Desiree has a loose tooth, so we had a little bit of drama this morning. Sophia was excited about it and told Desi about the tooth fairy. She suggested wiggling the tooth to get it out while I suggested just letting it fall out naturally. Quite honestly, I think we just confused the girl and low-key scared her. In the end, she decided to let it be. The older she gets, the more I learn about Sophia’s childhood, and I’m beginning to understand she was raised believing in all the fantastical childhood beings like the tooth fairy and the flower bunny. The only reason I even believe in Father Winter is because I’ve met him. My parents didn’t do that stuff, and Less and I were always pretty logical, anyway. Raising Desi with Sophia will be very interesting, I see.
I love living next door to my family. We don’t hang out as much as I thought we would, but it’s cool to run into them or see them outside my window. This morning, I went to get the mail and saw Breanna playing hopscotch. She ran over and gave me a big hug. Within seconds, my shadow Desiree came outside just as yet another voice came from behind me.
“Hey there, young fella.”
It was Justin.
“Who are all these pretty little girls?” he asked.
“This one is my niece, and this one is my daughter. This is my friend, Mr. Walker.”
“Mr. Walker,” he said with disdain. “Come on, now. I might be your elder, but it’s not like that.”
He turns his attention back to the girls.
“You young ladies can call me Justin.”
“Mister Justin,” I add.
“Fine,” he said.
“Come on inside.”
“Nice to meet you, girls.”
Justin is our first non-family guest, so I thought he could officially inaugurate the living room with me, but he headed for the kitchen when he noticed Sophia.
“Morning,” he said to her. “Love the new house. I don’t know how you managed to make it even cozier than the last one.”
“Awww, thanks, Justin. Hey, we just had breakfast. You want some oatmeal?”
“I never turn down food.”
He scarfed down that bowl like it was his first meal in a week. That man really knows how to enjoy a meal, heh. I thought to ask if he wanted seconds, but he’d probably eat us out of house and home. He rubbed his full belly for a bit, and I wondered how often he gets home-cooked meals. I don’t really know if he has skills in the kitchen. Finally, after thoroughly enjoying the free meal, he shared the reason for his visit. His sister—his last living relative—had died. I know he’d been anticipating it for a while, but living through it is a different experience that I know all too well. Not better than him, though. I couldn’t imagine being the last Murillo on earth. Like, how do you even process that?
I expressed my condolences and told him I’m here for whatever he needed. I hated the circumstance, but it was kind of nice to repay his kindness in a twisted way. All in all, he said he was okay. Some days hit harder than others, and today he felt especially alone. I told him he had an open invitation at our house.
He said he needed to get going, so we went back outside. Lex had joined the girls, and Justin joked about the kids multiplying. He laughed heartily when I told him there was one more.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said. “I forgot your sister had triplets. What’s your name, son?”
“I’m Lex!”
“Hello there, Lex. I’m Justin.”
I cleared my throat.
“Mister Justin,” he added. “Your uncle is a good friend of mine. Y’all be nice to him, you hear?”
“Yes, Mr. Justin,” the kids said together.
“That’s what I like to hear. Next time I come, I’ll bring you something sweet.”
The kids cheered.
“You have a beautiful family, young buck,” he said.
“Thank you. They really are a blessing.”
“Ain’t that the truth. Sometimes, I wish I would have settled down, but I know it wouldn’t suit me. Anyway, thanks for tolerating me today. I really needed the company.”
“Man, please. Get outta here with that. You’re one of my good friends, too. I told you…you’re welcome anytime.”
“I appreciate that.”
