Page 78 of Broken
Ethan mimicked him. A few chews in, Ethan’s expression fell. “Yucky.”
A sigh escaped Prescott. Children were a challenge. He had no clue what he was going to do, but for the moment, he had more pressing matters than getting him to eat a damn carrot.
“How ‘bout celery?” Prescott bit off a piece.
Ethan mimicked him. This time, his eyes lit up. “This is good.”
“A win.”
They grew quiet while they ate. When finished, Prescott colored with Ethan.
While they worked in silence, Prescott studied him for a minute. “You color good, Ethan.”
“Fanks.”
“We’re going to your house, so we can bring your toys and clothes back here.”
“Are me and Mommy staying here?”
A jolt of pain sliced through him. “Yeah.” The truth got stuck in his throat.
Prescott pulled out his phone, dialed.
Jericho answered. “Yo, what’s happening?”
After pushing away from the table, Prescott walked into the family room. “Thanks for the texts,” he said while staring into his screened porch.
“I’m sorry, brother. How you holdin’ up?”
“I need to tell my nephew his mom died and that he’s gonna live with me.”
“Whoa.”
“I don’t have a clue how to do this. I need to talk to a therapist. Is Liv there?”
“Hold on. She’s putting Liam down for a nap.”
“Tell her to call—”
“I got you,” Jericho said. “Hold two seconds. Hey, babe, Prescott needs you.”
“Hi,” Liv said. “I’m so sorry about your sister. How can I help?”
Prescott explained his situation.
“Be honest with Ethan,” Liv began. “It’s impossible to predict how anyone will react, and that includes a young child. Based on his age, he won’t fully understand the finality of it. He might be scared because his mom isn’t coming back, so you have to reassure him that you and your entire family arehisfamily. In fact, I would start the conversation with that. Let him know how much you love having him in your life and how special he is.”
“That’s good.”
“The timing is going to be tricky,” she continued. “Don’t tell him at bedtime.”
“Hell, no. That would freak anyone out.”
“Exactly. Is he in daycare?”
“He’ll be going to daycare at Armstrong.”
“If you can, keep him with you for a few days, maybe a week. He needs to feel safe, that you’re not going to abandon him. What’s the story about his dad?”
