“I can’t wait to show this to Caroline.” Max climbed into Ruby’s front seat clutching a Ranger Rick sticker he had just gotten in the mail. It said he was a junior member of the National Wildlife Federation.
“Who is Caroline?” I asked. We were going to Chipotle, since Sister #4 wanted it one more time before she left for Idaho.
“She’s just like me,” he said.
“Is she your giiirrrrllllfffrrriend?”
“Yeah,” he shook his head. “Kinda.”
“Do you hold hands?”
“Sometimes.”
“Really?”
“No.”

The subject was then quickly changed to how much he rocks now that he’s a junior member of the National Wildlife Federation and how this will totally help him become a scientist.

Ten minutes later my family sans Sister #3 and her brood, are crammed into a round booth at Chipotle.

“So Max,” I said, because public humiliation is what we do for fun in my family. “Tell me more about Caroline.” Everyone stops eating and looks at Max.
“I like her,” he said. “She’s just like me.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“She’s funny and really smart,” he said. “She reads Ranger Rick too.”
“Do you love her?” Sister #4 asked.
“Is she that little blonde girl?” Sister #2 asked
Max shook his head.
“Oh she is a cutie,” Sister #2 said.
“Yeah,” Max said. “But she’s really smart and funny.”
“Good for you, Max,” My mom said. “Go for the personality.”
“I just like her is all,” he said.

And then because he was being all cool and composed, I decided to burst into a rousing rendition of “Sweet Caroline” with Sisters #2 and #4 on backing vocals.

That got him to blush.