She gestures to Marco.
“This guy used to pinch the baking off the cooling rack while I had my back turned.”
“Sounds like something he'd do,” I smirk.
We watch fondly as he slides down the hallway in his socks.
In this house, he’s allowed to be the kid.
“Gonna use the bathroom before our thirteen hour drive,” he hollers.
???
Before I climb into the truck, Beth places a gentle hand on my arm.
“You’ve been taking such good care of him,” she says.
“I try. But…”
“I've never seen him this happy. Or this calm.”
Her eyes brim with thanks.
The feeling is mutual.
“Amos, the way he looks at you says it all.”
I appreciate the kind words. Really.
But all I’ve done is keep my promise.
Marco’s the one who pulled himself out of the dark.
“Beth, you should have seen him yesterday. I wassoproud of him.”
“Wish I'd been there, hun. I’m sure it was intense.”
“His dad’s a piece of work. I almost decked him.”
Her halo slips for a moment.
“If I ever cross paths with that bastard, I'll probably take a swing at him too.”
I picture Ray getting clobbered by the nicest woman on the planet.
To be fair, she'd probably win.
“Trust me,” I say. “I wanted to make him suffer. The way he treats them both…”
“Bet you did, hun.”
I lower my voice.
“He tipped a beer on her head. Called us faggots.”
Her mouth presses into a firm line.
“And that’s probably him on a good day,” she sighs.
