Fate

Damion

I gave Oliver a little snack pack of cookies and a glass of milk. He was sitting on the couch, his favorite show on TV with his tablet in his hand. He was the kind of kid that could play his games and watch TV at the same time, although I doubted either had his full attention. He had always been that way, always looking for input. It explained his love for reading. His brain was starving for knowledge. He did all he could to feed it.

“I’ll be right outside on the porch if you need me,” I told him. “You get one show and then I need you to get your jammies on.”

He nodded, not taking his eyes off the TV. “Okay.”

“No more snacks after that,” I lectured.

His eyes were still glued to the TV. “Okay,” he answered again. I had a feeling he wasn’t listening to me.

“Your horse is in your bed.”

“O—” He looked up and frowned. “What?”

I laughed, my test proving my suspicion. “One show. No more snacks. Jammies after the show.”

That time, I knew he heard me. I walked away, leaving him to his d