19 - The Meeting

Alpha Wally was a huge man. He had muscles for days and could pass for a gladiator if they were into that sort of thing. Somehow, his bald head made his large stature even more severe, and he had a commanding presence that could fool you into thinking he was a barbarian.

But on the inside, he was mush. Tatum often saw him with his fraternal twins, Winner and Winnie, being a complete moron just to make them laugh.

He was an all round fun-loving dad. Everyone could see that his kids meant the world to him.

If he wasn’t going hunting in the woods, he was with his kids, playing games with them and cheering them on when they got into trouble.

Sometimes, Tatum felt jealous of their bond. Not because he had lacked it as a boy but because he wanted to be the same way, if not more, with his own kids.

Yet he had no kids of his own. His mother had told him she believed he would have a girl.

“I wanted a girl,” she had said, laughing at the thought. “But I think God knew I couldn’t keep up with on