Seven Year Switch (2010) Read Online Free PDF Page A

dove for it and clicked off the TV, a hammering shitshitshitshitshitshit playing in my head.
    I picked up my shoes and yanked the other bathroom door open. I literally slid on my socks out into the hallway, like a bad imitation of Tom Cruise in Risky Business . Fortunately I was wearing pants.
    â€œDaddy, Daddy, Daddy,” Cynthia’s kids were yelling.
    â€œWhat are you doing home?” Lexi, or maybe it was Treasure, said.
    â€œIs it the weekend, Daddy?” Parker said.
    I followed the sound of their voices, down the hallway, through the kitchen, to another hallway. I wondered if houses like this came with built-in GPS stations in case you lost your family.
    Finally, I poked my head into an exercise room. Anastasia and the two other girls were jumping up and down on a row of three minitrampolines. Cynthia’s husband was down on his hands and knees, and Parker was riding on his back.
    â€œFaster, Daddy,” Parker yelled. “Giddy- yap .”
    Cynthia’s husband, Decker, looked up and smiled. He looked like the Pictionary definition of cute, rich husband: whitebutton-down shirt with tie removed, top button open, sleeves rolled up. Premature five-o’clock shadow, gelled hair, blue eyes, brilliant white smile.
    â€œWeren’t you a blonde when I left this morning?” he said.
    â€œHa,” I said. “Uh, um, Cynthia should be back any second.”
    â€œI’ve heard that one before,” he said.
    Treasure jumped off her trampoline and grabbed Parker by the back of the shirt. “Daddy, it’s my turn.”
    Lexi jumped off hers and grabbed Treasure by the arm. “It’s my turn, Daddy.”
    Anastasia was still jumping up and down. Her face was flushed and her ears were red, the way they sometimes got when she was too excited.
    â€œDaddy,” she yelled midjump. “It’s my turn, Daddy.”
    The room went horribly, painfully quiet. Anastasia stopped jumping. Everybody stopped everything.
    I knew I should say something, but I couldn’t think of what.
    Finally, Cynthia’s husband reared up on his hind legs and neighed. He bucked Parker off his back. Lexi and Treasure lunged for him, but he shook them off and cantered over to Anastasia.
    â€œHop on, kiddo,” he said.
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    I WAITED TILL Anastasia and I were sitting down to dinner to bring it up. I took a bite of the boxed macaroni and cheese I’d upgraded with fresh steamed broccoli. Anastasia loved broccoli. When she was a toddler, she used to call it little trees . She’d point to it from her high chair and say, “Mo little trees, please?”
    She was a two-fisted broccoli eater back then. She’d hold a stalk in each chubby fist, and alternate bites from first one, then the other. Seth and I would smile at each other, enthralled by her sophisticated palate. Enthralled by her.
    To night she picked at the food on her plate with a fork. Maybe it was just an overdose of Go-Gurt and Perrier.
    I took a deep breath. “So,” I said. “It must be hard sometimes to see the other kids with their dads.”
    She shrugged.
    â€œIt’s okay to feel that way,” I said.
    â€œDuh,” she said.
    I let it go. I took a sip of my milk.
    â€œSometimes,” I said, “what you know in your head and what you feel in your heart can be two different things.”
    Anastasia speared a piece of broccoli. “ Sometimes ,” she said to her plate, “kids have two mommies. Sometimes they have two daddies. Sometimes they don’t have any parents at all. Sometimes they don’t even have arms or legs.”
    My phone rang. Anastasia looked up.
    I pushed the button. “Great Girlfriend Getaways,” I said into the mouthpiece.
    â€œAre you going to keep doing that for the rest of my life?” Anastasia said. She picked up her plate and headed for the living room.
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    I REPLAYED IT over and over again after Anastasia went to bed. Had I only