Out Of The Past

Chaos reigned as the kids started yelling at the news while Brian had a stricken look on his face that no one had noticed yet.

Except, I saw, Sam. 

His eyes were locked on Brian, and worry was plainly evident in them as he watched the other boy. 

I couldn't decide whether or not the yelling was because of the pizza or the news, but rather quickly it tapered off as all eyes turned to Brian, as they realized he was sitting there looking panicked. 

I walked up behind him and placed my hand on his shoulder, and told him, 

"It's going to be alright."

"NO, ITS NOT!!!!" he yelled as he tried to get away, but this time I wouldn't let him. 

I reached down and picked him up out of his wheelchair, and held his struggling form tight in my arms, as he began fighting me. 

"It IS going to be alright, Brian. Trust me, and trust the rest of us." I told him forcefully, as he struggled. 

That seemed to get through to him, at least a little, as the fighting eased and the sobs started. 

His life had been through so much upheaval, and I knew he had to be terrified of what this development would bring into his life now.

What many couldn't understand was that even though his life wasn't great right now, and no one really cared about him, it was stable and he had discovered the in and outs of it. He knew how to survive his current environment, and now faced being thrust into a new one, and having to learn it all over again. 

It was a scary thing for anyone, but especially a child with no roots to anchor him, in this world. 

"Its going to be alright, sweetheart," I told him over and over again, as I held tightly to him. 

Then I heard Eric, "Mike take a look," and all eyes including mine turned to watch the TV as the announcer began, "And this afternoon at the Meadow View Mall 3 youths attacked another child, and surprisingly, in this day and age, it was another youth, that came to his rescue. Johnny Tomlison reports now live from Meadow View Mall."

"That's right Veronica, this afternoon around three, something happened in the mall and while details are a bit sketchy at this time, we do know that a young boy, that was either in or near the restrooms, was accosted by three youths, one of which apparently attacked him with a knife. At this point, another boy came into the picture, attempting to rescue the first. Veronica, Eyewitness News at 6 has learned exclusively, that the boy who came to the rescue of the attacked child is the 11 year old son of a Sergeant in the Sheriff's Dept. That's right Veronica, the son of Sgt. Mike Reynolds, is the hero here this afternoon. Witnesses say that the young boy took on all three of the assailants without regard for his own safety, in an attempt to save the life of the victim, who apparently, Veronica, I am being told by reliable sources, is confined to a wheelchair. Sadly the three youths attacking the boy picked on the most defenseless person possible in our society, not only a child but a crippled one at that. This footage was shot as what we believe to be Sgt. Reynolds and some children, including the victim, left the scene. We don't know much more at this point, other than the son of Sgt. Reynolds, appears to have been gravely wounded, in his attempt to protect the other child, an attempt I should say that seems to have succeeded. The hospital refuses to release any information regarding the condition of Sgt. Reynold's son, and attempts to gain access have been prevented by the other touching aspect to this story. As you can see in the footage here police from around the area blocked intersections as the ambulance carried the Reynolds boy to the hospital, but then stayed to escort the father. They then surrounded the hospital for several hours, in a stunning show of support for one of their own and his child. Many have left now, Veronica, but a number remain standing silent vigil tonight, on the fate of a young hero, which apparently lies in the balance. Of course all thoughts here at Eyewitness News at 6 are with Sgt. Reynolds and his young son this evening. Back to you Veronica."

"Thank you Johnny we will keep all of you up to date on this as information becomes available, now on to the cow found running along interstate 90 this morning..."

"Jesus Christ!!" came from me, Eric and Sammy at the same time, as we looked at each other, while everyone else looked at us.

"I am so screwed." came from the bundle in my arms.

"Not unless you want to be," Sammy piped up, with an evil grin on his face, which actually got a laugh from Brian, even if it was short lived, as well as giggles from the others, although Peter looked confused.

"Dad how can they say all that? It's not what happened," Sammy asked.

"You did save me," Brian said

"Yea but..."

