Chapter 26 - QUINCY’S SON
Quincy became a father at thirty-five.
His son, Milo, loved stuffed animals.
Of course.
At four Milo had a stuffed shark named Teeth.
One afternoon he accidentally left Teeth outside in the rain.
Quincy found it soaked.
Milo cried.
“Is he ruined?”
“No.”
“Are you mad?”
“A little.”
“Will you throw him away?”
Quincy froze.
Only for a second.
Then:
“No.”
They washed Teeth.
Dried him.
One fin stayed lumpy.
Milo loved him more.
Later Quincy called me.
“I heard her.”
“Dorcas?”
“In my head.”
“What did she say?”
“Loss teaches obedience.”
My chest tightened.
“What did you do?”
“Put the shark in the dryer on low.”
I laughed.
“Parenting genius.”
“Thank you.”
Then he became serious.
“I didn’t know how easy it is to hear what raised you.”
“Yes.”
“And how weird it feels to choose something else.”
“Yes.”
That was generational change.
May you like
Not becoming incapable of harmful impulses.
Recognizing them before they become actions.
