“You’ll think of something, I’m sure. Did I mention half the town is under the age of 10?” Nate said.

“You really fight dirty, you know that?”

“Call it revenge for my ribs, which are still sore by the way.” Nate said, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.

We planned for another two hours and then called it a night. I went to the classroom I shared with Sarah and sat down next to my son, who was just getting finished with his bath.

Sarah rubbed Jake’s head dry and put him in his jammies. “How’s Nate?” she asked, slipping Jake’s arm through his sleeve.

“Doing his dead level best to make me age.” I told her about the town and what we needed to do.

“What about Jake and me?” she asked, passing him over to me so I could help him practice his walking.

I held Jake’s hands and walked backwards while Jake waddled along, babbling the entire time. We moved around the room, edging away from the desks, which Jake liked to latch on to when he wanted to cheat. “You’ll be coming with. I wouldn’t expect you to just stay at home with my son, fraught with worry and crying yourself to sleep each night, wondering if I will ever come home.”

I had my back turned to Sarah and I tensed. Sure enough, I got punched in the back. I let Jake grab the desks and turned around, blocking the second punch Sarah aimed at me and wrapped an arm around her waist. I hoisted her up and trapped her arms with my other arm. She glared at me and tried to bite my nose.

“Easy, I was just kidding.” I lightly kissed her forehead. She struggled for a second, then stopped, softening against me. I sat down with her in my lap, and she put her arms around my neck. “I need you and Jake there.” I said, rubbing her back.

Sarah smiled slightly. “Really? Why?”

“If I leave you two behind,” I explained, “then I might not be as careful as I normally would. If you’re there, then I do everything I can to stay alive and protect the two of you. I know you can take care of yourself and there isn’t anyone I would rather have watch my back.”