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
“You’re having two babies?” JJ asks. “That better not mess with my two Christmases when you and Dad get divorced.”
“Which seems more and more likely with each passing second,” Anna says. “And no, I’m not having two babies. I’m having one.”
“We weren’t going to ask you,” Otter says helplessly. “Trust me. That conversation would have been… well. I guess it would have been no stranger than what is happening right now.”
“You want to be a dad?” I ask Bear.
He looks down at his hands. Everyone is mercifully quiet while he thinks of the right words. “I think so,” he says finally. “I mean, I did okay with you, right? You didn’t turn out weird.”
“I’m very weird. And so are you.”
He cracks a smile. “You know what I mean. Otter’s wanted a kid forever, even if he hasn’t said it out loud.” He takes Otter’s hand in his and looks up at me. “I didn’t think I’d ever get there, but here I am. Thirty-two years old and going baby-crazy.”
“You did okay with me,” I say. “Your kid won’t be too messed up.”
“Vote of confidence,” Otter says. “Score.”
“Why surrogate?” Alice asks. “Why not adoption?
“Because Bear read an article about Russian children being taken away from families,” Otter explains. “And it absolutely convinced him that we would get a Russian kid.”
“I read articles now,” Bear says. “I’m extremely well-informed.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I say. “You read about one article a year.”
“Hey,” Otter says. “At least he’s trying. I was relieved just to find out he could read.”
“Russia is scary,” Bear announces, as if we all didn’t know.
“So no surrogate yet?” Alice asks.
They shake their heads.
“I’d do it, but I’m too old for it now,” she says sadly.
“Thanks, Mom,” Otter says. “That wasn’t weird at all.”
She beams at him. “My pleasure, dear.”
“I’m drunk,” Bear says to no one in particular. “How did all this wine get in my mouth?”
“Corey did it,” I say.
“I’m not sorry at all,” Corey says. “I’m probably going to do it again in the future. That was even better than I could possibly have hoped for.”
“You guys have to wait until we have our baby,” Creed says. “I want all the free stuff and money and attention when we have a kid. You doing it at the same time would be like having to share your birthday party with Jesus because it’s on Christmas. That’s no fun.” Anna slaps him on the arm. “I mean, because I want you to experience the joy all on your own.”
“When?” Stephanie asks him.
Otter shrugs. “We haven’t gotten that far yet. Bear’s got the teaching contract here with the Seafare School District for the next school year. Tyson is leaving in a few months. I’ll probably go with him to get him settled and then come back after a few weeks. I’m thinking of going back to school, but I don’t know yet. I’ve got a few more shoots lined up that I can spread out over the next few months.”