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That doesn’t mean you’d stay sane, afterward. Even if you were a child when it happened.
I’m about to look ahead again when I hear the Kid confess quietly that he’s a bit nervous, that he’s worried he’ll get made fun of. I’m about to reassure him that he’ll be fine, that if anything goes wrong, he can call me immediately, when I’m stopped by Dominic’s low voice. He’s speaking to be heard over the noise of the Jeep, and I can make out his words, rough and worn. “You don’t need to be scared,” he says. “I’ll be right next door. If you need me, I’ll come running, okay?”
The Kid nods. Otter and I listen.
“Besides, don’t go thinking the worst in people, okay? They’ll probably be a little weirded out by you at first, and maybe a couple of people will say something to you, but it’s only because they’re jealous. You’re smarter than all the rest of them combined, and some people won’t get that. But I bet the rest think you’re the greatest thing they’ve ever seen. Just remember, though, you have any problems, you tell me, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. No one’s gonna say something while I’m around. I’m a big guy, okay?”
The Kid nods again, looking strangely relieved. Dominic smiles quietly at him and reaches up and pats Ty on the shoulder, once, twice, and then drops his big hand back down onto his lap. I try to ignore that burn of jealousy, so very different from what I’d experienced with Otter. Who is this guy? I ask myself yet again. Who is this guy that can come in and do what’s taken others years to do? He’s mine! He’s mine, and you can’t take him away from me!
I feel shame at having such thoughts.
We drive the rest of the way in silence.
WE PULL up in front of Tyson’s school. I tell Dominic to sit tight for a moment, and we’ll drive him next door to the high school. He bumps fists with the Kid, who grins at him and jumps out, seemingly more calm than he’d been before. The Kid insists on walking in on his own (after all, he says, he has done this once or twice), and I almost argue with him, but Otter touches my hand gently and shakes his head. I put on a smile that feels tight and fake and wave at the Kid as he starts to walk away, getting lost in a crowd of other kids. I’ve turned back toward the Jeep when I’m tackled from behind, little arms going around my waist, a face pressed against the small of my back. I reach up and pat the Kid’s hands gently, and he spins me around and pulls me down by my hand, a vise grip on it.
“Can I call you on my lunch break?” he whispers in my ear, a furtive glance toward the car making me understand he doesn’t want his cool new best friend to overhear him. “Just to say hi?”
Ah, man. “You can,” I tell him softly. “Just as long as it’s not going to get you in trouble for using the phone. You call me for anything, you got me?”
He nods, playing with my fingers.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you in?”
The Kid takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “I think I can do it.
You think I’ll be okay?”
I smile at him, and he grins back at me. “I know you’ll be okay,” I tell him. “Even better than that.”
“Hey,” he says as he drops my hand.
“Hey, yourself,” I say back.
His eyes find mine, and he again proves he knows me better than I know myself: “I love you, you know? Just because Dominic is here doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop needing you. I’ll always need you, Papa Bear, so don’t worry.
Okay?”
Christ. I nod, not trusting myself to speak. He watches me for a moment, making sure that I believe him, and then lets go of my hand, high-fives a waiting Otter and turns back to wave at Dominic in the car.
And then he’s gone.
WE’RE pulling out of the parking lot and getting reading to head next door, and I’m trying to think about what I want to say, if anything, to Dominic, when he decides for me: “I’m not going to hurt him.”
“What?” I say, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. Otter reaches over and takes my hand in his, his fingers intertwining in mine, squeezing gently. He nods subtly at me, and I turn back to look at Dominic, whose dark eyes are waiting for me.
“That’s what you’re thinking,” he rumbles. “You’re wondering if I’m going to hurt him.”
“That’s not—” I start, but then I stop myself. Anything further would be a lie. He knows it, I know it. He’s probably expecting it. How many people would lie to his face? How many would tell him that of course they don’t believe that, that of course they trust him, how could they not? Those same people are the ones that are probably the most afraid of him. I need him to know I’m not afraid of him. “Can you be sure?” I ask, changing tact.
He looks momentarily surprised at my boldness, but quickly covers it up under that hard exterior of his. He looks out the window while we wait for the light to change. It’s starting to rain a light mist. Otter flips on the windshield wipers, and they brush back and forth.
“Yes,” Dominic finally says. “I would never hurt him. Although, I could see why you’d think so. Georgia told you what happened?”
“She did,” Otter confirms, his voice stern. “But I would have recognized your name, so don’t be mad at her.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not mad at her. She was right to tell you.”
Another thought takes over my mind. “You haven’t told Tyson, have you?”
