Joel worried the rest of the day and at dinner. He didn’t know what he ate, but he helped clean.
Dio, Lisa, and Joel walked into the living room while Ken stared at the TV. Joel sat next to him and held him. Joel looked to Dio, who came close and held Ken’s hand, kneeling in front of Ken.
Dio said, “Ken, we are all worried about you, for you. It’s like you’ve tripped a circuit breaker in your brain. We’ve all asked you what’s going on, and you’re not answering.”
Ken swallowed and made eye contact with Dio. “What are you saying? Do you want me to move out?”
“No, no, no, far from that. We still love you, and that’s why we’re going to do this.” He jumped, fast for Dio’s war injuries, and sat next to Ken on the couch. He yanked Ken over his lap and started spanking at a medium pace.
Ken l
