Chapter 4
Speed, Sabotage, and Sock Trouble

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With Violet and Zoe gone, the house felt unusually quiet. The distant hum of the fridge and the occasional creak of the old farmhouse settled into silence. Henry glanced over to see Oliver curled up on the couch, deeply focused on his book. His small fingers held the edges just right, careful not to crease the pages. Henry grinned. Challenge accepted.

He plopped onto the couch beside Oliver with an exaggerated sigh, making sure to jostle the cushions just enough to make an impact. 

“Wanna play video games?” he asked, stretching his arms over his head like this was just another casual suggestion.

“No thanks,” Oliver muttered, flipping a page without missing a beat.

Henry raised an eyebrow. The kid didn’t even flinch. 

“How about building something cool in the garage?”

Oliver still didn’t look up. “I’m good.”

Henry tapped his chin, pretending to think, even stroking his beard for dramatic effect. “Alright… what if I told you I could eat an entire jar of peanut butter faster than you could?”

That got him a reaction, barely. Oliver finally glanced up, giving his father a blank stare. “That’s not impressive. Mom could actually do that.”

Henry laughed, nodding. “Fair point.”

For a moment, he considered giving up. Oliver was locked in that book like it held the secrets of the universe. But then an idea struck him as a surefire way to break through. He leaned in just enough to make Oliver suspicious.

“I bet I can beat you in a race.”

Oliver paused, his fingers frozen on the edge of the page. Suspicion flickered in his hazel eyes. “What kind of race?”

“The kind where I win,” Henry said with a smug grin.

Oliver narrowed his eyes, finally closing his book. “We’ll see about that.”

Out in the Yard…

The summer air was thick with the smell of grass and sun-warmed earth. Henry and Oliver each grabbed a stick to mark the starting line, jabbing them into the dirt.

“Okay,” Henry said, stretching his legs like he was about to run a marathon. “First one to touch the big tree wins.”

Oliver eyed the towering oak at the far end of the yard. “That’s a long way.”

“That’s why I’ll give you a head start,” Henry replied. “A BIG one. Huge. You’ll need it.”

Oliver smirked, standing at the ready.

Henry held up his hand. “On your mark… get set… GO!”

Oliver bolted, his small legs pumping as fast as they could, arms swinging wildly. Henry stayed put, dramatically yawning and checking his nonexistent watch. “Oh no,” he teased loudly. “He’s so fast! However, will I catch up?”

Oliver was already halfway to the tree when Henry finally launched forward in an exaggerated sprint. “Here I come!” he shouted, pumping his arms like a cartoon character.

Then it happened. Five steps in, Henry’s shoe exploded off his foot like a rocket, flipping wildly through the air.

“AHHHH!” Henry stumbled, trying to balance on one foot while his sock flopped helplessly in the grass.

Oliver was already at the tree, laughing so hard he had to lean against the trunk for support. Henry’s shoe landed directly in a bush, rustling the leaves. Somewhere inside, a squirrel let out a furious chitter, clearly offended by the unexpected missile.

Oliver doubled over, gasping for breath between fits of laughter. Henry, still limping, threw up his hands.

“My shoe betrayed me!” he exclaimed. Henry wiped a tear of joy and laughter from his eye. “You cheated!”

“Nope!” Oliver grinned. “You just need better shoes.”

Henry finally reached him, flopping down under the shade tree with an exaggerated groan. Oliver sat beside him, still giggling as the summer breeze rustled the leaves overhead.

After a moment of quiet, Henry broke the silence.

“So… you nervous about school?”

Oliver hesitated, then shrugged. “A little.”

Henry leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the shifting clouds. “Well, if you forget your name tomorrow, just tell your teacher your middle name is Captain Cool Guy. No one will question you.”

Oliver snorted. “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

Henry grinned. “That’s why it’s perfect.”

Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. The nerves in his stomach weren’t completely gone, but somehow, they felt smaller.

Oliver was still chuckling as he leaned back against the big tree, tracing patterns in the dirt with his finger.

 

Henry stretched out beside him, folding his arms behind his head, letting out a contented sigh.

“Alright,” Henry muttered, staring up at the sky. “Maybe I let you win.”

Oliver smirked. “Mmm-hmm. Sure.”

“I did. It was all part of my plan,” Henry insisted. “You see, by letting you win, I…”

“Lost?” Oliver cut in.

Henry squinted at him. “That’s not how I was going to phrase it.”

Oliver just grinned, then tilted his head up toward the sky. The clouds drifted lazily overhead, some fluffy, others stretched thin like cotton candy. A soft breeze rustled the leaves, casting flickering shadows on the ground.

They sat there for a while, not saying much just watching the sky, listening to the leaves, and letting the summer air wrap around them.

Henry let out a long sigh. “Well. I guess at some point, I should go get my shoe.”

Oliver glanced toward the bush where it had landed. “Yeah… but the squirrel’s probably guarding it now.”

Henry groaned. “Great. First, I lose a race, now I have to negotiate with a rodent.”

Oliver laughed, and Henry ruffled his hair before stretching out again.

For now, they stay put. The shoe could wait.
 

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