The soccer game from A Farewell to Arfs, the next #ChetandBernie novel (Aug. 6, preorderable) came up yesterday. Here’s a bit of Bernie (Charlie’s dad) and Malachi (Esmé’s dad) on the sidelines:

“I’ve got a small consulting company, smaller than yours.”

“Smaller than mine?”

Malachi glanced at me. “I don’t have a Chet.” He smiled. “I do have a fish named Buttercup.”

Right away I was looking forward to meeting Buttercup. That’s how I roll. Was Buttercup one of those fish that live in a bowl high up on a shelf, perhaps, although never impossibly high? Life just keeps passing around opportunities. And all you have to do is be there! Who came up with all this?