Good.
Sometimes he got into trouble at school because he talked a lot, but his momma told him that didn’t make him bad.
“Mom,” he drew out, fighting the red on his cheeks.
“What? I’m just stating the truth, and my baby is getting so big and kind and thoughtful that sometimes it makes my heart ache because I’m so proud of him.”
His chest stretched full.
“Because we’ve got love inside,” he told her.
Her laugh was a tinkle. “And he’s smart, too.”
“Only because you told me it five million times.” He shook his head with a roll of his eyes like he was annoyed.
Chuckling, she ran her fingers through his hair. “Just because I always want you to remember. No matter what.”
She knelt in front of him and set her hand on his chest. “Because we have to remember to always love with everything we have, even when it scares us.”
“I will,” he promised.
Her smile was soft. “It’s your heart.”
Silas noticed that her attention darted to the big clock over the fireplace again. She’d done it the whole night when she didn’t think he was watching, the hours ticking by and his dad’s plate still sitting on the table.
He’d been home a lot lately, and it was better when he was because then his momma didn’t seem so upset, and the worst thing in Silas’s life was when his momma got sad.
He could see that sadness clouding at the very edges of her eyes, making tiny wrinkles, even though she forced it back.
“All right, you two. It’s time for bed.”
“I not tired.” Elena always said that and then fell asleep in five seconds flat. But Silas really wasn’t tired. He wanted to stay up and keep his momma company so she wasn’t alone.
But when she told him to get up and brush his teeth, he did, helping his little sister, too. Telling her to open wide as she stood on her tippy toes on the stool next to him as he helped her brush her tiny teeth.
She gurgled and giggled and grinned, and he helped her wipe her mouth when they finished, then took her hand and led her to her crib that sat in the corner across from his bed.
Their momma swept Elena up, peppered her face with kisses, then tucked her under her covers.
He’d already crawled into his bed when she turned around, her smile so soft as she looked at him. She knelt at his side, ran her hands through his hair the way she always did, murmured, “My big helper. Thank you.”
“I can do everything you need, Mom.”
“I know you can, but you’re supposed to have fun too.” It sounded like a tease mixed up with something bad.
He almost rolled his eyes. He always had a lot of fun, and he had a ton of Little League games and practices. Besides, his momma always made everything a game, even if it was work.
“You don’t gotta worry, Mom.”
“I always worry about you.”
“How come?”
She played with his bangs. “Because it’s natural to worry about someone when we love them so much.”
He guessed he worried about her, too.
Worried so much when a long time later the front door came banging open.
