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Michael was set down gently.
Jackson’s phone rang again.
Pulling the blanket tighter over his head, Michael tried to block out the rest of the world. He felt terrible. He’d hit someone. What if Cary Jeffers was really hurt? What if he wasn’t and he tried to get at his Daddy again?
“Hey, baby. Can I come in there with you?”
Michael grunted. There wasn’t enough room for bubbie too!
The corner of the blanket lifted.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” Michael said around his thumb.
Jackson scooted until he and Michael were pressed from knee to shoulder, facing each other. “How’re you doing?”
Michael shrugged.
“I know it wasn’t easy for you to do that. I’m super proud of you. You did great.”
Michael didn’t want anyone to be proud of him. He wanted the whole situation to have not happened. He closed his eyes, hoping that Jackson wouldn’t make him talk about it.
“Okay, baby. You just rest. We don’t have to talk or think about it.”
Jackson caressed his face, but there was something-
Michael opened his eyes to see the chain dangling from Jackson’s cuff. The broken chain. “Oh no!” He whipped his thumb from his mouth and grasped Jackson’s wrist with both his hands. “Your chain!”
“It’s fine. It snapped when I tackled Cary. I went toward him and Finn jumped to you and it sort of…just broke.”
Michael’s eyes filled again. That chain had been so important to Jackson. They might not have finally figured out everything if Finn hadn’t forced Jackson to stop running and listen to them.
“Don’t cry.” Jackson kissed him softly. “The chain can be replaced. You and Finn cannot.”
“Everything is messed up now!” Michael cried.
“No, no, baby. Nothing is messed up. We’ll get through this. Then concentrate on finding us a house and start our lives together without anything over our heads.”
Yeah, Michael hoped so. “I can’t believe you feel like this all the time.” His bubbie did this for a living. Fought people. And maybe did worse to them.
“I don’t though,” Jackson responded. “What I and my team does is nothing like what happened tonight.”
“What do you mean?” Michael asked. He really wanted to know. Jackson seemed to know more about this bad stuff.
“We were attacked in our safe space,” Jackson said. “Right after a very intimate moment. We were caught off guard.”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Jackson said. “The cops will take care of Cary Jeffers. I believe the young man might have some mental issues and hopefully now he can get the help he needs, and no one got hurt. He didn’t do anything terribly wrong that will have to negatively affect the rest of his life.”
Michael frowned. “How can you be so…understanding?” He felt guilty but he also sort of hated Cary Jeffers.
“I saw his eyes. He was really hurt by Finn and what Cary Jeffers considers a betrayal. This isn’t a bad guy that set out to hurt us. Not like what I deal with. He just needs help, and I can hope he gets it while still taking precautions against him.”
“Okay.” Maybe the world wasn’t as black and white as Michael had always seen it.
“Just think about it, baby. Don’t live with the guilt or in fear. I don’t want that for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to keep you from having to do anything but I’m also very happy that you’re one of my partners.”
