Contents ( 42)
- The Art of Breathing
- Part One: How We Became Who We Are
- Prologue: Or, Where the Kid Hears the Word of the Day
- 1. Where Tyson Learns to Breathe
- 2. Where Tyson Makes a Phone Call
- 3. Where Tyson Graduates and Bear Freaks Out
- 4. Where Tyson Says Good-Bye
- 5. Where Tyson Gets the Mail
- Part Two: Coming Home
- 6. Where Tyson Comes Home
- 7. Where Tyson Gives a History Lesson
- 8. Where Tyson Attends the Most Awkward Party Ever
- 9. Where Tyson Plans Attends a Protest
- 10. Where Tyson Gets Arrested
- 11. Where Tyson Gets His Ass Handed to Him
- 12. Where Tyson Writes Bad Poetry and Gawks at Frat Boys
- 13. Where Tyson Decides to Man the Fuck Up
- 14. Where Tyson Asks Some Questions
- 15. Where Tyson Remembers Theresa Jean Paquinn
- 16. Where Tyson Learns the Benefit of Therapy
- 17. Where Tyson Meets the Man Who Becomes Helena Handbasket
- 18. Where Tyson Gets Screwed at His Own Birthday Party (And Not in a Good Way)
- Part Three: Just Breathe
- 19. Where Tyson Goes to Helena Handbasket’s Sex Dungeon
- 20. Where Tyson Beholds the Awesome Wonder That Is Paul Auster
- 21. Where Tyson Receives Advice from the Six Sages
- 22. Where Tyson Makes a Phone Call
- 23. Where Tyson Hears the Inevitable
- 24. Where Tyson Meets His Match
- 25. Where Tyson Says Hello, Where Tyson Says Good-bye
- 26. Where Tyson Touches upon the Inevitable
- 27. Where Tyson Faces the Music
- 28. Where Tyson Breathes
- 29. Tyson And Dominic
- 30. The Art Of Breathing
- Epilogue: Or, Bear’s Perspective, As It Were (Yeah, He’s Gonna Freak)
- Author’s Note
- Excerpt
- Prologue: Or, Where Bear Answers the Door
- More from TJ Klune
- Readers love the Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles by TJ Klune
- By TJ Klune
“Have they talked any more about adopting?” Anna asks me, a look of fondness on her face as she watches our family.
I shrug. “A little. I don’t know if they’re ready for it yet, though. Moving across the country is taking up a lot of their time, and I don’t think Bear is quite there yet. And you know as well as I do that Otter won’t push.”
“That’s not who he is,” she murmurs, smiling as JJ attempts to climb Otter like a tree. “Bear will get there.”
“He will for Otter,” Creed says, wrapping his arm around Anna’s shoulders. “Even if he can’t do it for himself, he’ll do it for him.”
Creed’s right. He will. Bear will sacrifice anything to make Otter happy, even if it means going against what he wants for himself. But I get the feeling Bear’s focusing more on the little boy now resting across Otter’s shoulders than Otter right now. There’s a strange look on his face, one I can’t quite place. It’s gone before I can figure it out, and he looks back down at the other kids swarming around his legs shouting happily.
I look around the party, waving at Alice and Jerry Thompson (Creed and Otter’s parents), who’re sitting down talking with Custody Trio—Eddie, Erica, and Georgia (the social worker)—all of whom have somehow become a part of us. They wave back, grinning. There are people from the Seafare Police Department, all gathered together, laughing and drinking beer. There are faculty from the school where Bear teaches, friends of Otter’s from the photography studio. Neighbors are mingled throughout, and for a moment, I pretend Mrs. P is there too, standing next to me, telling me that she is pretty sure she wants to have relations with the police chief, but don’t tell her husband Joseph, God love him, because he’s probably eavesdropping on us right this very second, as he’s wont to do. I remind myself to go see her, as it’s been a while since I’ve been to her grave. It was too hard at first, and for a long time, I stayed away. It’s gotten easier and I know she likes it when I bring flowers. I have so much to tell her. Maybe I can tell her about—
“Where’s Dom?” I ask. I haven’t seen him in a while, and he doesn’t seem to be in the backyard.
“Oh,” Creed says. “He went inside a bit ago with Sta—oof!”
I turn to look at him, wondering what the hell that’s all about. Creed’s rubbing his side and Anna’s glaring up at him, pulling her elbow back.
“I think he’ll be out in a bit,” Anna says to me. “Why don’t we go get something to eat? You can help me with JJ. He wants to become a vegetarian just like his Uncle Ty.”
Adults are so fucking weird. I want to find Dom, maybe to give him his present when it’s just the two of us. I’m a little embarrassed by it, to be honest, and I don’t know if he’ll like it, but it was the first thing that I thought of, and it’s the only thing that’s stuck with me.