Kai clapped me on the shoulder.
“Relax, little man. I’m kidding.”
“Of course you are,” I replied.
He grinned.
“That’s why I love you. You can take a joke.”
I smiled back.
I wish I’d learned earlier that some people call it a joke whenever they want to hurt you without accepting responsibility for it.
The Birthday Cake Nobody Ate
My twenty-seventh birthday was the perfect example of how things worked in our family.
I’d driven to my parents’ house carrying a chocolate cake from my favorite bakery. I’d even written my name on the little message card because, apparently, I couldn’t trust anyone else to remember what day it was.
When I walked through the front door, I found balloons, champagne, and a giant banner reading:
CONGRATULATIONS, KAI!
My brother had just been promoted.
Mom hurried past me carrying a tray of appetizers.
“Kevin! You’re here! Wonderful. Can you put that cake in the refrigerator? We’re running out of room.”
