“No. Don’t look at your mother like you just won.”

Tyler lowered his hand.

“Because we still need to talk about what you did.”

Suddenly, Tyler became very interested in the porch floor.

“You called the police because your mother told you no.”

“Yes.”

“That was not okay.”

Silence.

“When you call us, somebody has to come here and make sure you’re safe. While I’m here checking on you, I cannot be somewhere else helping another person.”

Tyler looked up.

Officer Bruce didn’t frighten him with some terrible example.

He simply said,

“You do not use emergency services to win an argument.”

Tyler nodded.

“If your mom says no ice cream tomorrow, are you calling us again?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Tyler sighed with the exhaustion of a man who had just completed a tax audit.

“Because ice cream isn’t an emergency.”

“Good.”

Then Officer Bruce pointed toward the kitchen.

“Now finish making dinner.”

I frowned.

“Sorry?”

He looked at Tyler.

“Your mother said dessert comes after dinner. That rule still applies.”

Tyler’s face dropped.

Officer Bruce continued,

“But I think Tyler called because he doesn’t believe you’re going to eat any afterward.”

I looked toward the kitchen.

For once, I couldn’t think of an excuse.

Officer Bruce turned toward Tyler.

“Dinner first.”

“Okayyy.”

“And police?”

“Not for ice cream.”

“We’re making progress.”

He stepped off the porch.

Before he reached the walkway, Tyler called after him.

“Officer Bruce?”

He turned.

“What happens if she says she isn’t hungry again?”

Tyler was looking directly at me.

And suddenly I realized the difficult conversation had barely begun.

Officer Bruce looked at me before answering.

“I think that part is between the two of you.”

Then he walked back to his cruiser.

Tyler and I stood in the doorway until the car disappeared.

Finally, I looked down at him.

“You called the police on me.”

“Yup.”

“Over ice cream.”

He stared at the floor.

“It sounded like a better idea before he got here.”

I laughed despite myself.

“Go wash your hands.”

At dinner, I served spaghetti onto two plates.

Without thinking, I put the larger portion in front of Tyler.

He immediately pushed it back toward me.

“You take this one.”

I looked at the plates.

I had done it automatically.

“No.”

“But you’re hungry.”

“I am.”

“So take it.”

Instead, I picked up the serving spoon and moved some spaghetti from his plate onto mine.