"Sammy, that's what news stations often do, they take some facts, and some speculation, and weave it into a story whether or not it is true."

"It's a bunch of bulls..." but I interrupted him "Sam," "oh ummm bullstuff." he quickly said sheepishly.

"Yea well I'll have to straighten it out later, but for now I need to make some calls," and felt Brian stiffen up in my arms.

"Brian I know you don't want this, but you have said when he finds out what is going on, he won't be happy, so I need to make some arrangements, Ok?" I asked him.

"I guess," and he sounded about as enthusiastic as a kid going to get his teeth pulled.

I pulled out my cell and found the number I wanted, and hit send while I told the kids to start eating.

"Hello," the voice on the other end said.

"Millie, hi it's Mike Reynolds," I told her.

"Mike, my God I just heard was it Samuel?" 

"First, he's alright, and yes it was Sammy."

"HI MILLIE" Sammy said loudly.

"Oh thank God! You tell him if he ever pulls a stunt like that again I will personally..." 

"Millie, Millie" I interrupted her 

"Yes."

"I think he already has that idea," I said grinning and laughing softly.

Millie was a wonderful person, but she tended to get carried away sometimes, which was a good thing for kids, since she ran CPS out here, but it could be trying for others.

"Oh I bet he does knowing you." 

"We kind of impressed that on him," I said as I watched a little boy, who had the grace to blush at what he knew the conversation was concerning.

I chuckled softly into the phone as I told her,

"Millie, I have a little problem."

Suddenly it was all business with her as she said,

"What's up Mike?"

"Millie, the boy that Sammy helped out today, is one of yours..."

"Who?"

"Hold on," and asked Brian "what is your full name son?"

He told me and I relayed it to her, "Brian Andrew Thompson," 

"Ok what's the problem?" she asked next.

"Well, the situation he is in, isn't the best, and no there is not abuse, just a complete lack of caring, but now with him plastered all over the news, he feels that his life is going to be even worse than it is."

"What exactly is the problem Mike?" 

"Same old thing Millie, money over the kid."

I heard a soft grunt and knew I had hit a sore spot, as Millie had made it her mission to try and rid the system of anyone who didn't genuinely care about children.

"He cried today, because he couldn't remember the last time anyone had given him a hug."

I heard her suck in a breath, and then say, "well you don't have to worry about him going back to that home, as of now, he is out of there."

"I know that Millie, but I am worried about where he will end up at. He was at a group home and said they fired the only adult there that gave a damn."

"Mike are you sure he wasn't..."

"Yes Millie, I am, so is Brian, he said there were kids who tried very hard to, and he wouldn't."

"Well what facility was it?"

"Brian what home was it where they fired the man who cared?"

"Briarcliff," he said

"I heard him. Ask what his name was, and who fired him." she said

I repeated it and was told "His name was Mark Edwards, and old Mrs. Garrett got rid of him, she couldn't stand that everyone liked him so much and hated her."

"I heard, let me pull up Brian's file." she said, and I could hear clicking in the background, then an "Oh!"

"What?" I asked

"Well he looks to be HTP as well as MC Mike"

"Yes I am aware of that" I told her, thinking that it was two strikes in a system where you couldn't really afford even one. Hard to place and medically challenged would severely limit where he could be placed at.

"I am not real sure, where we can find a place for him, Mike, it doesn't look like we have any openings in appropriate foster homes right now, that could take him and..."

"Millie, he can't go back there." I said, as I felt Brian stiffen in my arms, and glancing around, saw that Sammy and the others were shooting me daggers with their eyes. 

I moved the phone away and whispered to Brian,

"Don't worry; I won't let you go back there." 

"I know Mike, I'm trying," she said as I brought the phone back to my ear.

Damn, I wouldn't let him go back there, if I had to take him myself. 

I suddenly gasped as I realized what I had been thinking, Jesus, what the hell am I thinking about? I just got Peter; I can't take another boy in. 

I shook my head, and then noticed Sammy sitting there smiling at me, along with the trinity. 

