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“That’s my grammy, but she don’t like that kind of name.”

“Oh, I get it.” He laughed and kicked at a rock on the sidewalk, sending it skittering into the lawn.

“You know my M-meems?” the little girl asked.

“Sure do. Because I always see her out here and talk to her when I come outside. I even mowed her lawn the other day.”

He was thinking about starting up a business, but he needed to think of a catchy name for it first.

Maybe then, if he could contribute, his mom wouldn’t be so mad and call him a burden.

“W-we get to live here now because we don’t gotta live with my d-d-daddy anymore.”

His stomach dropped, and his chest felt heavy.

He wondered if their house was like his.

He swung his attention over his shoulder and looked at it. At the shingles that were missing on the roof and the box that covered the window on his mom’s bedroom from when she got into a fight with her last boyfriend.

He hoped not.

He turned back to her. “At least you got Ms. Stoughton. She’s really nice.”

“My meems is very nice.”

He chuckled. “So, what am I supposed to call my new friend?”

It came out sounding like a tease.

She hesitated then whispered, “I’m Elena, but my momma likes to call me Lena.”

Trevan looked up when he felt the movement from behind the screen door, and a boy who was probably about his age appeared.

Ms. Stoughton had told him about her grandkids.

Silas was his name, Trevan remembered.

Silas sent Trevan a scowl before he looked down at his sister.

Shoulders back like he was going to jump in and fight Trevan if he was being mean to her.

“Elena, you know you aren’t supposed to be talking to strangers or be outside by yourself. We gotta be safe, remember?”

He didn’t sound like he was mad, just worried.

“I was just making sure D-daddy wasn’t comin’.”

Trevan didn’t like the way her voice wobbled, and his chest felt hard and soft at the same time.

“She’s safe with me,” Trevan interjected, tossing his ball in the air. “I can look after her, too, and keep a look out to make sure your dad doesn’t show up. I live right across the street.”

“Are you Trevan?” the boy asked.

“Yup.”

“My meems told me you’d be coming around.”

Trevan grinned. “How’d she know?”