“What’s in this box?”
“Just some old stuff,” William said. He closed the box and pushed it with his foot, keeping the notebook in his hand. He stood up and glanced at the stove, on which sat a steaming casserole. The cheese was a perfect golden-brown. His stomach growled at the sight.
“William?” Adathan said softly.
William looked at him. “Hmm?”
“You said I could ask you anything, right?”
“Of course,” William said, hiding his apprehension.
Adathan stood up. “Could you...” He seemed to hesitate, his smile wavering slightly. His gaze dropped to the notebook in William’s hand for a brief moment, and when he looked back up, his smile was almost completely gone. “... tell me about your childhood?”
William’s eyebrows shot up. “My childhood? Uh. Sure.”
Where to begin?
He didn’t recall much from before his dad left them, a week before his ninth birthday. It was like his memories had shattered alongside the illusion of the happy family they’d never had. And what followed wasn’t what he’d consider an interesting story to tell.
William sat down at the table, placing the notebook in front of him.
He remembered the loneliness after they were forced to move to a cheaper neighborhood, leaving all his friends behind. The guilt when he heard his mom cry late at night, convinced it was all his fault. The anger as she all but disappeared from his life, her two jobs stealing from him the only parent he had left.
A plate appeared in front of William, the comforting aroma wrapping around him like a soothing blanket. He pushed the notebook aside to make room for it on the table, and for a moment, he just inhaled, letting the familiar scent anchor him. His grandma used to make casseroles like this on rainy days. Heremembered rushing back from the woods, icy hands and runny nose, lured to her house by the scents of garlic and cheese.
William’s eyes widened as the memories unraveled in his head. That was the year his mom had reconciled with his grandma.
“When I was a kid,” William said as Adathan sat down across from him, “I used to pretend I was an explorer.”
“An explorer?” Adathan echoed with a smile, reaching for his fork.
William nodded. “I’d put on my explorer hat—which was just an old cap I found among my late grandpa’s fishing gear. And then I’d set off into the woods behind my grandma’s house. I imagined it was uncharted territory, and that I’d been tasked by the king to explore it.”
He nodded toward the notebook. “This was my explorer logbook. I used it to document my journey.”
“That sounds fun,” Adathan said with a chuckle.
William smiled. “It was.” He scooped a bite and blew on it, his mind buzzing with memories.
It was the summer break he recalled the most fondly... yet he’d somehow forgotten it had been the same year his family shattered. If his father hadn’t left them, William wouldn’t have made all these memories. Even worse, he might never have known his grandma.
He put the bite into his mouth and closed his eyes, chewing the creamy goodness. The meal didn’t compare to the fancy food they’d eaten at the hotel—no rare ingredients, or elaborate plating, or whatever. And yet, if William was offered the choice, he’d pick Adathan’s casserole in a heartbeat.
Because if he hadn’t been forced to accept an unacceptable prize three days ago, he never would have had the chance to eat it. And they’d both have missed out on making these new memories.
William opened his eyes and smiled. “It’s delicious.”
CHAPTER 14
Perception
? Oliver:You told him, right?
? William:He knows don’t worry
? Oliver:But you told him how bad it is, right?
? William:He won’t care, I promise
