During a snowy day in April, I took my wife to the women’s clinic for a routine prenatal check-up. She was well into the third trimester but still a week away from the due date. We were expecting to do an ultrasound, hear a heartbeat, so on and so forth. At the appointment, the doctor informed us that we needed to get to the hospital. Ready or not, we were going to have a baby that day. We left the clinic and headed toward the nearest hospital.

Outside, heavy wet snow had continued to fall. My small sedan was not adapted to snowy roads, so when I hit a drift, my car became stuck. Even so, I knew I had to take my wife to the hospital. For such a situation, I kept a snow shovel in the trunk. Using it, I began to dig us out. Once free, we resumed our course.

Before we reached the hospital, my car bottomed out three more times. Each time, I dug us out. In the end, we arrived at the hospital with plenty of time, and that day, my son was born. Due in part to being big Final Fantasy fans—and also to recognize the stormy circumstances in which he was born—we named our son Cloud.

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It has been a joy to see him pursue each of his interests. When something earns his attention, he dedicates himself to it in full. I can see how happy those hobbies make him. His passion for learning and growing in those areas reminds me of how innocently cheerful life can be. And he spreads that cheerfulness to everyone that takes the time to know him.

My life is certainly better because he is in it. One thing I wanted to offer him in return was dedicating this book to him.

After the release of the first They Think I Invented Pizza, many people asked me if the triplets were based on my children. The answer is yes. Being a dad is my favorite thing. I love listening to my kids’ conversations. I love watching them grow. I love seeing their interests and how different they are as people.

In the first book, the triplets were side characters. As the cover of this book indicates, the triplets are ready to take center stage. I hope part of the love I have for parenting translates to the page and I can share that love with readers. With that, I want to welcome readers back to the world of Round.

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Josh Walker

August 18th, 2023