Page 107 of Out on a Limb

Hobie jumped over the fort into his dad’s lap. Walker couldn’t tell whose heart was beating faster, who was breathing harder, who was laughing loudest. Everything combined into a cacophony of silliness. Hobie rolled to the ground.

“Aha!” He snatched the Queen from her hiding place.

“You got me.” Walker was prone on the carpet, arms and legs stretched out like a lazy snow angel. The condo was a complete mess. It was wonderful.

Hobie sat on his chest, giggling. “I like you this way.”

“What way?”

“When I watchedSnow White, you always reminded me of Grumpy. But now you’re like Happy. Happy’s my favorite.”

“Me too.” Walker grabbed his son in a hug, then tickled him.

Φ

Hobie ran to Walker’s car after school, first in the pick-up line again. He surprised his son with a surprise trip to the movies. The theater was playing a special showing ofThe LEGO Movie.

“There’s a whole movie about Legos?” Hobie asked, his eyes saucer-wide.

“There is, my child. There is.”

Hobie bounced in his seat all the way there. Walker did too, but the concealed adult version.

Outside the theater, they waited in line with other families. Walker recognized the quiet building next store as the club he went to with Cameron a million years ago. He thought back on dancing like an idiot for all the too-cool twentysomethings to see. He remembered Cameron smiling at him. Being with Cameron ignited a spark within him that he couldn’t recapture. He glanced up, and sure enough, the terrible cupcake billboard was still there. Cameron was so impressed with his doodling skills that night.

Cameron’s gone, he told himself.

Hobie tugged at his hand.

“They’re letting us inside, Dad.”

A huge gap separated them from the kids in front.

“Let’s go then.”

After the movie, Hobie and Walker strolled around downtown. Hobie recounted the entire movie to Walker, which differed greatly from the actual plot.

They found themselves in front of Dollop, and Hobie asked if he could have a cupcake. Walker knew that most of it would wind up on his shirt or the ground. “We’ll split one,” he said.

“But I want my own!”

“You had popcorn and Reese’s Pieces at the movies.” He was going to be at full sugar high by the time Walker dropped him off at Doug’s. A smile cracked his lips.

Dollop was a pastel colored paradise. Magenta chairs and yellow tables and mint green walls. The woman behind the counter had all the pep of a kindergarten teacher. Walker recognized her as the woman from the billboard.

“We’ll take a Cookie Dough cupcake,” Walker said. Hobie gave him the thumbs up. He stared at said cupcake in the display window.

“That’s my favorite!” The woman said.

“I’m sure you say that about what everyone orders.”

She gave a humoring laugh and put the cupcake on a plate for them. She even split it down the middle for them. Inside was a ball of cookie dough.

“So this is your shop?” Walker asked. “I recognized you.”

“It is. Today is our six month anniversary.”

“Congratulations. How’s business going?”