Then said something so quietly I almost missed it.
“He always says he’s going for us.”
“Because he’ll feel bad.”
Toby continued picking at a loose thread on his sock.
“For soccer. And the house. And vacations.”
I didn’t interrupt.
“So if I make him feel bad about going…” He frowned, searching for the words. “…that’s mean.”
The phone kept buzzing between us.
“So if I make him feel bad about going… that’s mean.”
And suddenly I understood that Travel Dad wasn’t the strangest thing my son had been hiding.
It was the reason he’d believed he needed one.
***
I answered the call.
Julian’s face filled the screen.
“Hey, you two. Miss me?”
Toby glanced at me.
Travel Dad wasn’t the strangest thing my son had been hiding.
I turned the camera toward him but said nothing.
Julian smiled.
“What’s up, buddy?”
Toby looked toward the stairs.
Toward the living room.
