I Just Want to Make the Right Decision

“Puck, who was the second President of the United States?”

Two quizzical hazel eyes looked carefully at me. “Joooohhhhn… Bunyan?”

Saturday afternoon we took Puck on a date, just Oxbear and myself, like the old days before our little Colombian arrived in the STL.

Slushies, sodas at QT.

Lego Store in Des Peres.

“Can I get this one, Dad?”

“You can get two.”

Puck’s eyes bugged. Never before had he been offered such wealth in Legos. Back and forth, back and forth, resting a finger on his chin in contemplation every once in awhile. We must have been there about an hour.

“I just… want to make sure I’m making the right choice,” Puck told us, thinking carefully. “I just want to make the right decision.”

We left the store with a bag of Legos so big, Yali could have taken a ride in it. But not before Puck found something to bring home for his baby brother.

“Can we get this for him, Dad?” he held up a Lego Batman keychain. “Yali would love it.”

“So, Puck… who was the second President of the United States?”

“Joooohhhhn… Appleseed?”

Puck’s big day ended with “Storks” at the movies with Oxbear. And Domino’s waiting for them on the table when they returned.

“This has been a good day,” Puck said with satisfaction, and joined Oxbear in the basement for a little Xbox before bed.

“Puck, who was the fourth President of the United States?”

Blank stare.

I tried to help him out. “James…”

“…town?”

From the kid who used to think “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was our national anthem.