their daughter loves to read.
she quotes lizzy bennet from a very young age. she writes weirdly poignant poems about things like trees, and the mushrooms they found on davidâs walk that they wouldnât let davidâor clem for that matterâeat.
âno idea where she gets that from,â alex likes to say.
(one day she asks what a torts is and is that the same as the torte cake daddy likes to make and why not. alex canât really blame henry for all of clemâs odd reading choices after that.)
the kid likes books. alphabet books. love story books. law books (apparently). cookbooks. animal books.
even books for math class.
âif 1 fish and 1 fish make 2 fish,â she says, âthen what do daddy and papa make?â
âan apple?â alex guesses.
âno!â frowns clem. âa clementine. duh!â
henry is laughing. clem says, âbut why not TWO clems?â
henry takes alexâs hand. they both try hard not to smile.
for history class clem asks if someone from the secret service can come for show and tell. grandma ellen is out of town.
âsure,â grumbles alex. âwhy would you ask your old papa, heâs only governor of your home state.â
amy, whoâs in the private sector now, does him a solid and goes instead.
for science class clem asks if he and daddy can both go. as trees.
sheâs wearing a headband with a stuffed goomba attached by a small metal spring. itâs actually davidâs so it doesnât really fit.
she stands in front of her little classroom holding hands with tree alex and tree henry.
âiâm a mycelium,â clem says. sheâs just lost a tooth and has a bit of a lisp. itâs adorable. âthese are my dads. they are trees.
âiâm a mycelium because theyâre big and i am small and they take care of me so that i can grow. but sometimes i can take care of them too.
âif one of them ever gets brown leaves or needs water i can get my other dad to come help. but 10 out of all the 10 timesââ
(sheâs learning her fractions; alex is so proud.)
ââtheyâre so happy together and love me so much. and because iâm a mycelium iâm part of how they love each other too.â
henry dabs at his eyes while clemâs classmates and her teacher applaud.
âsweetheart.â alex dries henryâs cheeks with a green felt leaf from his hair. âher speeches always make you tear up, huh.â
âyes, well.â henry gives him a watery smile. âthat part she gets all from you, my love.â
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