Page 65 of Laying Low

“I love you,” Anthony told him, his own eyes closing.“Don’t minimize yourself because you’re afraid to shake up your family.They can take it.Isee you, and you’re so much more than that.”

“My God, you talk a lot,” Reg mumbled, rolling over so he could curl up in a ball.

“And you worry a lot.We’re fine.”Anthony curled up behind him, spooning him like they were made to fit together.

Reg yawned and relaxed back against him, and Anthony’s last thought as they drifted off was that theyweremade to fit together, and it was awesome Reg saw that.

THEY MADEit to the hospital by the promised time, a lunch of apples, chips, and granola bars promising they’d be hungry sooner than later.

But once they got there and saw the three of them—cleaned, rested, and peaceful, if sad—they forgot about their hunger and the need for that last hour of nap and remembered to be profoundly grateful that everybody was going to be okay.

Reg, for one, had never felt the good fortune he’d been born into so deeply in his life.

“It’s okay, isn’t it?”Ilia asked almost before they’d cleared the threshold.“Reg, your mom, who’s the greatest, said we could keep all the books.”

“Totally okay,” Reg answered, smiling a little after their hug.“My parents’ house, my apartment—filled with books.”It was true, too, although—and here was more good fortune—he read mostly from his phone, or from the Kindle currently on the end table by his bed.“Honestly, it’s just awesome that you guys like to read.”

Reynaldo gave a weak chuckle and a smile, still lying back in bed.“They say I’m going to be still tired for a couple of weeks after this,” he said, his voice harsh from coughing.“So, like, they’ll check me out, but I’m going to spend a lot of time reading.”

“I’ll read to you,” Ilia said staunchly, and Reynaldo’s quiet worship made Reg’s heart ache.

“You do that,” Anthony said, ruffling the boy’s hair.“Keep you out of trouble.”

Ilia rolled his eyes.“Oh, like either of us can ever get into trouble again.Man, we’re on our third country.We’ve got to be, like,extragood, or they’ll yeet us off the planet next time!”

“The first two weren’t your fault!”Reg said, his heart sinking.Oh no.No, this was so unfair!For the boys to believe they were responsible when the truth was, the world was just that fucking unfair.

“Oh, we know,” Ilia said with a fatalistic shrug.“But still, it’s better to be good right now than sorry later, right?”

“Yeah,” Anthony said, giving Reg a sideways glance.“But it’s also important to remember that you deserve to be happy.”His lecturing tone faded, and he gave them both a misty look.“God, kids—I know we’ve got to leave you here, but please, for us, you’ll be happy, right?”

Ilia threw himself into Anthony’s arms for a hug and then into Reg’s, and Reynaldo insisted that they come to hug him too.

“You’ll come visit, yes?When things are not so crazy?”Ilia asked, his voice throbbing with need.

“My brother comes up to Canada about twice a year,” Reg promised.“And he usually brings Anthony’s father.I think we can manage a visit.”He paused and swallowed.“When things are not so crazy.”

“And when school is not in session,” Adelle said.“You need to take over my classes, Reg.”

Reg stared at her.“Adelle, I’ve got my IT certificate.You know I need more than that to teach school in California.”

She scowled at him.“I know you’ve had more art classes and have read more books about art than I ever will,” she said stubbornly.“And the children love you.”

“But Adelle!”Reg protested.“There’s… I’d have to take at least three more years of school to become a teacher.”

She snorted.“You need the same thing I have,” she said dismissively.“Forged papers.”

Reg gaped at her.

She shrugged.“I wanted away from my brother.I wanted another life, and Gael, he understood.He’s not a stupid man, my brother, and for as many terrible, terrible things he has done”—she looked sad—“he loves his family.He paid much money to have my papers forged, and he sent me here with that money, and I went to school, and nobody questioned things until the government went insane.And in the meantime, he sent Reynaldo to me the same way.Because he loves us, and he wanted us to be safe, even if we didn’t want his life.So here we are—two people who were illegally in the country, working for a better life, and now in another country, mostly legally, and doing the same.Are we criminals, Reg?”

“No,” he said, his voice hoarse.“You both deserved to be treated better.But it’s not the same—”

“No,” she said.“Because your life isn’t at stake.”

Reg sucked in a breath, and she shook her head.

“I’m sorry.That was cruel—and an oversimplification.But Reg, you have all the qualifications to do my job.You just lack the… thepaperwork.You’re so smart and so good with the things thatmakethe paperwork.Isn’t there any way you could make this happen?”