“That’s the asteroid belt!” Joy points out to Charlie. “There’s a super cool weapons shop that has all the weapons you’d ever want.”
“Ah,” Charlie nods, but with hesitation. It doesn’t look to me like he wanted weapons in the first place.
“He’s a cool kid,” I lean against the railing next to Justin. Suzy’s on his right, I’m on his left. I think it’s time to make Justin think about something else.
Justin straightens and looks at him. “He does look nice. They’re great friends.”
“I saved that world,” Joy points out to Charlie, oblivious to the grownups. “And that world. And that world. And that world.”
“Whoooah!” Charlie says wide-eyed.
“It’s like they’ve been friends forever,” Suzy says.
Justin nods. “It’s strange. They only met yesterday. And she never had another, um, human, uh, friend, uh, child.”
“We should fix that,” Suzy says. “It’s not healthy.”
Justin makes a face. “There could be other kids’ dreams around. But… they have nightmares. One of Charlie’s nightmares almost killed Joy yesterday. Maybe just the one friend. With a careful watch.”
“How’d they meet?” Suzy says.
“I don’t know.”
“Where is he from?” Suzy asks.
“I don’t know.”
“What was the nightmare about?”
“His father’s ghost, but… I’m not sure beyond that.”
“What does he like?”
“Mom. Enough! I don’t know!”
Justin turns his back to her, his hands folded.
“Saved everyone on that planet! And that planet! And that planet! And that planet!”
Justin turns around to look at Suzy.
“I guess I should find out, huh?”
Suzy nods.
And I think, whatever did he do before we came to help him?
“And that planet! And that planet! And that planet! That planet was destroyed, but that happens.”
—Told by Grampa Walt