Soon the corners of his mouth begin to tighten into a curt, self-satisfied smile. When Dad sees it, he jumps out of the booth and yells, “Okay, that’s it! We’re going shopping without you, and do you know what’s going to happen to you, buddy? Cops are going to come get you!” Aidan, no doubt, is thinking something like this: Look at me. I’m only six years old, and I’ve totally controlled these two adults for twenty minutes without even opening my mouth. What a power trip! I control their tone of voice, the color of their faces, and whether or not they make fools of themselves in public. The
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