The Incredible Hulk Incident

Chapter 1: Incredible Hulk

The first time my brother met his future wife, he flew the Incredible Hulk into her hair.

It happened on an ordinary Saturday afternoon in a toy store—the sort of place designed to overwhelm children and exhaust adults. Every aisle flashed, beeped, sang, rattled, or promised some exciting adventure that required batteries sold separately.

I had brought my brother along because I needed to buy a gift for a baby shower. More importantly, we had our three-year-old niece with us, and shopping with her was less an errand than a carefully managed expedition.

She entered the store with wide eyes and the serious expression of someone who had just discovered paradise.

“Can I have that?” she asked, pointing at a giant stuffed giraffe.

“No.”

“That?”

“No.”

“What about that?”

“You already have one.”