“Charlie thinks dad could have changed.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. He used to pretend he wasn’t hurting us. When we saw my friends, he’d act like he was the best dad in the world. It made me feel sick.”
David wished Ethan was here to give Andy some advice. He was worried he’d say the wrong thing and make everything worse. “Why did it make you feel sick?”
“Because it was a lie and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
They stopped in front of a wooden seat overlooking the old go-kart building. “If you could do something about it now, what would you do?”
“I’d tell him to stop telling lies and to leave us alone. And then I’d talk to mom, and tell her not to listen to him.”
“Do you think she would listen?”
“I hope so.”
David sat on the seat and Andy joined him. “You know, sometimes it’s hard being a mom or a dad. Just because you’re an adult, it doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes. Even when you think you know how to fix things, it can be more complicated than you imagined. Your mom’s like that.”
Andy scrunched up his nose. “Mom’s complicated?”
David smiled. “I meant she tries really hard to fix problems.”
“Dad’s a big problem.”
He wasn’t wrong. “Your mom’s trying to show you and Charlie there’s a better way of doing things. Your dad didn’t have someone to teach him, so he copied what he’d seen. It wasn’t very nice.”
“So, if we show dad how to be a better person, he might change?”
“It’s worth a try. If he doesn’t want to change, you can’t do anything about it.”
“Do you think I should talk to him?”
David frowned. “I think you should talk to your mom about it. Tell her you’re worried about not being safe and see what she says.”
Andy looked across the building site. “Sometimes I get real angry. It feels like a volcano is bubbling inside of me. Does that mean I’m like my dad?”
“No, it means you’re just like everyone else. I get angry sometimes, too.”
“Is that when you go for a run?”
It surprised him that Andy remembered. “It is. Running helps me calm down and work out what’s important. What do you do when you feel the volcano getting hotter?”
“I close my eyes and take some deep breaths.”
“Does it help?”
“Most of the time. I only get angry when I think about Dad.”
David didn’t blame him. “One day, that might be different. Just remember that a lot of people care about you. If you’re worried about anything and I’m not here, call my cell phone. Your mom, Pastor John, Ethan, and Mr. Jessop are here for you, too.”
“It used to be only Mom and Charlie.”
“Now you have a whole town who want you to be happy.”
Andy sat a little taller. “I’m ready to go back to the church now. Thanks for listening.”
“You’re welcome.” David stood and walked back to the cabin with Andy. He was a good kid and would make a wonderful adult. All he had to do was get through the next few years without any major trauma.
