“Yeah, well, we’re excited,” Phoebe says. “I think you’ll really enjoy it.”

I’m not ready to give up yet. “So there’s nothing—not a single little hint or tidbit—you can give us?”

“Well.” Nick shrugs, finally cracking under the pressure. “There are six skits—one for each of the grouped grades: preschool, kindergarten, first through third, third through sixth, and the middle school.”

I’m chewing and counting in my head. “So that’s five.”

I feel a kick under the table and assume it’s Gary, signaling me to shut up already, but he’s totally preoccupied with his food. That’s when I notice Phoebe glaring at Nick.

“Did I say something wrong?” I say as innocently as possible.

“No! No! No!”

I’ve stopped chewing and I am now watching Nick’s and Phoebe’s facial expressions like a tennis match. I put my napkin down. “Okay, guys. Come clean. What are you hiding?”

“Okay, we’re busted,” Phoebe says, with a huge eye-roll and a big laugh. “It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“The sixth skit is going to be a solo, a special ‘Spotlight after the Spotlight.’ Just Phoebe and me, no kids.”

“Oh! Cool!” I’m relieved but still not convinced anything they’re saying is true.

“We just wanted to do something special. You know, since this is our first Inhabitancy. We want to make it as special and as entertaining as possible for everyone. Including you. Especially you! We’re so grateful that you opened up your home to us and that you shared so much about yourself—about why you wear the dog, all the feelings and life experience behind it. You didn’t have to be so honest. Especially during such a difficult time.” Nick’s voice cracks. He tears up.

“Especially during such a difficult time,” Phoebe echoes.

She takes Nick’s hand and holds it tight until he collects himself. He smiles at her, puts his forehead against hers and closes his eyes, then picks his spoon back up and inhales the rest of what’s in his chili bowl.

“We were happy to have you,” Gary says. “And we barely even saw you!”

I’m still trying to figure out what they mean by “especially during such a difficult time”—whether they know about the tuition credit we’re getting, or if they were indeed at the reservoir the day I accidentally stumbled upon Gary and his girlfriend, in which case they know far more than they’re saying—when Nick leans forward with his glass raised:

“At first we felt like we made new friends, but now we feel like we have a new extended family,” Nick says. “Another set of parents, but younger than our real ones, and a cool half sibling. We love this guy,” he says, patting Teddy on the back.

Teddy looks up and smiles with teeth. “Really?”

“Of course. You’re the coolest kid in the school.”

“No I’m not.” He blushes, but his eyes say tell me more.

“Are you kidding? When you played the guitar the other day during music, didn’t you see how all the kids were in awe?” Nick turns to Gary and then to me. “They were in awe.” Then he turns back to Teddy. “I wish I could play like that.”