After we drafted Chris Paul, it became obvious that Dan would look to sign elsewhere in order to have a chance to compete for a starting point guard job,

His name is Julian Janus Marquet, but I’m going to call him Jory.”

Both Chris and Paul heard my thin whisper. I was so tired, so sleepy.

“Why would you call him Jory?” asked Paul, but it wasn’t me who had the strength to answer. It was Chris who understood my reasoning.

“If he had been blond, she would have named him Cory—but the J will stand for Julian, and the rest for Cory.”

Our eyes met and I smiled.

How wonderful to be understood, and never have to explain.

Some toy you give,” he said, gritty-voiced, and now the two tears in the corners of his eyes began to slide down his cheeks.

“You remembered the day Daddy said he would give me this when I became a doctor.”

“How could I forget? That little catalog was the one thing you took of yours that wasn’t clothes, when we went to Foxworth Hall. And every time he swatted a fly, or killed a spider, Paul, Chris would long to have a John Cuff microscope. And once he said he wanted to be the Mouseman of the Attic, and discover for himself why mice die so young.”

“Do mice die young?” asked Paul seriously. “How did you know they were young? Did you capture baby ones, and mark them in some way?”

Chris and I met eyes.

Yeah, we’d lived in another world back when we were young and imprisoned, so that we could look at the mice who came to steal and nibble on our food, especially the one named Mickey.

Chris, you've done a good job.

We can predict this fight happening elsewhere.

Chris Paul has been the guy for months now, but people want to see who's that second or third guy. I think Chris Paul, he deserves it. But I think I have a shot at being runner-up if I keep doing what I've been doing.