Page 49 of Stolen Fate

“How was your day, sweetie?” I asked, running my fingers through the mass of his soft brown hair.

“It was awesome! Guess what we did?”

“What?” I asked.

“We made ori…ori...nami.”

“Origami?” I asked.

His face brightened. “Yes!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I folded a boat and a hat and a dog and a cat!”

“That sounds amazing, Elliot.”

He smiled at me and I realized there was very little I wouldn’t do for that smile. “Charlie ripped the ear of her dog. But that’s okay, because I gave her mine.”

Lisa laughed at that. “Sounds like you guys had a good day.”

Charlie nodded but didn’t say anything, still quite shy around me. “Elliot, I think you should give Charlie back her backpack.”

“I was holding it for her,” he told me, but he pulled away and handed it to her.

“Thanks, Elliot,” she said softly.

We watched as they walked away, and Elliot grabbed hold of my hand. In a few years, he wouldn’t want to do that anymore.

I frowned.

I wondered if I would still be around in a few years.

I was brought out of my reverie when Elliot tugged on my arm to get me moving.

I made sure his jacket was zipped up over his blue uniform blazer before we left, and though he fussed a little, he let me do it.

I was glad he wasn’t spoiled rotten, and that he actually listened to me most of the time.

He happily skipped toward the entrance while holding onto my hand, his backpack making a thump, thump, thump noise every time he moved.

We got out the door just as a cold burst of wind flew through and Elliot huddled in closer to me.

“Do you think it will snow tonight?” Elliot asked.

“I don’t know, sweetie.” I hadn’t heard anything, but it could be possible.

“If it does, then I won’t have to go to school tomorrow.”

“Don’t you like school?”

“Yes, because Charlie and Marcus are there. But I like hanging out with you, too.”

“Yeah?” I reached into my purse for his hat.

He grabbed it from my hand before I could put it on him and placed it sloppily on his head. “Yeah. And if it snows, we can play in the snow tomorrow!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. It might be too cold to be playing outside.”

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