Page 68 of Same One
“Never ever, Bay. I won’t leave. I don’t care that I wasn’t married to your dad. It’s been you and me against the world, kiddo. I don’t care what you call me. To me, you’re my kid. I’m not leaving. Leaving you never even crossed my mind.”
Bay wiped his face hard and then stood and left. He went directly into the woods. Tabian watched him with glowing blue eyes, and he stayed there frozen, watching those woods for another minute.
“Should I go find him?” she whispered thickly.
“Let him get ahold of it.”
“Is he crying?” she whispered. “Can you hear him?”
Tabian nodded, pulled her into his lap, and hugged her up tightly. “He’s going to be all right,” he murmured against her neck. “That was big for him. You’re both going to be all right.”
“He wanted to go back with his mom.”
“He wanted to protect himself from feeling safe with someone who could hurt him by leaving him.”
“But I would never hurt him.”
“That boy didn’t know that. He knew being left, and that’s all. Best thing to ever happen to that kid was you.”
God, it felt so good to hear that.
“The world needs more mothers like you, Tru.”
She melted against him as the tears flowed. Those words opened up something inside of her that she’d been trying to deny. She’d never had kids of her own. She’d wanted them. She’d dreamed of the perfect family and the white picket fence, but everything had gone sideways. She’d gotten Bay when he was an older kiddo and had already experienced so much, and he washer shot at mothering. This was it. Every decision she had ever made had led her to Bay, and then to Tabian.
Time crept on, and with a heavy and thoughtful heart, Tru helped Tabian prepare camp for the night. They put out the fire in the firepit and fueled the fire in the wood stove. It was chilly tonight, and though Tabian and Bay wouldn’t feel the cold, Tru would if there wasn’t a heat source.
They talked quietly, and kept their minds occupied, but all the while, Tru’s attention was on the woods as she waited for Bay to return.
When he did, he gave her and Tabian a curt nod and made his way to his tent, disappeared inside and zipped it up.
Tru pursed her lips and wished she had the right words to comfort him. Bay was a tough one and would get annoyed if she pushed too hard. She didn’t have the words, but she knew a language he would understand. So, she made him a couple roast beef sandwiches and a whole bag of hot Cheetos and brought it to the door of his tent.
“I have a snack for you,” she said softly.
Inside the tent, there was movement, and then he unzipped the door.
“Thank you, Tru,” he said as he took the food.
“You’re welcome,” she said lightly as she walked off.
“No, I meanthank you, Tru,” he repeated. His eyes were puffy, but his face looked more relaxed than when he’d left.
She hesitated there, and knowing the rejection was coming, she said what he needed to hear anyway. “I love you, kiddo.”
Bay ducked his gaze, and she walked away. As the zipper closed again, she swore she heard something that was barely audible.
“Love you too.”
She turned fast, but the tent was closed up.
He’d said he loved her too, right? She’d heard that, right? Or wait, maybe she’d made it up. Perhaps it was wishful thinking.
She twisted around to Tabian, who sat in a camp chair near the tent, fiddling with a camera.
He wore a big grin, and as if he knew what she was asking, he nodded.
Yep, she’d really heard it.
