Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me Chapter 09

Seven Times They Chose Him. The Last Time, They Lost Me Chapter 09

A year later, Aunt Claire and Uncle Mark adopted me.

One night I had a high fever. Aunt Claire carried me into the ER. Uncle Mark rushed over and didn’t

ask a thing.

He checked me in, got my medicine, admitted me, then sat beside me and handed me a cup warm

water.

“Take a sip. Your lips are dry.”

I took the cup and suddenly wanted to cry. It had been so long since anyone had stayed with me like

this.

Aunt Claire fell asleep on the edge of the bed, still clutching the payment receipt.

At dawn, Uncle Mark looked at me, his gaze steady.

“Leo, Aunt Claire and I talked it over.”

“We’re not going to have any other kids. If you want, you’re ours.”

I looked up at him. “Why?”

away wh

“I got sent away when I was little.”

He said it calmly, like he was talking about someone else.

“My foster parents had their own kid and gave me back.”

“So I know kids aren’t for carrying on a family line. They’re for protecting.”

“No one protected me when I was little. But I’ll protect you with my life.”

I was quiet for a long time. “You don’t think I’m too much trouble?”

“Are you going to think we’re just halfway parents?”

I didn’t know what to say.

He smiled. “So I guess we’re even.”

Three months later, we moved into a house with a backyard.

Uncle Mark built a swing set in the yard just for me.

The wooden seat was sanded smooth. The ropes were wrapped in padding.

Uncle Mark sat on it three times himself before he let me try.

Uncle Mark got off work at six every day, no matter what.

When he got home, he played with me for an hour, then helped me with

my

homework

If he didn’t know a problem, he secretly looked it up on his phone and made me promise not to tell.

At first I called them Aunt Claire and Uncle Mark. Then Aunt Claire Mom and Uncle Mark Dad Then/

just Mom and Dad.

The first time I said it, Mom was chopping vegetables. The knife stopped on the cutting board and didn’t move for a long time.

The Bennetts showed up for the last time when I was ten.

They somehow found my school address and waited at the gate.

When I came out after school, I saw them and froze.

They had aged a lot. Mr. Bennett’s hair was half gray.

Mrs. Bennett had put on weight. Wrinkles lined the corners of her eyes. She tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Leo, Mom and Dad came to see you-

I stopped and pulled a drawing out of my backpack.

“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, this is my new drawing. My family.”

Mr. Bennett took it. The drawing had a mom, a dad, me, and a little dog.

Mom was hugging me. Dad stood beside us, smiling.

“This is my mom.”

I pointed at Aunt Claire in the drawing.

“This is you.”

I pointed at two blurry figures in the corner.

“My mom says you used to be my mom and dad too. But that was before.”

MA Bennett’s hand started shaking. “Leo, we-

“Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, I have to go home. My mom made pot roast today. If I’m late, Dad wi eat it

all.”

I turned and ran across the street.

Mom and Dad stood there, holding my little water bottle.

They saw the people across the street. They didn’t say anything. They just crouched down and pulled me into their arms.

Dad’s hands were wide. He wrapped them around me and Mom.

That night, Rockport had its first snow of the year.

I sat on the carpet doing homework. Mom draped a blanket over me.

“Did they leave?”

“Yeah. Their tickets are for tomorrow.”

“Will they come again?”

“If I know them, no.”

Dad put a peeled apple beside my hand, cut into little bunny shapes.

I finished the last problem and leaned over the stair railing.

“Mom! Dad! Good night!”

Mom answered.

Dad looked up and smiled at me.

The heat was turned up high. A layer of white fog covered the windows.

I lay my head on the desk and watched the snow outside.

The snow fell harder and harder, covering the footprints from years past.