“Hey, let’s order in a pizza tonight and maybe pull out some old family albums? We can make fun of dad and his Hawaiian shirts,” I said, chuckling. He’d only been ten when they were murdered right outside our house. My fear was that he’d forget them, forget what a great family we’d been. I often wondered how much he remembered about them. “I wish mom and dad were here to see you,” I said, reaching out to scrub his hair. Yeah, we’d had some rough patches after our parents had died, especially that lean year before the insurance money had kicked in. I’d given up seven years of my life, and it hadn’t always been easy. “I didn’t give up shit,” I said but that wasn’t exactly true. I don’t know if I ever said thank you for moving us here, but I am.” He stared at the ground and shrugged. I grinned at Sebastian, damn proud.Īs we walked out of the gym, he turned to me and said, “Hey. Hanford, who told an animated Sebastian he’d be starting the season as running back. After talking to most of his new teachers, I met with the football coach, Mr. We finished getting Sebastian registered for his honor classes and received a print out of his schedule. But she never came back to the folding chairs that had been set up in the gymnasium. And too old for her,” he told me, shaking his head and wearing a grin.Īfter the open house had resumed with several heartfelt apologies from the headmaster, I looked for her.

Bad things free