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“Yes, they can count as one.” She nodded. “Now name one last thing.”
“Momma’s favorite book to read to me, On the Night You Were Born. She always read it to me at night time, to keep the monsters away.” I looked into her eyes. “Who’s going to keep them away now, Misty?”
She frowned as if she could feel what I was feeling, never taking her sad eyes from mine. “Your momma is in Heaven.”
“But Heaven is so far away.”
“I’ll be here too.”
“You will?”
“Yes, Aiden. I’m going to request to take over your case and be your caseworker from here on out. I have some pull with my supervisor, and I know I can make it happen.”
“Does that mean you’ll take care of me? I can stay with you?” I asked, needing someone to love me.
Her bottom lip moved fast and her eyes watered, shaking her head at me. “No. You can’t stay with me, sweetie.”
“But you just said—”
“I know, but you don’t have to stay with me for me to take care of you. I’m going to place you in a good foster home, Aiden. I promise.”
“But I don’t want to go anywhere else. I want to go with you. I’ll be a good boy, Misty. I promise. I’ll be a Little Man for you, like I was for my momma. Just take me with you. Please, Misty, just take me with you,” I begged for what felt like the millionth time that day.
“Aiden, I can’t take you with me and do the work I do for other kids. But I do need you to be that Little Man like your momma taught you, okay? Can you do that for me? Can you do it for your momma in Heaven?”
I ripped my face out of her hand. “I hate her. I don’t want to do anything for her.”
“I know it feels that way now, but I promise it will get easier.”
“When? When will it get easier, Misty? When you put me in a foster home I don’t want to be in? When I become someone else’s problem? And you forget all about me like Momma has. Is that when it will become easier? Because that doesn’t sound easier to me, Misty. It sounds harder!”
“I know it does, but it will take time. I promi—”
“I don’t believe you! You don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me! You’re just trying to get me to do what you want! I’m not stupid!”
“Aiden, I know you’re not stupid. I know you’re scared—”
“I’m not scared. See … you don’t know anything. Let’s just go. I’ll follow you inside, so you can place me in a foster home where the monsters can find me.”
“Aiden, that’s not—”
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore!” I went around her and started walking toward my temporary placement like she called it.
I didn’t need her.
I didn’t need anyone.
I’d take care of myself.
Now and forever.
It was only me.
3
AIDEN
Then: Almost eight-years-old
