page 7 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
I threw my blankets off, and the cool air bit at my skin. I hurried to the bathroom to shower and warm up. The hot water filled the glass-walled stall with steam in a matter of seconds and pulled the chill right out of my bones.
By the time I stepped out and wiggled my toes in the plush bathroom rug, I felt refreshed. I shaved, slicked my hair back, and brushed my teeth before walking through a spritz of cologne.
Then I headed back out into the bedroom to get dressed. I was in court today, so I dressed sharply in a dark navy suit. I matched my tie to my pocket square and my brown shoes to my brown belt, and then I slapped on my watch before opening the door and heading downstairs.
I made sure to tread lightly and stepped over the third step from the top—the one that squeaked. I descended quietly and emerged in the living room, which sprawled out to the back of the house and boasted a view of the greenbelt behind. I padded past my home office, where the computer light blinked loyally, and went into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. While it started to pour, I put down a piece of bread in the toaster.
I went about my normal routine of eating my toast and peanut butter and sipping my black coffee. As I was chewing the last bite, the doorbell rang.
I glanced at my watch. Seven thirty. Right on schedule.
I stood up. The kitchen table chair scraped against the tile. I put my dishes in the sink and went to the front door. I unlocked it and pulled it open.
My father stood there smiling. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a green pullover, and a Carhartt jacket. He tugged it closed around his softening middle and nodded at me. “You gonna let me in or what? It’s freezing out here.”
I stepped aside to let him pass. He shrugged out of the jacket and hung it on the hook behind the door. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, shaking the rainwater out.
“Why do you ring the doorbell every morning, Dad?”
He shrugged. “I’m being polite.”
“I gave you a key so that you could let yourself in.”
“I don’t want to disturb you if you’re, you know, with company.”
I arched an eyebrow. “When on earth would I have time to entertain company?”
My father passed me, and I followed him down the hallway into the living room. “I don’t know. You could break your own habits one of these days and surprise yourself. Now, where’s that grandson of mine? Shouldn’t he be out of bed by now?”
“Grandpa!”
Both me and my father looked up the stairs where my five-year-old son Asher was standing. His black hair was a thick mess atop his head, and I could see his big front teeth from where I stood.
Asher hurried down the stairs, his heels landing heavily for a kid of his tiny size, to throw his arms around my father’s legs. My dad ruffled his hair and dropped to a crouch. His knees cracked loudly, and he groaned. “Getting old sucks. Morning, kiddo. You ready for school?”
Asher looked down at himself. He was wearing his pajamas, which were a bit short on his wrists and ankles. He’d had a growth spurt in the last few weeks that I’d been unable to keep up with. “I have to change.”
“You most certainly do.” My dad chuckled. “Run along back upstairs. And brush out that hair of yours. Then we’ll have breakfast. What do you say?”
“Okay,” Asher said before stifling a yawn. His hair swished across his forehead when he looked up at me. “Do you have to go to work right now, Dad?”
“Unfortunately, I do. I’m in court today, Ash. But if all goes according to plan, I’ll be home before dinner, and the three of us can eat together. What do you say?”
Asher nodded. “Okay. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” I said.
Asher licked his lips. “How long can a killer whale hold its breath for?”
“Uh,” I stammered, glancing at my dad. He only shrugged. “I don’t know, Ash. How about I find out and let you know the answer tonight when we have dinner?”
Asher frowned. “Okay. I think it might be twenty minutes. Wouldn’t that be cool? Being underwater for twenty minutes?”
“Very cool,” I said.
“It would be cooler to have gills,” my father added.
“Like fish!” Asher cried.
