Riley helps Devyn finish dinner while Nathan and I build Hot Wheel garages out of Legos.
“So, what’s new with you, little dude?”
He grabs his junk. “My pee pee pops out all the time.”
I fight back a laugh. “Maybe if you stopped touching it all the time, it wouldn’t pop out so much.”
He thinks about that for a few seconds. “But I like touching it all the time!”
I lose the battle with my laughter. “It is pretty fun, isn’t it? Just wait until you discover girls. It gets even better.”
He scrunches his face. “Girls are gross. My friend, Aliyah, at preschool tries to kiss me all the time. I told her to get her stinky face away from me.”
I lean down. “I’m going to give you some advice, buddy. You’re about to start kindergarten so I think we should discuss this man to man. Okay?”
Nate’s eyes widen. “Uh huh.”
“Girls are the most awesome thing in the whole world. You should always be super nice to them and tell them they’re pretty. You should never call them names.”
“Even mommies?”
I smile. “Even mommies. And you know what else?”
“What?”
“I love it when girls want to kiss me.”
“You do?” he asks incredulously.
I nod. “It’s one of my most favorite things.”
“Can it be one of my most favorite things, too?”
I ruffle his hair. “Maybe when you get a little bit older. But for now, you should practice being nice to them and telling them they’re pretty. Do you think you can do that?”
Nathan fist pumps the air. “I can do it!”
“Dinner’s ready,” Devyn announces.
I look over to my sister. “You wanna practice right now with your mom?”
He jumps up and runs across the room. As he wraps his arms around Devyn’s legs, he says, “Mommy, you’re pretty.”
She hugs him closer. “Oh, thank you, sweetie.”
Nate turns to me. “Did I do it right, Unca’ Drew?”
I give him a thumbs up. “Perfect, dude. You’re a natural.”
“Do I want to know?” Devyn asks as I join them at the table.
“Nah,” I say. “Let’s just say I did the future women of the world a favor.”
She just shakes her head, knowing by now she shouldn’t bother reading into that. “Just sit down and eat.”
I smile. “Gladly.”
.