Chapter 4The System’s Puppet

The next morning, I was making breakfast with dark circles under my eyes.

His sleepy murmurs from the night before echoed in my head.

Nathan crying? Telling him to remember me? What did it all mean?

The bowl in my hand slipped and shattered on the floor.

I quickly knelt to pick up the pieces, and a sharp edge sliced my finger. Blood welled up.

“Mom, you need a band-aid.”

A small, sweet voice piped up. Before I could react, a pink cartoon band-aid was pressed over the cut.

It was the one from his face yesterday.

I looked at the band-aid, then at him. He was carefully smoothing it down, making sure every edge was secure.

A strange feeling washed over me, a bittersweet ache I couldn’t name.

After breakfast, I went to the convenience store downstairs and bought him a new set of clothes.

Once he was dressed, he stood by the door, as if he knew what was coming.

“Let’s go. I’m taking you home.”

He froze, then latched onto the doorframe with all his might.

“I don’t want to go back.”

“If I don’t take you back soon and they call the police, I’ll be charged with kidnapping.”

“They won’t,” he said, shaking his head. “Dad’s sick. Everyone’s too busy with him to care about me.”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re going.”

I reached for him, but he shrank back.

“Elliot.”

I was starting to get angry. Why would he want to stay with me when he had the Lynch family to go back to? Did he think they would mistreat him?

His small hands were still clamped onto the doorframe, his knuckles white.

Looking at him, I was suddenly reminded of myself, seven years ago.

I had stood at the entrance to the Lynch mansion just like this, clinging to the doorframe, not wanting to go in. Not wanting to see Nathan and Amelia together.

But in the end, I went in.

Because it was the only home I had.