"NO." I mouthed silently. 

They just kept looking at me. 

Damn.

I didn't know what to do; this boy needed loving, so badly, but to take in another child. 

I just couldn't do that. 

Peter just got here and he needed me right now, I just couldn't do it. 

What the hell was I supposed to do, my heart was breaking, thinking about what his child had been through, but it broke when I heard the next words.

"I'm sorry Mike; the best I can do is get him back at Briarcliff for the time being."

"No Millie, he has to be somewhere where they'll love him." I told her. 

Brian was shaking in my arms, and my heart was tearing apart for him, as I felt this. 

How could someone not love him? What was wrong with people that they could let a child hurt like this? 

I just didn't understand this at all. 

"I'm really sorry Mike, there isn't anything else." She said sadly. 

I could feel my anger rising as I said, without thinking, "Fine we'll take him then."

"Excuse me?" Millie said.

Brian had jerked up and was looking at me now, and I was lost in the desperate look of hope that was warring within them, along with the fear of being rejected once again. 

I just looked into his eyes as I suddenly became as sure of my decision of a moment ago, as I had been with Peter and Sam, before that.

I didn't know how we would do it, but I knew at the same time that we would. 

I heard Millie speaking, but couldn't understand her, as I was lost in the depths of this child's soul seeing, within those eyes, his entire universe. 

All the pain and loneliness, coupled with a desperate need to be loved, and the many times that need had been dashed, along with the hope that he was so afraid of feeling, because he was certain that there was none. 

I felt the tears begin as I saw so much within them, so much hope, so much fear, so much longing, so much need, so much pain and so much love, more than anything else, so much love.

My heart seemed to swell, as I looked into those eyes, watching the pain and loneliness slowly fading, to be replaced with a mixture of incredulity and most of all, hope. 

Hope that finally, he would be loved, and cared about and valued.

As with Samuel before him, and just as unconscious as that decision had been, our heads closed the distance, and we sealed our promise with a kiss, which was as sweet as the young boy sitting here in my lap, never removing our eyes from each other. 

As with Sammy, a bolt of electricity seemed to shoot through us, with that kiss, and I could swear that I could almost feel all the longing and love within that small frame, as he sent it pouring into me. 

I know that I was trying to send love for him back to him, at the same time, and slowly the kiss came to an end, and we pulled apart, still gazing into each others eyes, as a smile played on his lips, and he said in a soft whisper, more a statement in wonder than a question, "You really want me?!?!" with tears of joy springing forth from his eyes.

My one word answer summed it all up, and felt as powerful to me as Peter's one word had earlier, "yes." 

Then I had a boy, trying to strangle me with a hug, as he threw his arms around me, and squeezed me, with everything in his small body.

I was squeezing back, just as hard, as I noticed everyone else, still looking at me, and they all had big smiles on their faces. 

We needed to have a long talk, a really long talk.

As Brian slightly released his grip, an image of a blond haired teen with a sweet smile and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, suddenly entered my mind, and I wondered who on earth it could be. 

Strange.

I shook my head again to find Sammy staring at me intently, but quickly went back to smiling, as Eric said,

"Welcome to the family, little one." 

Brian looked at him and I said, pushing thoughts of strange boys from my mind, "this is Eric, and the three terrors there are his sons," with a smile on my face. 

There were three faces looking back at us, with innocent looks plastered on them, as a giggle escaped from Brian.

"I can't believe it," he said softly as I whispered, "well you better start," which got another giggle.

I noticed then, that Peter wasn't there, and I started to ask when Sammy pointed and I looked over to see Peter sitting up on the other boy's bed and both of them stuffing pizza into their mouths. 

I looked on in wonder, and surprise, that Peter was where he was, but before I could do or say anything, I heard a screeching from somewhere.

"Oh shit, Millie," I said, as I remembered that she had been on the phone, when, well when I added another child to my family.

I quickly started looking around and finally found the phone, bringing it back to my ear, saying,

"Hi Millie."

