Page 72 of Exile & Lula

“Skylar requires more sleep,” I announced while setting Lyric in a chair. “What hat do you want?”

“Dumbo,” she said and reached for her milk. “I am an elephant.”

“They’re so talkative,” Lula told Nova as I walked down the hallway to retrieve Lyric’s hat.

“I talked to them a lot when they were little. I probably talked too much. They know words they shouldn’t.”

“I was the same way with Dillon. I read to her constantly. Every show we watched had subtitles on. She became obsessed with words and then reading.”

Dillon appeared, as if beckoned by her mother’s praise. “I have schoolwork,” she said and slid into the chair next to Lyric.

Nova balked. “On the weekend?”

“I always request extra work,” Dillon said and added a spoonful of sour cream to the potato and egg hash. “I’m hoping to skip grades when I get to middle and high school.”

“Her cousin is on schedule to skip grades,” Lula explained to Nova. “They’re very competitive.”

“He’s a genius,” Dillon said and shrugged. “I’m just smart.”

“I’m smart,” Lyric announced. “I know how to crap in the toilet.”

“Yes, you do,” Nova cooed. “You learned to use the toilet so fast.”

Lyric nodded wildly. “I was faster than Skylar.”

“Where is Skylar?” Dillon asked, sounding suspicious.

“Skylar wanted more sleep.”

I settled with a plate at the kitchen island while Lula took the seat between Dillon and me. After slipping me a fork with a little Eddie Murphy face taped to the handle, Nova ate standing up as usual.

My sister smiled at Lula. “My oldest was a great sleeper when she was little. I got so many naps when she was first born. It was great.”

Lula stroked her daughter’s head. “Dillon was an easy baby. Slept and ate well. Even as an infant, she wanted to show off.”

Dillon grinned at me. I shared her smile, feeling protective of the mini-Lula. No one in my family ever enjoyed school. Dillon’s competitive nerd nature was fascinating to me. I also loved how she treated the biker lifestyle as normal.

As much as I wanted to spend the entire day hanging out with my favorite girls, Clint, Rock, and Zodiac showed up after lunch to talk to me at Ford’s place.

“Why can’t I join this conversation?” Lula asked.

“Yeah?” Skylar insisted, having woken up in a clingy mood and barely letting me piss in peace.

Zodiac leaned down and said to Skylar, “This is man talk. You’re just a girl.”

“You’re a mule.”

“I will tolerate your accusation. Now buzz off.”

Frowning at Zodiac, Lula asked, “Okay, now, explain whyIcan’t come to this meeting?”

“You’ll distract Exile, and I need my VP to be sharp,” Zodiac replied immediately as if he had that answer locked and loaded. “See, he’s been shirking his duties lately, and I would hate to have to replace him.”

“Who would you replace him with?” Nova asked from the couch, where she was stretched out with Lyric.

“Sugar, maybe,” Zodiac said while stroking his beard in thought. “No, Toxin would be a good VP. He nods at everything I say and lacks a heart, so he’ll never fall for a hot lawyer.”

“Toxin called you a booger eater,” Nova announced, snickering. “He would undermine your authority.”