"Use your napkin, Richard. It's the polite thing to do." Richard had instinctively flinched when she applied her napkin to his mouth. Now he was just blushing at her admonition. "Yes, ma'am," he said, as he finished the job by himself. "Oh, you're so sweet, dear," Aunt Toni smiled. "The Thornberrys are so lucky to have found you."

"lucky?"

"Oh, yes. It hasn't been easy for them. There have been many false starts and a lot of failures for them. Not like us with Colton."

"Colton?"

"Colton fell into our laps, almost literally." Aunt Toni laughed. He could tell that she was fond of her son, but he didn't know why. He considered Colton to be obnoxious, immature, and frequently hostile. There was so much to unpack in what his aunt said, he didn't know where to start. But, since they were talking about Colton at the moment, he figured that might be a good place to begin.

"So, what is Colton's problem, anyway?" he asked as he chowed down on his nachos. 

Aunt Toni cocked her head. "Problem, Richard?"

He wasn't expecting that. Colton's flaws were glaringly obvious, but it seemed that his parents were oblivious to them. Now he was stuck trying to justify what he said without insulting his aunt. She was looking at him as if he had just materialized out of nowhere. Richard took a sip of his root beer. "Um, yes, you know, the way he acts."

"Well, he's just very insecure at the moment, dear. And confused."

"Confused?"

"Yes, dear. He's had a lot of "cousins" in the time we've known the Thornberrys but none with the potential he sees in you. Up until now, he has had his Aunt Ginger and Uncle Morton all to himself. You're direct competition to him and he's jealous of that. But, at the same time, it's pretty clear that he loves you. So, he's excited as well."

Now it was Richard's turn to be confused. He scrunched up his nose. "Colton loves me?" he asked, craning his neck as he looked in Colton's direction.

"Oh, not that kind of love, Richard. He loves you like the older brother he never had."

"Um... and that's the way he shows it, by being an obnoxious little brat?"

Aunt Toni was incredulous. "Really, Richard?"

Richard blushed when he realized what he had said but there was no turning back. "Well..." he shrugged.

"Colton actually has a heart of gold. Why you should have seen the way he fussed over you when you were sick. He hardly left your side day and night, and he hardly let anyone else come near you, either. He did everything that needed to be done all by himself. He fed you, bathed you, emptied the bedpan, and cleaned you up afterward. When you fainted, he nearly lost his mind. It took hours to calm him down and reassure him that you weren't about to "croak"."  

Richard took a deep breath. He pushed the half-eaten plate of nachos away. He had lost his appetite. "Well, he is kind of a drama..."

Aunt Toni smiled. "He should be doing Shakespeare in a park", Richard?" 

"How did you...?"

"Colton told me, and he was very hurt. He was not expecting that from his idol."

Richard was speechless. He sat there watching Colton having the time of his life and totally emersed in the game he was playing. "A false idol, I'm afraid," he said at last. "I should probably go talk to him."

Aunt Toni patted his hand. "Now is not the time, and this isn't the place, Richard."

"I have to say something to him. I should apologize at least." Richard tried to get up but she stopped him. "It's water under the bridge, dear."

"But I really should..." 

"Sit. Stay, Richard. Colton will come to us when he gets hungry enough."

"But..."

"But what? What are we talking about?" Ginger asked as she took her place next to her son, effectively locking him in place. Aunt Toni and Richard looked at her. "Colton!" they said in unison. "Of course," Ginger rolled her eyes. "Why should I be surprised?"

"