Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Christ, that was incredible of Callum, sharing that with us. It made that strange draw to him I’d felt from the beginning pull me closer.
And he was good at this—at talking with kids. I should have told Logan how brave he was, how proud of him I was. “Hey.” I knelt in front of him.
“I’ll give you guys a minute,” I heard Callum say in the background, but I didn’t look up. I kept my gaze on Logan.
“I love you no matter what. I always will. If you never want to play ball, I won’t care. If you don’t want to work out with me or learn to carve or anything like that, I won’t care. None of that stuff matters. I love you, and I’m proud of who you are, okay? And those other kids, that’s their problem and their loss because they’re missing out on the best person I know. You’re smart and funny and have such a big heart. If they don’t see that—well, it’s probably not appropriate for me to say what I want to about them.” I pushed his hair back and cupped his face. Wiped the tears leaking from his eyes. “It doesn’t matter how big you are or any of those other things. They don’t hold your worth. I’m the luckiest dad in the world to have you for my son, and I want you to know you can always, always come and talk to me about anything. You don’t ever need to feel like you can’t come to me. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“I feel like there’s something wrong with me sometimes. Charlie likes doing that stuff with you.”
“Everyone is different, buddy. I wish I was as smart as you. You and Charlie are different people, and I love you both for different reasons.”
He nodded, and I pulled him into a hug. Logan cried into my shoulder, took his glasses off and set them beside him. No one came in, no one bothered us, and I knew that was because of Callum.
I held my son and told him I loved him over and over.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when he pulled away. I got him tissues to wipe his face. He cleaned his glasses and put them back on. “We good?” I asked.
“Yeah, Dad.”
I couldn’t believe he’d been dealing with all that and had never told his mom or me. I’d make sure to pay extra attention now—and talk to the school to make sure none of that happened again.
I opened the door and stuck my head out. Callum was standing at the counter, looking at a piece of paper. His eyes darted up as if he felt my stare. He smiled and came over.
“It’s not your fault,” he said softly.
“Doesn’t feel that way.”
“It’s still not.” He smiled again and walked into the room.
He gave us instructions for Logan’s hand, then asked, “You guys have any fun plans for the weekend?”
“Dad’s taking me to get a dog tomorrow. It’s like a two-hour drive away. We have to make sure I’m not allergic. She’s hypoallergenic, but I read that it can still cause some people with asthma problems because of the dander. I’m hoping not because I really want her.”
“It sounds like you guys are taking all the right precautions. And there are other things you can do at home more often, like sweeping, dusting, vacuuming. Maybe get an air purifier. You’re pretty lucky. I love dogs. I want one.”
These were all things we did or had, but I appreciated him mentioning them.
“Do you want to go with us to get her?” Logan asked excitedly. “Oh my God, can he, Dad?”
My eyes made their way over to Callum. I could somehow read his expression, that he was telling me it wasn’t a big deal, that I didn’t have to say yes, but…I wanted to. I enjoyed his company. He intrigued me, and I wanted to know more about him. “Yeah, sure. We’d love the company if you’re available. You can come over afterward, and we can grill or something.” I told myself there was nothing different about this, that the flips in my stomach were nerves. This was the same as asking Law or Griff over, but it felt that way. I couldn’t put my finger on why.
“I’d love to go, if you’re sure. I don’t want to intrude.”
Was it me, or were Callum’s cheeks slightly pink?
“You won’t be intruding at all,” I replied, then because this felt big, felt serious, I ruffled Logan’s hair. “This brat seems to like you.”
Logan rolled his eyes.
“I like him too,” Callum replied.
“Should I, um…get your phone number? You know, so we can plan for tomorrow. We can pick you up, or whatever works.”
Yep, his cheeks were definitely pink. I didn’t want to let myself think about what that meant.