Chapter 5

Although I was a chunky kid, my parents weren’t to blame for this. They weren’t cooking up savory meals and delicious treats for me to nosh on at home. I found solace in food that came from outside sources. Fast food and store-bought sweets satisfied my childhood need for junk food. And, with my fairly decent allowance, I was able to buy all the crap I wanted. Growing up as an only child, I suspect my parents spoiled me which is why they rarely stepped in to intervene when I’d come home with candy bars jammed in my pockets even though they knew I needed to stop stuffing my face with food like that.

“You know I can’t cook for shit,” I told Clay. “Plus, I hate cooking.”

“You wouldn’t have to make anything extravagant, Patrick. Surely you can boil water and make spaghetti or something.”

“Yeah, but I doubt you’d like the food I cooked.”