Carter continued to recall old memories as he pondered what to tell Missy. Wallace and the boys journeyed to the dilapidated apartment building the Barnes family called home. The family took residence in a cramped, crumbling apartment with three rooms. One living room and two bedrooms for the parents and children, respectively. Cracks infected every inch of its colorless space as dust particles threatened to suffocate their air! It wasn’t anything to boast about, but, as Wallace would remind them in times of despair, it was still theirs.

  Later, Elaine dressed the boys’ cuts. They sat around the dinner table as she gave them medicine, wrapping the bandages. As she finished, she brought them plates of food, each carrying cauliflower. Clive readily consumed the food, but Carter looked at it in disgust.

  “Mommy, you know I hate cauliflower!”

  “Cauliflower will save your life, boy!” Elaine gently pinched Carter’s ear to send a message.

  Elaine looked toward her husband, staring worriedly out the window, hurrying to him.

  “Wallace, I wished you consulted me first before you brought this boy here!”

  “I just couldn’t leave him starving!”

  “I understand your feelings, but what should we do with him? Put him up for adoption?”

  “The system can’t handle a kid like him!”

  “But we’re already struggling to feed our children!”

  “Please, my love! Let me have one day to think!” Wallace turned around, kissing Elaine.

  “Well, okay! One day!”

  “Thank you, Elaine!”

  Carter and Clive ran past the parents, with Missy following the boys, drawing their curious eyes.

  “What are you three doing?” Wallace asked.

  “I want to show Clive my special book, Daddy!”

  Carter quickly reached the torn-up couch on the other side of the room, picking up a book.”The history of war and battle strategy!”

  “Where did you get it, the library?” Clive asked.

  “Shining shoes and stuff like that!” Carter opened the book.”It has lots of fun facts about war!”

  As Clive leaned forward, reading the book, his eyes widened joyously! “Cool! Look at all the killings!”

  Missy leaned forward, reading the book, and began crying, seeing its horrific images. But as she did, Elaine grabbed it away from the boys.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  ”Why haven’t we burned this?”

  Wallace chuckled.“We agreed to keep it for him until he was old enough!”

  “I don’t think I can keep that promise!”

  “Come on-“

  “No, Wallace!”

  “Well, why don’t we read this something more kid-friendly?”

  “Such as?”

  “Good night, moon!”

  Elaine grew a slight smile as she heard Wallace. She quickly grabbed the children, Carter and Missy, bringing them to the couch as Wallace got the book. As Wallace opened the book, he noticed Clive standing by himself.”Well, come on!” And soon, Clive approached the family cautiously. They had been kind to him, but he couldn’t understand why. Why would they care for a child that wasn’t their own? After all, Clive’s blood parents didn’t, albeit for reasons he didn’t know.

  However, as Clive reached the couch, he sat beside Carter. And slowly, his worries began to fade from his mind. He couldn’t tell what it was, but being around them made him feel safe. Unlike his days of abandonment, he didn’t have to fight to survive. And as Wallace saw him comfortable, he began reading the book out loud.

  Two hours passed as Wallace read to the children. Each time he finished the book, the three would demand he read it over. He complied until spotting the time on the clock on the wall.

  ”I’m late for my second shift!”

  Wallace swiftly kissed Elaine, running to Carter.”I’m going now, but promise you’ll look after Clive and the family for me?”

  “Yes, Daddy!”

  As the night came, Elaine put the children to sleep. They slept on the same bed. But Carter woke up early in the morning, ensuring Missy was still asleep as he shook Clive awake.

  “What’s up?”

  “Let’s go finish reading my book!”

  “But your mom said-“

  “I know where she hides it!” Carter interrupted.

  “Cool! Let’s go!” Clive jumped out of bed.

  As they went to sneak out of the room, Carter glanced back at Missy, seeing she was awake, glaring at them. From the look on her face, he realized she must have heard their conversation. And she jumped out of bed. “I’m telling!” Running out of the room through another door.

  The boys gave chase in the hope of avoiding punishment. But as they caught up to Missy, all three children gazed in shock at Elaine, crying on the floor in a corner.

  The children were all terrified by her display. Missy had never seen her mother so distraught, not even during their worst times of poverty. Clive was afraid he did something that upset his generous hosts. But Carter swallowed his fear, stepping to her to learn the truth.

  “What’s wrong, Mommy?”

  Elaine broke out of her crying fit as she heard her son’s voice. She opened her arms to hug Carter, and he quickly walked towards her as she closed her arms around him.

  “Son…it’s your father!”

  “What?”

  “He’s gone! And he’s never coming back!”

  “Daddy left? Why doesn’t he love us anymore?”

  “I’m sorry, I said it wrong!” Elaine exhaled heavily. “I meant Wallace died!”

  Carter cried in Elaine’s clothes as he heard her.

  “Daddy died, mama?” Missy asked.

  Elaine opened her arms again.”Yes, there was an accident at work!”

  Missy began crying, running to the opening between Elaine’s arms. As she reached Elaine, she hugged her, crying into her clothes beside Carter. But as Elaine consoled her children, she turned her gaze to Clive, opening her arms again. “Come, son!”

  Losing her husband, she now understood the pain and loneliness the boy must have endured. But more than that, he became a symbol. Accepting him was one of the last things her beloved Wallace ever did. She could never turn him away now. And, so, he cemented his place in the Barnes family as he hugged her, too.

  But as Carter recalled his memories, present-day Missy shook him vigorously, waking him.”What?”

  “Carter, are you okay?”

  “Of course, sis!”

  “But you looked like you were a thousand miles away!”

  “I was just thinking!”

  “About our question?” Elaine asked.

  Carter nodded yes.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “By hell or high water, I’ll get him!”

  And, so, Carter’s set his mind. Adopting Clive was one of the last things his father did, one of the last remnants of Wallace in the living world. He couldn’t let him die. He couldn’t let his dearest friend and brother get abandoned by another family. No matter the cost!