Simon exchanged a glance with Heather. She gave him an encouraging smile.
“I’m not sure,” he said finally. “I’m terrible with names.”
Finn started to turn his toy this way and that, seeming to think it over. His chubby face scrunched up while he thought. “How about... Archie?”
Heather’s eyebrow went up as she sat down on the sofa across from her son. “Archie? Why Archie?”
Her son shrugged. “I just like it.” He turned his attention to Simon and looked at him expectantly. “What do you think?”
“I think it sounds good.”
Taking her cue, Simon took a seat on the sofa beside Finn. Trying to shake off his anxiety, he said, “We haven’t been formally introduced yet. I’m Simon.” The minute he held his hand out for a handshake he knew how ridiculous he must have looked to the kid.
Heather laughed as Finn took his hand to shake it briefly.
“Nice to meet you.” Finn’s voice was more of a squeak than anything else. “I’m Finnley, but you can call me Finn.”
“Hey, Finn.”
“Are you my mom’s boyfriend?” Finn tilted his head, his mop of brown hair falling over his huge eyes.
Simon nearly choked at the frank question, but he recovered quickly enough to nod. He wasn’t going to bother trying to finesse by using euphemisms. Maybe he didn’t understand kids, but he had been a kid after all, and honesty was probably the best policy with a child. “Yes.”
Heather smiled. “That’s right. Simon and I are... together.”
Finn frowned as he mulled that over. “Do you guys kiss?”
“Uh...” Simon shot Heather a helpless glance.
Her cheeks were turning bright pink and she started fidgeting in her seat. “Well... we... uh.”
Simon cleared his throat, desperate to steer the discussion elsewhere. Honesty was starting to look overrated. “Hey, so, I heard you like animals.”
“Kissing is gross,” Finn said.
“Well, you’re entitled to your opinion,” Heather said.
“Lisa Bernard kissed me at school once and it was gross,” Finn said. “She just grabbed my cheeks and smushed her mouth on mine. And then she threw sand at me.”
“Oh.” Simon shot Heather another helpless glance. The conversation was running away from them. “I... well... I think Lisa Bernard should have asked you before she did that. And it was rude to throw sand at you.”
“She did ask,” Finn grumbled. “I said okay, but she smushed me. I’m never kissing ever again!”
Simon wasn’t about to tell Finn that he could very well change his mind in the future. “So, how about those animals?”
Heather’s hysterical giggle filled the room. The high-pitched sound was soon replaced by a soft snort, and Simon forced back a laugh. He definitely didn’t want Finn to think they were laughing at him.
“We have guinea pigs in my class.” Finn squeezed his dinosaur tightly.
“Cool. So, does that mean you want to be a vet when you grow up?” Simon asked.
Finn nodded his head vigorously. “Yeah. Or a zoo...zoo—” He inhaled loudly as he struggled for the word.
“Zoologist?” Simon finished for him.
“Yes! That’s it.” Finn grinned. “I want to study about all the animals.”
“What’s your favorite animal?” Simon asked, genuinely curious.
“Shark!” Finn started squirming in his seat as excitement took over. “Sharks! I love sharks!”
“Well, you know, I own a company down in California that uses technology to help scientists study sharks,” Simon said.
Finn’s already giant eyes went even wider. “What? Whoa! Can we go to Cali-Cali—”
“California? Maybe one day, but your mom has told you about the trip we’re going on, right?
“Yeah. She said we’re taking a vacation. The three of us,” Finn replied.
“And how do you feel about that?” Simon asked.
Finn shrugged. “She says my dad isn’t coming.”
“You wish your dad was coming, huh?”
“Yeah. But he never wants to go anywhere with me,” Finn said in a small voice.