"What the hell happened to you?" she said

"Sorry about that." I said blushing as the boys giggled a bit.

"Mike, what did you mean you'll take him?" she asked.

"Just what I said Millie, we'll take him in." I told her, "permanently." I added at the end.

I could hear another indrawn breath, as she asked "are you sure?"

"Yes Millie, I am definitely sure," I said in a firm and determined voice.

Millie knew about Sammy, and she knew what I meant. "While I'm at it, I have another child as well, that is going to be with me permanently."

"Another one?"

"Yes, seems I seem to have two new sons now," I said chuckling a bit.

"What does Sammy think of all this?" she asked, and I knew the family dynamics were important to her. 

I could want a million children but if the ones I already had weren't supportive of it, then the children coming into the home would just suffer even more.

"Well that's kind of funny, since he found both of them, and probably knew about it before I did." I told her, laughing softly.

"He what?" she said.

"You heard me." I told her, still laughing.

"Seems like I need to have a little talk with that boy, if he's going to be doing my job," she said laughing as well now.

"You and me both," I told her. 

I still wasn't quite sure how it had all happened; only that it had, and I didn't have any doubts about it.

I looked up from my thoughts to see Sammy, staring intently at me, with a smile on his face, and I just smiled back. 

That seemed to satisfy him, as he nodded his head as well.

"Ok is it the Scott boy?" Millie asked, and I told her it was.

"That isn't a problem, I saw that come across my desk earlier today, and I stamped it approved at the time." 

"I'll get everything together, and get over there in a bit, to visit and give them to you, and then we'll set a court date to make it official." she told me.

"Sounds good Millie, thanks" I said.

"Ok, later dude." and I heard a click. 

I think she has been hanging out with her charges a bit too much, I thought, while smiling softly.

I pressed end, and looked up to find 5 sets of eyes looking at me.

"What?"

"Dad," was my only reply,

"Ok, ok already, she's getting the paperwork together, and she'll be over later with it, its official, you have two new brothers." I told him.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Came from all their throats as the nurse from earlier came running into the room, with a frown on her face.

"Really sir, you have to keep it down, or I am going to have to ask you to leave." she said haughtily. 

"You can ask," I muttered which earned me a glare from her, and giggles from the boys, as Eric quickly said, "sorry we'll try to keep it quiet, the boys just got some good news and they were excited."

She looked at all of us again before turning and sweeping from the room, and for some reason this left all of us laughing.

When it finally settled down enough, Eric said, "You're going to get me in trouble." 

"Yeah, so?" I teased.

He just shook his head, as the brats giggled at the idea of it.

Finally Brian said, "Am I going to live with you now?"

"You sure are, that is if you still want to," I told him, which just got him to squeeze me tighter again, since he never fully let go from before. 

"I kind of think that's a yes." Eric said, chuckling softly, as I squeezed right back, and then said, "Ok little one, why don't you visit with this bunch for a bit, and I am going to go over and see what Peter is up to."

"Ok." came from Brian, as I set him up on the bed with Sammy, and he was promptly engulfed in a hug by my eldest. 

I leaned over and gave SamSam a kiss, and got a dazzling smile from him for my efforts, as I headed over to my youngest.

I heard Sammy say, as I was leaving,

"I bet he's going to do that a lot," while Eric replied, "oh yeah, better get used to it," and Sam said back, "oh I already am."

I just smiled, I had my baby back.

As I approached the bed, Peter looked up and surprised me by saying,

"Hey daddy, this is Chris, we're eating pizza." My heart almost burst, when I heard that, and I just bent over and tried to find a place that wasn't covered with sauce, which I didn't really have any luck doing, and planted a kiss.

"I can see that, although you sure you aren't wearing it instead?" I said, to my mostly red youngest son. He was wearing more than I think got in his mouth, but he seemed to be having a good time, as he giggled and said,

"You're silly, daddy." 

"Silly eh?" I cackled, and reached out to tickle him a bit, which got him breaking out in boyish laughter, while trying to eat. 

