“We’re working to get his identification paperwork in order so he can apply for jobs. He has experience but worked for a company that closed.”
“We see a lot of people who have lost their homes in this job market.” Donald spoke softly after sitting in the chair closest to the door. “There’s no shame in it.” He paused. “My specialty is child services—I’m an advocate for children. But the crossover to the entire family is becoming more and more expected. You can’t help the children without helping the parents.” He opened his case and pulled out some papers. “There is emergency money available that can be used to help Todd start getting on his feet. It’s not much, but it should allow him to feed the two of them and start to feel some independence again.”
Finally, he seemed to find his voice, looking at the man with Donald. “What is he here for?”
Donald rolled his eyes. “Carter is overprotective sometimes.” Donald turned around. “You could smile every once in a while. Todd is homeless, not a serial killer.” He smacked Carter on the shoulder, and he finally seemed to lose that almostmilitary bearing. “The ultimate end goal would be to help you and Kenny get back on your feet enough to get a place of your own. I checked, and at the moment, the places we have for temporary housing are all occupied, and resources are stretched to the limit.”
“That’s okay. Like I said, they can stay here. So housing isn’t an issue. If you have some emergency funding, that will help them, and then we can help Todd find a job.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Donald stood. “If you need anything, please let me know. I’m going to leave these forms for emergency assistance. Just return them to me, and I’ll get them to the proper department for processing. I also brought some references for writing resumes and filling out job applications. For a lot of places, they have online processes now.” He passed them to Todd. “Honestly, I wish I could do more.”
“You’ve helped us already. At least I know we’re on the right track,” Jamie said with a smile. “Todd, are there any other questions that you have?”
He shrugged. “This is all so overwhelming, I guess. For months, things just seemed to happen to us. Kenny and I sort of blew in the wind and did what we had to.” Taking control of things once more seemed like such a huge job, and he wasn’t sure he was up for it. But he had to be. Kenny was counting on him, so he needed to pull himself together and do what was right for him.
“Jameson, would you mind taking Kenny into the kitchen for a few minutes?” Donald asked. “Carter, you go along with him. Okay?”
They all left, though Carter did so reluctantly. “I know this can be frightening and overwhelming,” Donald said. “Everyone thinks that getting back on your feet is about money, a job, a place to live. But it’s more than that.” He was patient, and Todd nodded.
“I’m afraid.”
“Of what, exactly?” Donald asked in that soothing voice he had.
“Of failing all over again,” he admitted. “What if all of you do all this to help and I end up right back where I was? I failed once before, so how do I know I won’t do it again?”
Donald nodded. “I get that question a lot. And it’s one of those questions that you need to answer. The best way to answer it is with determination and grit. It’s got to come from inside you. You can get help, and you have someone determined to try, but in the end, it’s all down to you. Do you want to return to camping out in parks?”
Todd shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted. “I’ll do what I have to do to keep Kenny safe.” He himself wasn’t important, but Kenny needed and deserved a home.
“You keep telling yourself that. Let those words give you strength. There will be bumps in the road, but you’ll get there with determination and work.”
Maybe that was what he needed to hear. It was possible for him to take control of parts of his life and make things better. “Thank you,” he said with more confidence. They had a plan, which was more than Todd had had a few days ago. The fear was still there, but maybe, instead of growing and controlling everything, it was beginning to recede.
Donald got Carter, and they left. Todd sat on the sofa, trying to get everything settled in his head. There were forms to fill out and applications to submit. So much to do that it felt almost overwhelming. So much had changed in a matter of hours, and he needed a chance to process it.
“Go ahead and get Kenny cleaned up and ready for bed. I’ll start to organize what we need to do into more manageable steps that will be easier for us to keep track of. We don’t need to doall of this tonight. But first thing tomorrow, we need to get your papers. That’s the first step.”
“Yeah….” He sniffed and did his best to hold it together. “Come on, Kenny. Let’s get you ready for bed.” For part of him, the part that remembered life before everything fell apart, it felt so normal… yet he knew it was anything but. Still, Jamie was there, and that meant he wasn’t alone, at least for now.
ChapterThree
Jamie couldn’tsleep. Not that the house wasn’t quiet or anything, but he was hyperaware of others in his home, and he kept waking up just to make sure there wasn’t an issue. Finally, at well after one, he got out of bed and headed to the kitchen, where he made tea and then sat on the sofa, pulled his computer onto his lap, and got to work on final changes to his article before sending it to the editor. His exams had been developed, but he hadn’t uploaded them to the college system. There were more rumblings about exams being for sale and things like that. Not from the faculty, but snippets picked up from students in the halls. He didn’t want to put his materials out on the campus servers and have them compromised, so he was still holding on to them.
A floorboard creak pulled his attention away from the words. Jamie blinked and lifted his head and nearly swallowed his tongue. Todd stood a few feet away, his hair tousled from sleep, blinky, and in just a pair of boxers. Absently, he rubbed his flat belly, and Jamie couldn’t help staring.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. A lot of the time I don’t sleep well, so I often get up and work.”
“Kenny is a restless sleeper. Sometimes he kicks.” Todd scratched his butt, and Jamie tried to look away, but the view was too danged good.
“Do you want some tea? It’s herbal, so it won’t keep you up.” He set the computer aside and went to the kitchen. A noise of sorts reached his ears, and the floorboards squeaked once more. He made Todd a cup, and when he returned to the living room, Todd sat on the sofa in a T-shirt as well as the boxers. Jamie gavehim the mug and then sat down, pulling the computer back into place.
Todd sipped and sighed while Jamie did his best to get his mind back on work, but he found it nearly impossible. He drank some of his tea and tried to keep his mind off Todd.
“I used to have a thing for you in high school,” Todd said softly.
“No way…,” Jamie countered, surprised.
“Yeah. You had the guts to come out at sixteen. When the other kids made fun, you held your head high, and when they called you names, you owned it and took away their power. It was so cool. I wish I’d had the guts to tell you how I felt back then.” He drank more of his tea. “Instead, I let fear and worry guide me all through those years and well afterward. It was part of how I had Kenny. Not that I regret having him and all….”
