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“That was nice of him.” I looked up at my dad and smiled.
“Can we go now? I’m hungry.”
“Hungry?” Mom asked. “I just filled this belly a half hour ago.” She poked at his stomach and tickled him as he tried to wriggle out of her grasp.
“What did he eat?”
“Half a grilled cheese and some carrot sticks.”
“Yeah, and I’m still hungry, Mama. I’m a growing boy. Papa said the more I eat, the more I’ll grow. And I want to be as tall as a building.”
“As tall as a building? How will you fit in anything?”
“I won’t have to fit. I’ll be a building, duh.” He rolled his eyes before slinging his little backpack over his shoulder and heading toward the door.
“Well then.” I glanced at my parents, who were chuckling at Matson as they held each other. “I guess we’re leaving.”
“I guess so.” Mom patted her heart again, that simple action telling me she was still worried about the Derek situation.
I gave my parents a reassuring smile. “Everything will be fine. Let me know if he comes back here.”
Now I was the one who was reassuring people, when I still needed a little reassurance of my own.
• • •
As we drove home, Matson filled the silence with stories about his day, and how he beat the fastest kid in his class in a race during recess. He told me that some boys were mean to his friend Hayley, pushing her, and Matson stepped between them and told them if you want to get to her, you have to go through me.
Pride filled me at my little man’s big heart. He was everything I’d ever hoped he would be.
“You like that, Mama? I did a good thing?”
I glanced at him in the backseat. “You did a great thing. That was very noble, and what a gentleman would do.”
“What’s a gentleman? What does noble mean? You aren’t mad that I told that kid I’d fight him?”
“No, honey, I’m not mad at all. I think it was a nice thing to stand up for Hayley. We shouldn’t let anyone pick on other people.” I paused, wondering how to describe nobility and gentlemanly behavior to an eight-year-old.
“And boys trying to fight with girls. We don’t do that,” he said, and I agreed.
“You’re right. Boys don’t fight girls. And a gentleman always make sure that girls are treated with kindness. A noble person would never stand by and watch someone be mean for no reason. A noble person stands up and does the right thing.”
“You think that’s what I did, Mama? I did the right thing?”
“Absolutely, you did. I’m so proud of you.”
I glanced at his face in my rearview mirror, and when I saw the size of his smile, my heart warmed. In that moment, I forgot all about Derek, and my thoughts filled with how sensitive and kind my son was.
Following the narrow driveway to the back of the bungalow, I shut off the engine and turned back toward Matson before getting out. Just a single look, and his face lit up again like I’d brought home ten puppies.
“I made you happy, huh?” he asked.
“You sure did.”
We hopped out of the car and headed into our house through the back door like usual. Derek immediately popped into my head and I stopped short, glancing all around me, checking out my neighbor’s backyard to be sure no one was watching. When the coast was clear, I released a quick breath and nudged Matson inside, then closed and locked the door behind us.
Was this how my life was going to be until Derek finally found out where I lived? Would I constantly be on the lookout, waiting for him to show up? I was suddenly thankful that the house wasn’t in my name and that I was only renting.
“Mama?” Matson’s voice made me realize that I’d been standing at the door, unmoving.
