“Sounds good. I’ll get his bedroom ready.”
As soon as I hang up, I send a text message to Tina.
Nick
Something’s come up. I’ll call you later.
I’ll figure out how to explain this to her when I have a little more time. Right now, I need to run home and get a room ready for a kid I’ve never met. It’s a good thing the trainers who were staying with me for the retreat left as soon as they’d finished dinner tonight, or else I wouldn’t have anywhere to stash this kid.
After a quick jog through dark streets, I make it to my house with a few minutes to spare. I’ve just finished wrestling a clean fitted sheet onto the mattress when the doorbell rings. Leaving the bed unmade, I run down the stairs and throw open the door. Gloria looks at me with a sad smile. A young man stands next to her, a plastic bag slung over one arm as he inspects his shoes.He smells faintly of smoke, with singe marks and burn holes decorating his jacket sleeves, the bandages wrapped around his hands, a stark reminder of what he’s been through tonight.
He ran into a fire to save his parents. That’s hero shit, right there, regardless of the outcome.
“Hi, Nick, meet Carson. Carson, this is Nick. You’ll be staying with him for a while.”
The kid nods without looking up. “Hey,” he mumbles.
“Hi, Carson. Come on in.” I step back and hold the door open, gesturing for Carson and Gloria to come inside.
“Thanks,” Gloria says, her hand on Carson’s back as she guides him inside. Other than the clothes on his back, all he has with him is a small plastic grocery sack from a pharmacy. If I’m right, that’s the medication for his burns. “Thanks again for making room for Carson on such short notice.”
I wave her off. “I have plenty of room. As it happens, all my spare rooms were vacated earlier today.”
“You told your company to leave? I’m sorry, man. I can go somewhere else.” Carson hurries to apologize, attempting to turn back to the door. I hate that he feels like a burden.
“No, no,” I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It was a prearranged thing. They left before I even heard you needed somewhere to stay. I promise. The room is yours for as long as you need it.” His shoulders slump as he relaxes, his breath leaving him in a steady stream. “I was putting fresh sheets on the bed when you guys got here,” I add dumbly.
This kid lost everything tonight, and I’m here telling him about sheets like an asshole. But what could I possibly say to someone whose parents have just died that would help?
“Okay, thanks. Uh...” Carson hesitates, before blowing out another breath. “Do you think I could borrow some clothes for tonight?” He gestures to his body with a bandaged hand. “I’d love to get out of this stuff. It stinks like smoke.” He holds hissleeve closer to his face. “And I just now noticed my jacket has burn holes in it. I don’t…” His voice cracks slightly as emotion bubbles up. “I didn’t get anything out of the house.”
“Sure thing,” I say with a nod. “You can borrow whatever you need for now, and when you’re ready, we’ll go shopping and get you some new clothes.”
Gloria speaks up. “Oh, um…I don’t have authorization to release emergency funds yet. I’m hoping to get that call soon, though.”
I roll my eyes. Leave it to the bureaucracy to help without actually helping. “That’s fine. I have more than enough.”
“I have a little money in my bank account,” Carson says. “I can pay you back.”
“No way, kid. Gloria and the Department of Children and Families can pay their share and I’m happy to pitch in the rest. I’m sure you’re saving up for something a lot better than some new clothes, anyway.”
A small smile tugs at the corners of Carson’s lips. “Well, I am saving up for some sick basketball shoes and basketball camp this summer.”
“There you go,” I say with a chuckle, briefly wondering if it’s the same basketball camp Tina’s part timer wants to attend. “Save your money for basketball and let us take care of the boring stuff.”
The kid’s eyes take on a faraway look as he nods in agreement. Just as he opens his mouth to say something, the front door swings open, and in walks Jared, home much earlier than expected.
“Hey, guys,” he drawls, his voice laced with confusion. “Gloria? What are you doing here? Shit. I’m not leaving already, am I? I’m supposed to stay until school’s over.” His head swivels frantically between me and Gloria, panic written all over hisface. If I ever doubted he wanted to stay here, the look on his face right now would cure me of that thought right quick.
Gloria fixes a friendly smile on her face and turns to Jared. “No, honey. I’m here on other business tonight. Have you met Carson? Maybe you’ve seen him at school?”
Jared gives Carson a head tip, and receives an answering, “hey.”
“Carson’s going to stay here with us for a while. Can you take him upstairs and show him his room? I’ve got him in the one beside yours.” Jared nods, his eyes full of questions that he’s dying to ask, but he’s too polite to do it in front of the other boy. Without giving him any clues, I turn to Carson. “I’ll be up soon to finish making the bed, and to get you something to wear. I need to talk to Gloria for a few minutes first.”
Carson nods, the dazed look he was sporting when he first arrived here back on his face. He trudges up the stairs behind Jared, leaving me with Gloria.
“What did the doctor say about his hands?” I ask, worried about the bandages I’d seen wrapped around Carson’s fingers. “Can he shower? Do I need to go pick up an ointment or something?”
