Harrison looked confused at my question.
“You eat them like this.” I held it up and tilted my head to the side, pretending to take a bite. “That way you get the meat and toppings all at once.”
“Oh!” Harrison tried it, tilting his head almost to the point of hitting his shoulder before taking a bite. A large portion of the meat and cheese fell out the opposite end, making me laugh.
“That’s okay,” I encouraged. “It takes practice. You’ll get it.”
We ate in awkward silence for a few minutes, and I felt Harrison’s eyes on me almost the entire time. He was a curious, attentive kid, always taking in his surroundings. I suspected it was a trait he’d picked up in the last year, when his world had been turned upside down. I couldn’t even imagine the chaos and turmoil he must have gone through when his parents were taken to prison. I’d been on the other side of that picture one too many times, taking someone’s father or mother away for crimes they’d committed. It was something that never got easier. It broke my heart every damn time for the kids who were left behind, and it always made me think of Beckett. Both he and Preston had been foster kids once, so many years ago. They had a far better understanding of what Harrison was going through than I did. I wished like hell Beck was back from his trip so I could talk to him.
I glanced at Harris and tried to imagine what Beckett would do with him right now. How would Beck comfort a kid whose future was uncertain? I had no fucking clue. It was just one more thing to make me feel like a fish out of water. I really needed to call Mom. She’d know what to do.
Despite the smile on Harrison’s face, I knew he was struggling internally. He’d had a hard time falling asleep the first couple of nights here, but Reyes had been here to help, reading to him and hugging him as many times he needed. Harrison had only woken up twice that first night but had fallen back asleep quickly. I wondered if he was trying to be brave for Wyatt, or us. I wasn’t sure.
“He trusts you. He knows he’s okay.”Rey had tried to encourage me last night when we lay in bed together, yet my nerves kept me up most of the night. I knew he was right. Harrisdidtrust me… I just needed to trust myself with him.
After dinner, Harrison brushed his teeth as I’d asked, but it was only 6:30. Reyes said he wouldn’t be back until around 8:00, just in time to help get Harris to bed. The hour and a half in between felt as if it was going to last an eternity.
Harrison’s smile faded as I cleaned up the kitchen. “Jake, can I call Dad?”
The sadness in his voice broke my heart. “Yeah, of course, Sport.”
Reyes had attached a piece of paper to the fridge with the phone number to Wyatt’s room at the hospital. His treatment was in Charleston, which meant visits weren’t going to be very frequent due to our work schedules, but he’d said Harris could call as often as he wanted. I handed the phone to Harris and went to the couch, expecting Harris to go off on his own so he could have privacy while he talked to Wyatt. Instead, he climbed on the couch next to me, curling into my side as he held the phone to his ear. Lady and Quinn both followed, resting their heads on each of our laps. Harrison idly scratched Lady’s head while he spoke into the phone.
I could only hear his end of the conversation, but he sounded sad as he shared about the rough day at school and how much he was missing their bedtime routine. It made me realize I hadn’t even thought of askingwhattheir routine was or if there was anything I could do to make things easier for Harris. That had been all Rey. Parenting came so naturally to Reyes, and I was fumbling at every step, which only solidified my fear that a family was going to be something he’d want down the road.
The thought of little humans coming between Reyes and me simply gutted me. I didn’t want to lose Rey, but I didn’t want to keep him from something he was meant to have either.
“Yeah, Coach does, but it’s not the same. I miss our books,” Harrison said.
Again, I was reminded of Harper. She loved stories and would always cuddle with Tosh or Beckett when they read to her. Would Harris like it if I wrapped my arm around him like they did? Was that something he needed right now? I reluctantly lifted my arm and almost as soon as I did, Harrison snuggled in closer.
When Harrison hung up, he didn’t move from my side. I saw Bumblebee on the floor not too far from my feet and reached for him.
“Thanks,” Harris said, hugging the toy close to his chest. I remembered his excitement about Optimus Prime and made a mental note to order something for him after he went to bed. Maybe a new toy would cheer him up.
Lady licked Harrison’s wrist, still sensing his distress.
“Want to take her outside and throw that little, red, round thing for a while?”
He giggled. Harrison had already caught on to the fact that we couldn’t sayballorstickaround Lady without her going crazy.
“Sure!”
“Go get your shoes and a coat. It’s cold.”
I slipped into my tennis shoes and pulled on a coat before stepping out back and turning on the light. Lady and Quinn ran outside with me, barking excitedly. My neighbor, who I still hadn’t officially met, was outside grilling something on his barbecue and gave a small wave when he saw me. I waved back and said hello but was too preoccupied to introduce myself.
Harrison came through the open door a minute later, looking a little happier than he had earlier. He threw the ball in Lady’s direction, then giggled when the golden retriever immediately began chasing it, nearly knocking Quinn over in the process.
“Do you want to throw it?” he asked when Lady dropped the ball at his feet.
“No, you go ahead,” I encouraged.
“Is that you, Harris?” my neighbor called.
Harrison hadn’t noticed the man on the other side of the short fence and jumped at his voice. It took him a minute to see him in the dim light of the porch, but then he threw his arm up and waved. “Oh, hi, Mr. Price!” He beamed, then looked back at me. “Jake, that’s my teacher!”
My eyes went wide as I locked eyes with my neighbor. I was neighbors with Harrison’s teacher? Well, shit, what were the chances of that happening.? It felt even more awkward that I hadn’t taken the time to introduce myself to him yet.
