Page 65 of Every Little Kiss
“Don’t give up,” Ford said, coming up behind him. “Bullseye wants to be your friend and trust you, but most of all he wants to give you what you need, but you have to tell him what to do.” Ford stuck his fist out again, and Bullseye looked at him like,Really, bro.“He doesn’t know if I want him to shake my hand or do the super handshake. That’s why it’s important to be clear about what you need. Now, make a fist.” Paxton did, and Ford guided his hand forward. “Then you say, ‘Rocks.’”
Bullseye let out a bark and then performed the trick, explosion and all.
“That was great,” Ford said, and Paxton soaked up the praise. He didn’t look at the ground or the sky—he looked directly at Ford and beamed so brightly Ford could feel the warmth seeping into his chest. “We used the right word, so he didn’t misunderstand what we need from him. Now this time you take the leash and try.”
Paxton looked back and forth between the leash and Bullseye, as though this were a trick to get him to talk, and if he didn’t, their fun day would be ruined. Then he dropped the leash and stepped back.
Ford put a hand on the boy’s slim shoulders. “You got this, buddy. And if you get nervous, just remember Bullseye’s got your back.”
Ford wanted to say he did too, but he was leaving, and the kid didn’t need another person disappearing in his life.
“Now, get to it, Superboy,” he said, using the name he’d called him that night, because silent or not, that kid had gone through an ordeal that most adults couldn’t have survived.
With a breath big enough for Superman, Paxton stuck out his fist with force, pausing only to look over his shoulder at Ford, who pretended to be busy, making important notes in his pad.
Confident that he wasn’t being watched, Paxton squared his shoulders. Ford did his best to give Paxton the room he needed, and that’s when he heard it. A soft but fearless “Rocks.”
It came out morewalksthanrocks, but Ford didn’t care. Bullseye obeyed his command, and Superboy had overcome two pretty large obstacles today. His desire to find a connection was stronger than his fear of disappointing someone.
“Good job,” Ford said, cool and confident as if he had no doubt in Paxton’s skills, when inside he was shaking with relief. “Now go with Bullseye, and when you give the note to Ballerina Girl, let go of his leash and I’ll call Bullseye back, but you need to stay there and keep an eye on Ballerina Girl until camp is over.”
And wouldn’t you know it, Paxton raised his hand like a salute, and then with the leash in his grasp, he raced off. Ford watched after him, his little shoes blinking as they got smaller and smaller, and the emotion in Ford’s chest grew larger and larger until swallowing became impossible.
Because that little guy had managed to do the one thing Ford couldn’t—accept that he needed connection.
The sun was actually still shining when Liv pulled into her driveway. Because of a last-minute schedule change, she was able to get out of work two hours early—and make it home in time for family dinner.
Grabbing the pizza from the passenger seat, she walked around to the front porch. Paxton was sitting on the top step, wiggling with energy, as if he had to use the boys’ room. He wore red tights, a blue shirt, and a cape tied around his neck.
“Mommy! You’re home!” he said, full of excitement and animation. “I was waiting for you.”
“I can see that,” she said right as Paxton charged down the front steps and into her arms, clinging to her legs like a sloth. She bent down and gave him a big squeeze, holding him close so she could breathe him in. Only he was too excited to endure the hug, and he was already wiggling out of her arms. “Did Grandma tell you I was coming home?”
“Uh-huh. She also told me you were bringing pizza.”
“And cupcakes. Where is she?”
“Talking to her friend.” Liv hoped he was on the phone and not in her front room. “I came out here to show you this.” He shoved a folded piece of paper in her face, but before she could read it he was walking in circles around her. “It’s a secret message from headquarters. I got to deliver it to Ballerina Girl—that’s Emma’s superhero name—during camp.”
“You did?” she asked, her heart melting. Today marked the first day he’d come home from camp happy. Maybe Ford was right and all he needed was time.
“Yup. She had to give rocks to get it. That was the rules. And she did it. In front of everyone. Then she showed me some cool moves.”
Paxton did some kind of disco move, and Liv bit back her smile.
“That is cool. But what is ‘rocks’?” Liv asked, knowing she was going to owe Harris big-time. She didn’t know what he’d said to Emma, but she’d never seen Paxton so excited about playing with a kid. Not even Tommy, the little boy who sometimes came over to trade comic books.
“Like this.” Paxton punched the air like he was some kind of ninja. “Now bump my fist when I say so.” He looked at her. “Rocks ... That means go, Mommy.”
“Oh, okay. Rocks.” Liv bumped fists, and Paxton fell back on the grass as if the explosion was too much to be contained. Kind of like the joy pumping through her chest.
“Then everyone was like, ‘Cool, do it again,’ so we did. Like a hundred times again, and then Captain Jason called us in for a power chat.” He jumped up, fist-pumped the air, and held the pose before continuing. “And he tolded us our Super Assignment. And guess what it is? Guess—you won’t guess it right.”
Liv gave her best perplexed look. “You all have to make your own superhero pose?”
Paxton rolled his eyes. “Poses are for babies. Us big kids get to come up with a secret handshake for the last day of camp. Captain Jason said it should show our superpowers, so we all have to have one, but no one can have the same one. And no one will have mine.”
Liv agreed. Her kid had more superpowers than DC and Marvel put together. He might be shy and slow to warm up, but he had more heart than anyone she knew.
