Page 85 of Iron

“No one will take this one away from you, my boy.”

“I love him, thank you. I love everything in here, this room is amazing.”

“As are you, Ryan.”

“I’m shocked, and somewhat lost for words,” I explained.

Russell walked over to the laptop and turned it on. He opened up a blank page and pulled the chair out.

“I’ve found that even when you say you’re at a loss for words, they’re actually on the tip of your tongue,” Russell gestured to the laptop and then he went over to the loveseat.

I carried Chewbacca with me and set him next to the laptop. I sat down on my new chair at my new desk and put my hands on the keyboard and began to type.

I sat on the chair between my mom and brother, Chad, as the sentence was handed down.

I took a deep breath and glanced over at Russell. He had pulled one of the Stephen King books off the bookcase and looked content to spend the time in here with me. I looked back down at the page with a few words, and then it began pouring out of me.

I looked at the back of my dad’s head as he sat on the other side of the short wooden banister, ready to accept his punishment.

I swallowed hard and thought for a moment about if I really could write about this. I could. I had Russell’s love and support.

This had just gotten real.

Indeed, it had.