Charlie tilts his head to the side. "Huh. I should have known that, yeah? The old noggin is losing things right and left.

"So," he tells Seth seriously, "in seven years, you'll have to figure out what to do with all these minions you've gathered."

Seth blinks at him sleepily. Whatever you say, Da. He yawns.

"Oh," Charlie says, lowering his voice even more, "if he's going to sleep we can take the baby monitor and go for a walk. Or . . . whatever."