It was a funny sight.

Finally I let him go back to his pizza, and said "Hi Chris, my name is Mike," as he was watching us, with a sad little smile on his face.

"Hi," he said shyly.

"I'm sorry about before." 

"Its ok, we all get grumpy sometimes," I told him.

He didn't say anything, so I left it. Peter was watching us, and Chris looked at him quickly, and then back at me, as I said, "you done munchkin?"

"Uh huh," he said, through his last mouthful. "Ok then, why don't you go get washed up, and visit with Sam for a while, ok?"

"Don't forget my new brother, an do I have to?" he said.

"Yes you have to wash up." I told him, smiling as I called out,

"Hey Eric, can you wash up my walking pizza here for me?"

"Sure." he said as Peter said,

"I'm not a pizza, I'm a boy," giggling all the while.

"Well, you could have fooled me," I told him, with a big grin on my face.

"You're so silly," he said again, before hopping off the bed, and running towards Sammy, trying to circumvent Eric, who, being used to all the tricks, set an interception course, coming up behind him, and initiating the capture, before the little urchin was aware of what was going on. 

"HEY!!!" was the scream from the kicking and giggling child, as Eric headed towards the bathroom with him.

I just smiled softly, watching it all, until I heard Randy tell Sammy, "man you gotta start teaching him stuff."

"No he doesn't," I told them which just got giggles. Oh boy, just what I needed.

I turned my attention back to Chris, who was looking at me intently, and I just returned the gaze. 

I could tell he wanted to talk, finally, but I would let him tell me when it was time.

I didn't have to wait long, before he kind of asked,

"Peter says his real dad hurt him and his mom and stuff."

"Yes he did." I told him simply.

He again stayed silent for a bit, and then said, "He says you saved him from his dad, and now he lives with you," again more of a question than a statement.

"Yes, we did." I again told him simply.

Again there was silence for a while, as I could see him weighing everything, before he said/asked, "and he said you helped the boy in the wheelchair too, and that he lives with you now too."

"Yes, that's true." I again told him, and watched the wheels turning behind his bright blue eyes."

Then in a tremulous voice he asked "c...co...could you help me?" as he turned those eyes up at me with tears in them, that couldn't mask the hope and fear, contained within.

"I need to know what's wrong first, but probably, in some way." I told him honestly, as I now had an idea of why.

He looked down again, I thought to try and find the strength to say what he had to before continuing,

"My step dad, he h...hu...hurt me." he said softly.

Very gently I asked, "Did he do this?" I watched as he nodded his head. 

"Can you tell me what happened?"

He shook his head and I waited reaching out and stroking his head softly.

It broke my heart to see his body instinctively jerk, in fear at the touch, but I kept caressing him, as he slowly relaxed.

"Let me tell you something first, and it might help some," I told him, and he slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine, with the tears falling softly, from them.

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you could have done or could ever do, that makes this alright."

"This isn't spanking, or a slap in the face, this is abuse, and there is nothing that makes it ok, do you understand?" I told him very softly.

I saw a nod of his head, and then he said, "But I was real bad."

"Oh honey, it doesn't matter what you might have done, no adult can do this to a little boy, for ANY reason!" I told him.

"I'm scared," he said in a small voice.

I wished there was some way to hold him but not with all he had going on. I just bent forward, and gave him a kiss on his forehead and said, "I promise you, it's going to be alright, he won't ever hurt you again."

In a whisper I heard, "he said if I ever told, he'd hurt us real bad, real, real bad." 

I could hear the fear in his voice, and I told him, "well you're safe now, he can't hurt you anymore."

He raised his eyes and cried "he said if I told he'd hurt mom and Derek."

"Who is Derek?" 

"My brother," he replied.

"Are your mom and Derek at home now?" I asked.

"Mom is at work, he don't work, she does. She has two jobs. If she was home he would never hurt us, she'd have killed him."

"So your mom doesn't know?" I asked. 

