The conversation over breakfast with my twins is often focused on what lies ahead. Today Hope mentioned that they will get a Biology test back. She thought she did well, but was eager to find out. 

"I love extra credit. Even eight points can make the difference if I mess up a few questions, so I always go for it."

"What was it about?"

"Mendelian genetics. It's pretty interesting."

I remembered the pictures in my own text book ages ago. A monk in a garden, surrounded by peas. How apropos that an identical twin would find the roulette of inherited traits fascinating. For the first few months the only way I could tell those babies apart was by inspecting their right ears, which were just different enough to be sure. Sixteen years later I can identify them from forty feet away as they prance across the stage in costume. Not quite sure how. 

In preschool one of the little boys told his mother he planned to marry one of them.

"Oh really? Hope or Aurelle?"

"Doesn't matter." 

Thoughts about the score keeping that goes on in my head bubbled up as we climbed in the car. If I made the supper, John should clean up. I put gas in the van so he is obliged to get some for the small one. Such parsimony. Why was it hard to be generous? To spend my energy on extra credit? 

Maybe today I will look for ways to go the extra mile. Put his clothes away as well as my own. I could even go so far as to match his socks.