“Not at all,” Erin says truthfully. She’s finding talk about the fish much more interesting than Nick’s lecture on guns. “Why don’t you like video games?”
“Too violent,” Tyler says. “They’re all about shooting people or chopping off their heads.”
“You don’t want to chop off anyone’s head?”
“I’d rather play with Neptune. Do you want to try feeding him?”
“Would he let me?”
Tyler smiles. “Just don’t make any sudden moves.” He places a pellet on her fingertip and directs her finger inside the bowl. “Wait for it,” he says, as the fish swims up and grabs hold of the pellet with his mouth, then dives to the bottom of the bowl. “You did it!”
Erin feels a surge of unexpected pride.
“He likes you.”
“Well, I likehim.” She glances at the other bowl. “I feel kind of sorry for Blue, though.”
“Yeah, I know. Me, too. But Mom feeds him every day, and I play with him a bit when Ben isn’t around.”
“You’re a good kid,” Erin tells him.
Tyler looks skeptical. “Dad doesn’t think so.”
“Sure, he does.”
“No. He says I need to toughen up, and calls me Goldilocks. That’s a girl’s name.”
“I think he’s just referring to your hair,” Erin offers. “It’s a…what do they call it? A ‘term of endearment.’ ”
“I don’t know.” Tyler pauses, choosing his words carefully. “Sometimes he says things thatsoundgood, but they don’tfeelgood.”
“Wow,” Erin says. “That’s pretty deep for a ten-year-old kid.” She smiles, fighting the urge to tousle his hair the same way his father had earlier. “I think you might be almost as smart as your fish.”