‘who’s your mate?’

Dad asks

the first time

he sees Josh

at our house

I explain

‘he’s just a kid

from school –

not like Dave’

Dad takes to Josh

like a flea to a dog

makes us hot chocolate

asks Josh a lot of questions

next thing Dad invites him

to come running

at 5.30am

Josh acts like

Dad’s asked him

to climb Mt Everest

and I laugh.