Page 125 of Mistaken Prejudice

Margot was in the middle of telling us how one of her classmates appeared in a movie, when my dads walked into the living room. They were dressed for a tennis match, and I assumed they’d just come back from the beach club.

“Oh, mon lapin,” Papa cheerfully said. “Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, we are.” I smirked. “Want some tea?”

“No, thank you, bunny. We won’t stay to bother you,” Dad said, putting his hand on Papa’s shoulder.

I was happy to see Papa was also doing better. My actions affected everyone, not just me. Thankfully, we both had my dad to rely on. Without him? I didn’t even want to think about it. I learned that Papa was the one who found me and that Dad gave me CPR until the EMTs arrived. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.

“Zaychik, can you pass me a napkin?” Andrei asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, of course.” I reached for the paper napkins that were on the table and passed him one when Jessie jumped to his feet.

“OH. MY. GOD.” He gasped, covering his mouth with his palms.

“What happened?” Levi and Jordan asked at once, with their attention on Jessie. The daggers Levi sent Jordan’s way did not escape me.

“Elliot, how do you call Miles?” Jessie surprised me by asking Papa.

“Oh? I call him mon lapin.” Papa smiled.

“Which means…?”

“My bunny?” I asked.

“And Daniel calls you—”

“I rather it stays Mr. Williams Dufort,” Dad said.

“Bunny!” Papa beamed and cut into dad’s words.

“Andrei, you call Miles Zaychik, which also means—”

“Rabbit,” Andrei said, rubbing his temples.

“Yes!” Jessie pressed his palms together. “It can only mean one thing.” He looked around us, his now blue hair jumping in all directions.

“That Miles looks like a rodent?” Margot chuckled, and I poked the side of her belly.

“No. Besides, bunnies are not rodents,” Jessie answered Margot seriously. “All three of them calling Miles Bunny can only mean one thing—the multi-verse is real,” he spoke in a low, serious voice while looking around the room as if to watch no one was listening to us.

Andrei and Levi grunted while Margot and I tried not to burst out laughing.

“The what?” Dad asked, confused.

By now, everyone but my dads was laughing their hearts out. Give it to Jessie to make you forget everything and just laugh. There was something truly unique about his perspective, and if you were lucky enough, he shared it with you.

“Oh God, Jess. You’re a genius,” Andrei said, wiping tears from his eyes.

“Why? What did I do?”

“Nothing, absolutely nothing.” I chuckled. “You’re just the best.”

I looked around my living room, which was filled with people I loved and cared for.

Everyone around me laughed, and I thought about how easily everything could have been different. If my dad had taken one minute too long, I wouldn’t have gotten to sit here with them. But fortunately, I’m here now. With tears of joy and a stomachache from laughing, grateful for the second chance I got at life. A second chance to live. A second chance to love my dads, friends, and Andrei.

My Andrei.