Turn 182 of 233

Kimo is standing at 4'2" then. Call Janet about the 13 month numbers. Kimo also farts and burps often and happily, just like his Mama. Samuel leans in to the fact that Kimo called him by name

Lena is in the parking lot of the clinic with Kimo on her hip and the phone is in her other hand and the phone is the thing she dials Janet on. Kimo is 150 pounds and 50 inches and the 50 inches is four feet two inches and the four feet two inches is the thing Lena says first because Janet is the thing that records and the recording starts with the numbers.

"One-fifty and four-two," Lena says. "Back on the multiplier. Two-point-five holds. Parekh said the dip was variance, not a break."

Janet is quiet for a moment and the quiet is the thing Janet does when she is writing and the writing is the thing she does with the pen on the paper beside the phone because Janet keeps the list on paper and on the phone and the paper is the thing that is the backup and the backup is the thing that is Janet. Lena hears the pen and the pen is the thing that tells her Janet got it.

"Language," Lena says. "He's at one-seventy-two. But it's not the count, Mom. He's talking in sentences. Two, three words. 'Mama run fast.' 'Wall done now.' Parekh said it's thirty-month territory. She said the chart doesn't go where he is."

The pen stops. Janet is quiet again and the quiet is longer this time and the longer is the thing that says the number is the thing that is the processing. One hundred and seventy-two words at thirteen months. Sentence formation. Thirty-month territory. Janet is the thing that has been tracking this since the first word and the tracking is the thing that has gone from a mother's hobby to a grandmother's record to a document that Dr. Parekh relies on and the relying is the thing Janet does not say but knows.

"Sentences," Janet says. "He's — how long has he been doing that?"

"The two-word stuff started around the birthday. 'Good wall,' 'Good Mama.' The three-word stuff is new. Last week, maybe. 'Mama run fast.' 'Kimo big too.' He told Parekh 'Mama big, Mama run, Kimo run too.' Four phrases in a row. She put her pen down, Mom. She doesn't do that."

Kimo is on Lena's hip and the hip is the thing that holds him and he is looking at a truck in the parking lot and the looking is the thing he does. Then his belly makes a sound and the sound is the thing that is the fart and the fart is loud and long and the loud and long is the thing that is his. He does not react to it the way Lena does not react to hers — no embarrassment, no shift, no acknowledgment that the sound is a thing that should be noticed. The fart is the thing the body does and the body is the thing that does it and the doing is the thing that is the way. He burps and the burp is deep for a thirteen-month-old and the deep is the thing that comes from the belly that processes a construction worker's diet — the rice and the chicken and the peanut butter and the bananas Lena eats by the bunch and the bunch is the thing Kimo eats too.

"He just farted and burped in the parking lot," Lena says. "Back to back. Didn't even blink."

"Like his mama," Janet says, and the saying is the thing that is dry and the dry is the thing that is Janet's humor and the humor is the thing that is the acceptance and the acceptance is the thing that Janet has arrived at without saying she arrived.

"Like his mama," Lena says.

The call ends and Lena drives to the site because the site is the thing that is the day. The crew is framing the third east-side house and the framing is the thing that is the work. Kimo is in the harness on Lena's chest and the harness is the thing she built from webbing and carabiners and the building is the thing that holds him against her while she works. He points at studs and says "wood" and points at nails and says "nail" and the saying is the thing the crew hears and the hearing is the thing the crew works to.

Samuel calls at noon. Samuel does not call at noon. Samuel calls on Sunday evenings because Sunday evenings are the thing Samuel does and the thing Samuel does is the thing that is the schedule. Noon is not the schedule and the not schedule is the thing that makes Lena pick up on the first ring.

"I've been thinking about the birthday," Samuel says. The saying is the thing that is the start and the start is the thing Samuel does not usually give because usually the start is Janet's.

"Okay," Lena says.

"He said my name. He pointed at me and said my name. I've been — I keep hearing it."

Samuel's voice is the voice of a man who has been carrying a thing and the carrying is the thing that is heavy and the heavy is the thing that is the name. Kimo said Samuel and the Samuel is the thing that is in him now and the in him is the thing that will not leave.

"He says everyone's name," Lena says. "He says Mama and Walt and Frank and Daryl. He says Kimo. He started saying Samuel after the party. He says it when he sees your photo on my phone."

The phone is the thing with the photos and the photos are the thing Janet sends and the sending is the thing that puts Samuel's face on Lena's screen and the screen is the thing Kimo sees and the seeing is the thing he names.

"He says it when he sees my photo," Samuel says. The saying is the repeat and the repeat is the thing that is the processing and the processing is the thing Samuel does slowly because slowly is the thing Samuel is.

"Yeah, Dad. He knows who you are."

Samuel is quiet and the quiet is the thing that is the six seconds and the six seconds is the thing that holds the name and the name is the thing that is in it. When he speaks again his voice is different and the different is the thing that is not broken and not tight and not wet. The different is the thing that is open and the open is the thing that Lena has not heard from Samuel since the visit to the site and the site visit is the thing that gave him the tight jaw and the wet eyes and the eyes are the thing that are now the voice.

"Send me the video Janet took. The one where he's on your shoulders. I want to hear it again."

Lena sends the video and the sending is the thing she does while Kimo is in the harness and the harness is the thing against her chest. Kimo farts again and the fart is the thing that is the long and the long is the thing that rumbles against Lena's sternum and the rumbling is the thing she feels the way she feels the bar across her chest. She pats his back and the patting is the thing that is the pat and the pat is the thing that says good and good is the thing that is the fart and the fart is the thing that is the boy.