We dive into part three over breakfast, determined to make a day of it.
We do not finish every movie.
•••
When Dr.Campbell drops me off at home on their way to the skate park that next morning, we’ve only made it toPart 7: Jason Takes Manhattan.
“Due to your valiant effort, I’m going to award you two the square, even though you didn’t watch all the movies.”
“Thanks, Dr.Campbell.”
“I’m not gonna do the presentation on this square until we finish the last movie,” Heaven adds from the front seat.
“Deal. Well, I guess I’ll see you later?” I ask her. I wanna kiss her so bad, or at least hug her. With her dad in the car with us, that’ll have to wait.
“Yeah, I’ll text you when we get back from the park.”
“ ’Kay.” I thank Dr.Campbell one more time for letting me stay over before I hop out of the car and start the very pathetic countdown until I get to see Heaven again.
“Is that my daughter? Has she returned to us?” Mom calls out as I step inside, kick off my shoes, and walk to the kitchen. The house is mostly back to normal, but there’s still a balloon arch up between the kitchen and the living room.
“ ’Tis I. I’ve returned.” Mom pulls me close and kisses me on my unblemished cheek just as the twins come barreling into the kitchen.
“Were you at Heaven’s this whole time?” Scarlett asks.
“Yeah.”
“I like her,” she says, smiling.
“I do too,” I reply. A second later, Stella, the twin we clearly should have sold at a low, low price in the hospital parking lot, grabs the hand attached to my still very broken arm. I cry out more in shock than in pain.
“Jesus!”
“Geez. I was just looking.”
“With your eyes, you little mutant. The cast isn’t a prop.” Luckily, there’s just a dull ache and no mind-numbing pain.
“I was just gonna say, she should have done the ghost ones for us. I saw them on her Instagram. Those were cool. The kittens were a little babyish.”
“On whose account?” I ask.
“I was on Mom’s phone. Relax.” We might be plugged in over here, but Mom is still keeping Stella and Scarlett off their own accounts until they turn thirteen. I’d make them wait until they turn twenty-five, but I’m not the parent here.
“I like my sunbathing kitten,” Scarlett says. I look at her forearm and try not to smile too wide. My cutie did a good job.
“It looks great. Are we going anywhere today? I need to bathe,” I tell Mom.
“Okay, head on up and I’ll be right behind you with the cast protector bag of the day. We’re gonna go to Shake Shack as soon as Daddy gets back. Oh!”
“What?”
“I put up the video from the party. Did you see?”
“No, there was serious bingo business happening.”
“It’s pretty good, if I say so myself.”
“Great, Mom.” I chuckle. “Can’t wait to watch it.”