How He Thinks

Puck was eager for a Friday pick-up from school. “Let’s go to GRANDMA’S!!”

Once the disappointment of not being able to “go to Grandma’s” wore off – since pretty much everyone was gone anyway – Puck remembered that Oxbear was working from home. Dad time. Then a new thought occurred to him.

“Mom! Dad was going to take me to the pretzel shop last night, but it was closed! Can we go to the pretzel shop? PLEASE!”

A phone call to Oxbear confirmed what, exactly, Puck was talking about. So, on the way home, we hit Pretzel Stop in St. Peters for three fresh soft pretzels with a side of cheddar cheese dip for Puck.

As we entered the establishment, Puck analyzed the situation, since we had never been there before. “Flowers in the windows. That’s a good sign.”

After our order was bagged up by the younger granny-aged owner about ten minutes later, baked to order, Puck made a final observation as we walked to the car. “Okay, now I trust that place. She was a very nice woman, also.”

Puck had more thoughts on the way home for me.

“Sun can’t marry David Freese, Mom.”

“Why not?”

“She would make him feel creepy.”

“Why’s that?”

“She’s not his type.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because they don’t look alike.”

“Well … do Dad and I look alike?”

“Yes.”

Then he told me that you’re not “old” until you get a unibrow. Second grade wisdom.

Back home “Dad time” quickly became Eddie time. It was just starting to rain, a spitting drizzle that eventually became heavier as Eddie ran down the street, following our car to the driveway. Puck rolled down his window.

“Dude! You don’t have to run! I’ll be right there!”

For two hours, two solid hours, they hung out together on the front porch, just playing imagination while the rain fell. Eventually they came inside for a glass of water, apiece.

“For me, the taste of water has not been tasted in a long time,” Eddie said solemnly.

“I know,” Puck replied. “We’ve been outside for awhile.”

“Well, by a long time, I mean weeks.”

Movie night was less than illustrious. Joe was already potentially backing out because of weather patterns in the west.

“So…” Oxbear read the group text, “is Joe really not coming tonight because he’s going to chase tornadoes in Kansas?”