“This was all a terrible idea! A terrible idea!” Colin begins to scream as if he is facing one of his monsters.

“Colin, you have lost all sense of proportion–” I begin, when Justin silences me with a “Dad!” 

“Colin, I have a solution!” Justin takes a step towards him even as Colin turns his back. 

Turning, Colin bumps into a young man who is walking down the street towards us with shopping bags. 

“Colin!” he says. 

I look at him and even I recognize that that is perhaps one of the most striking and beautiful men I’ve ever seen. He has perfect high cheekbones, perfect skin, and his dreadlocks - is that the word? I’m pretty sure - his dreadlocks are so perfect I almost wish I had them. 

“Sweetheart, what’s going on?” the man says.

Colin looks down, embarrassed. “Don’t call me that in public,” he says under his breath. 

Oh! I get it! 

“No, we’re canceling everything! It’s off! The dinner’s off! You weren’t here!” Colin shouts and the man vanishes. 

“Colin!” Justin raises his voice at him. “No monsters! You want to cancel, we cancel! You don’t want to be here, that’s fine! But no monsters!” he points at Joy. “Control the monsters!” 

Colin looks at Joy and begins to tremble. “This never happened! I have to wake up! I am so bad! I–” 

“He does that. Ignore him,” the man’s voice comes from behind us. He’s standing behind Charlie. 

Joy whirls around, hand on her sword. 

“I told you to go away!” Colin yells at him, still trembling. 

“Since when do I do what you say?” The man says and doesn’t even look at him. He sits down on the pavement next to the kids. “Do you guys know what I do?” 

“What?” Charlie says, wide-eyed. 

“I make movies!” 

“No!” 

“I do ‘artsy’ movies. That’s what other people call them. Do you know what that is?” Charlie and Joy sit beside him. He’s so charming, he’s got them enthralled. 

I look at Colin. Colin turns his back to us and begins to walk away. He stops and comes back. Then he walks away again.

“My name is Hugh, by the way. What’s yours?” The man says.

(To be continued…)

—Told by Grampa Walt