“You know that people are going to be wondering what happened when they see you when we go out, right? You could tell people that you got attacked by ninjas,” I helpfully suggested.

“Or a giant turtle got you,” laughed Callum.

“Yeah. But old ladies don’t like it when you tell stories,” replied Oliver.

Hmm, I thought. You might be right.

And so many people did ask as we walked around Costco so I could get coffee beans, and him and Charlie could collect free samples. And he politely told them that he had an accident sledding just that afternoon.

I like stories, though. So I’ve made up my own about what happened, since I wasn’t there. In my mind it’s a small brush up against a fence so I don’t have to freak out about seeing him crash like that, like I would have if I had been there. To see him break his nose and smash his face in and injure his back and neck and need to go to the hospital. I saw a lot of the blood, helped to clean it up. I’m very cool in a crisis but I can imagine that it would have been so much worse and I don’t want to follow that imaginary story line.

He’s okay but it’s not very nice when they’re sick or broken.

Today he has to deal with all the questions at school. I wonder what story he’ll tell.

Related posts:

1. Tell me a story
4. Uncle Buck
5. Storied out