It was the longest moment in my life, watching Felix and Frank in the staring contest they’d been locked into for what felt like a minute but was probably less.
I stood behind the boys, my hands on their heads as I tried to radiate calm and assure them everything was okay. Finally, albeit with reluctance, it seemed, Felix stepped back and sat in his usual chair at the table, his shifted parts human once more. He greeted the boys as he usually would, and raised an eyebrow at me, which clued me in to get food on the table.
I did so in silence, since no one, not even my chatty kitties, appeared willing to be the first to speak. Everyone dove in and, after second helpings for Frank and Felix, I told the boys to put their plates in the sink, then sent them off to start the course work I’d set
