Page 56 of Mine before Dawn
Tanay groaned dramatically but obeyed. He was hoping to take the bus.
***
The morning air was cold and they walked through town together.
Halfway there James glanced down at the boy.
“So,” he said casually. “I’m plannin’ on marryin’ yer mum.”
Tanay blinked up at him. James looked oddly tense.
“You alright wi’ that?”
The boy considered this very carefully, then nodded.
“Aye. I think so.”
James huffed out a quiet breath.
“Only think so?”
Tanay shrugged.
“I like you.”
The simplicity of how easy that was surprised James. He had a long explanation prepared.
“My father died before I was born,” Tanay continued quietly. “Mum says he were very brave.”
James only nodded once, knowing the real story. He could only imagine how much courage it must have taken for a frightened seventeen-year-old pregnant widow to survive alone.
They walked the rest of the way, lost in their own thoughts as they reached the school gates.
And James immediately spotted Danny. The boy was being dropped off by his father—a thickset butcher named Davis with heavy shoulders and a permanently sour expression. James had played rugby with him, once upon a time.
Both of them stopped dead staring at James beside Tanay. James stared right back, then calmly nodded once at them.
Slowly James crouched beside Tanay, pretending to tie his shoelace tight.
Then deliberately, loud enough for every curious parent nearby to hear, he said—
“If any idiot gives yer trouble again, you tell ‘em I’m your father.”
The crowd was oddly silent. Someone let out a nervous giggle.
“And if they’ve got a problem with that,” James continued calmly, eyes never leaving Davis, “they can come speak with me. Awright?”
The boy’s eyes, so like Asha's, had become huge.
He swallowed hard then nodded eagerly. James squeezed his shoulder once and started to let go. But suddenly Tanay clutched his hand tighter.
For one tiny second the boy looked frightened again.
Then, it was like there was a light shining from his eyes.
In a small wobbly voice, he said—
“Bye… Dad.”
***The End***
