The answer came a few days later at the cinema.
To be accurate, Alan himself wasn’t watching a film. Brooks had asked out a young girl from his grade, and Alan dropped them off at the mall to catch some superhero film the girl probably wouldn’t enjoy. All the way to her house, Alan coached his nephew on being a proper gentleman while on a date, and he was pleased when Brooks seemed to heed his advice. He jumped out of the car to open the door for her, both at her house and at the mall, and before taking her hand, he asked if he could. But a sign at the cinema explained that patrons under the age of eighteen were prohibited from purchasing tickets to late shows due to the city’s curfew. “First I’ve heard of it,” Alan grumbled, digging out his wallet to pay for the kids.
He didn’t bother w
