Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me Chapter 07

Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me Chapter 07

The wind in Rockport was colder than I expected. I held Aunt Claire’s hand and walked out of the station, looking up at the gray-blue sky.

“Aunt Claire, it’s so quiet here.”

“Yeah. We’re going to live here from now on.

Aunt Claire’s place was a two-bedroom, close to my new school.

She put me in the south-facing room. The sheets were new, with little blue whales.

Outside the window was a sycamore tree. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled.

Aunt Claire said in autumn the whole tree would turn yellow.

I was exhausted. I fell asleep the second I hit the bed.

The next day, Aunt Claire took me to the hospital for a checkup. The orthopedic doctor said I was

healing well. In six weeks, the cast could come off.

The arm they’d drawn blood from needed rest, the doctor said. I should eat more red meat.

I listened, and my eyes curved. “After the cast comes off, can I build LEGO?”

“Yes. I’ll buy you new ones.

I nodded and didn’t mention Mom and Dad again.

Aunt Claire glanced at me. She wanted to say something, but in the end she just stroked

my

head.

On my first day at school, I stood at the gate and looked back at Aunt Claire.

“Aunt Claire, will you pick me up this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

I turned and walked inside. The sun stretched my shadow long.

My new classmate was a boy with a buzz cut. He gave me half his eraser. It had a Transformer on it.

He tried to teach me to shoot marbles. My arm was in a cast, so I couldn’t. He shot them for me

instead.

Dad called a month later.

Aunt Claire had changed her number, but somehow he found it again.

At two in the morning, I heard voices in the living room. I walked to the door barefoot.

The voice on the other end was hoarse. I could hear it through the receiver.

“Where’s Leo? Does his arm still hurt?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“We were wrong.”

Dad said suddenly, his voice shaking.

“Connor’s real mother came back. She wasn’t dead. She took over two hundred thousand dollars

from the family.”

“The doctor said Connor’s surgery never needed that much blood. He was the one who threw a fit to

draw more.”

“Grandpa had a stroke when he found out. He can’t even move half his body anymore.”

“Claire, I’m begging you. Let Leo come back.”

“Connor’s real mom came back and took him. We’ve got nothing left.”

“Leo’s room is still exactly the way he left it. I haven’t touched a thing.”

“Mr. Bennett.”

Aunt Claire cut him off. “The lawyer is already handling Leo’s custody. Don’t bother us again.”

“Leo really hates me that much? Nine years I was his dad, and he just cuts me off?”

“You let go first.”

Aunt Claire hung up and turned off her phone.

She turned and saw me. She froze.

“Leo?”

“Aunt Claire, was that Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“Was he crying?”

“I don’t know.”

I couldn’t sleep. So even hearing him cry didn’t make me happy.

I went back to my room and burrowed under the covers.

“Aunt Claire, I dreamed about Biscuit. He chased me, and I couldn’t run.”

Aunt Claire lay down beside me and held my left hand. “Dreams aren’t real. Aunt Claire’s here.

“If he chases you again, I’ll turn into a tiger and scare him off.”

I closed my eyes. My breathing slowly evened out.

The next day was Saturday. Aunt Claire took me to the harbor.

I sat on a bench and stared at the seagulls.

The seagulls fought over food, screaming. I thought of Biscuit and leaned closer to Aunt Claire.

A tall man walked over with two hot drinks.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Aunt Claire glared at him.

“Are you stalking us?”

He smiled and handed me a hot cocoa. “Hi, Leo. I’m your Uncle Mark.”

I held the cup and looked up at him. “When did you two get married?”

“Three years ago.” Aunt Claire said. “You were little then. They didn’t let you come.”

Uncle Mark put the straw in for me.

“Heard you can’t do dairy, so I got you one without milk.”

I took small sips. Not bitter. Not too sweet.

The cup was warm. I held it with both hands. No matter how hard the wind blew, my hands weren’t

cold.

ncle Mark looked at the water and said suddenly.

“When I was little, I was given away too. So I know some wounds can’t be fixed with an apology.

I didn’t answer. He stood and brushed the sand off his pants.

“But if you need someone to pick you up from school, or fix a lamp, you can call me.”

“When the lamp is on, the room isn’t so dark.”

I remembered that.

Mom and Dad found Rockport two months later.

After school that day, I saw them standing outside the apartment complex with a gift box.

“Leo.”

Mom saw me. Her eyes lit up. She hurried over. “We bought you LEGO. The newest set! And these- the sneakers you always wanted-”

“Excuse me.”

I walked around them. Dad grabbed Aunt Claire’s wrist.

“Just ten minutes. Let us talk to Leo.”

“Let go.”

“I’m not letting go! We took a train all night to get here. Is this how you treat us?”

His voice rose. Someone in the hallway peeked out.

I stopped and shrank further behind Aunt Claire.

“Leo, Mom and Dad came to see you. We brought gifts-”

Dad rushed over and tried to touch my head.

I shrank back.

“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, my arm doesn’t hurt anymore.”