I landed right on the bench, then slid down to a seated position. “Come and get’em.”
Tatiana snatched most of the fruit and I offered the few left to Robert.
“Don’t you want any?” he asked, although he’d already taken them all.
“Already ate some. I didn’t climb the tree for nothing.”
Robert laughed and ruffled my hair, then pulled me into a half hug. “Smart boy.”
I knew he was teasing me, but the praise still sounded good. I didn’t know why his approval mattered, I didn’t normally much care for what people said. You had to stop caring after your parents divorced. Otherwise, all the comments about the cheating, the mess at the trial, and the rare visits with your father got to you. The pity in people’s eyes always made me so angry, I wanted to punch them and run away.
“What grade are
