“Nice grip, Pops,” he said.
They behaved themselves reasonably well after that but nothing had changed since they were small. The interaction remained depressingly the same. A sign of affection, I supposed. Although remarkably different in looks and temperament, they were about as close as you can get. They had a special relationship I didn't understand entirely.
We walked back to the car. The boys took turns swinging on lamp posts. I bought them an ice cream from a gelato place and we sat outside as they ate. I told myself I was watching my weight and refrained. Nathan leaned into me and put his arm on my shoulder. This made me nervous. He was a messy eater and I figured I'd be wearing the rich fudge chocolate down my shirt. Gently, I eased him off.
“Until you finish your ice cream,” I
