to return this next week.”
“He sleeps with it, right?”
“Every night.”
“Then why give it to you?”
Julian stared at the toy for a long moment.
Finally, he said,
“His dad didn’t come.”
I waited.
“But I did.”
Then I understood.
Theo hadn’t given Julian his favorite toy.
He had created a reason for Julian to return.
The only way a five-year-old knew how to guarantee somebody would come back.
“Julian?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I come next Thursday?”
He looked at me.
“Dani.”
“I know.”
“You’re going to take everything home with you.”
“I know.”
“You’ll cry.”
“Probably.”
He hesitated.
Then I said,
“You’ve been carrying it alone for a year.”
Julian looked away.
“You lie awake too, don’t you? On the nights Theo’s dad doesn’t arrive.”
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
“You don’t have to carry this by yourself either.”
Finally, he nodded.
“One day a week.”