He shook his head, telling me "no he's always real nice when she's home. He said if we ever said anything to her he'd..."

"Its ok, little one," I told him.

"What about Derek?"

"He's at home, he doesn't let us go out or nothing, and Derek didn't get hurt bad enough to be in the hospital, this time."

"I'm sorry little one; can you tell me if he wasn't there would you feel safe with your mom?"

He looked up at me with a shocked expression on his face as he said "mom wouldn't hurt us or nothing, we just wish she didn't have to work so much,"

He told me, and I believed him.

"Ok, why don't you tell me how old you and your brother are, and what your address is?" I asked him.

"I'm 12 and he's 11, and we live at 322 Frontier Lane." 

"Ok buddy, everything is going to be alright now, but I really need to know what happened that got you in here, and I know its hard to talk about, but I really need to know," I told him, as he had lowered his gaze again, while I was speaking.

"You'll hate me, and won't help us." he said, beginning to sob quietly, as he turned his face away.

"Listen to me," I said sharply, which caused him to turn his head back and look directly at me.

Keeping my eyes locked with his, I stated very emphatically, "there is NOTHING in this world that would make me hate you." 

He just looked into my eyes for the longest time searching there for the truth of what I was saying before he finally said without taking his eyes from mine, "me and Derek were...well we was messing around." 

I never stopped looking in his eyes, as I knew that ‘messing around' could only have one meaning, but I had to be sure, "you mean sexually?" I asked

"Yeah," was his barely whispered response.

"Ok, did you both want to be doing what you were doing?" I asked him, which got an indignant look in his eyes, as he angrily said, "yes, I'd never make Der do that stuff."

"Ok, ok, I had to ask little one, I had to ask," I told him reassuringly. 

"Now, I want you to listen to me for a minute, what you guys were doing was perfectly normal, and natural, and there was NOTHING wrong with it, nothing at all. We can talk some more about this later, if you like, but for now, keep that in mind, you weren't doing anything wrong," I told him.

It was like visibly seeing a weight begin to lift from his shoulders, with each of my words, and seeing the truth in my eyes, only reaffirmed what I was telling him with my voice, as he started shaking and crying with the release.

I moved up on the bed and pulled his head and shoulders to me, the best I could, in a hug, considering, and I just held him as he sobbed, and brokenly told me, "he...he said I was a...that I was a faggot, and...and that...I...Iwas makingthat I was making Der into one" 

"No, no little one. It doesn't work like that," I told him softly. "Lots of boys do stuff like that, and it's perfectly normal. It doesn't make you gay. Furthermore if you do grow up and turn out to be gay, then there is nothing wrong with that either," I told him

"But its bad." he said.

"No its not, not what you were doing and not being gay either."

He didn't say anything for a bit before finally asking, "how do you know if you're, you know?"

This was a hard question to answer as that answer seemed to have changed over the years, but I went ahead and tried anyway.

"Well, honey, I have heard different things about that. Some say they have always known, while others say they liked boys when all their friends liked them, but when their friends started liking girls, they didn't. Some people have told me they chose to be who and what they were, and were happy with that, while others say they were born that way. There are a lot of questions about it, but the one thing I am sure of, beyond anything else in that subject, is that it doesn't really matter who you sleep with, it matters what kind of person you are inside. Because ultimately, it's about love and whether you love someone of the same sex or a different sex, the love is the same. Always remember that." I finished softly.

"But I don't want to wear a dress." he said, with such a tone of horror in his voice that I began to laugh, I couldn't help myself, although I tried very hard not to.

"I'm sorry honey, its justI'm sorry" I told him while trying to control myself. 

"Listen baby; first of all give yourself a few years, before worrying about that. Playing around with other boys is normal for boys your age, and usually lasts until your 14 or 15, before there is normally any real interest in girls. So just have fun right now, and let whatever God has planned for you happen, in its own time. Just be happy with whatever that may be, and you'll do well in life." I told him.

"Now about the dress thing, most gay people don't wear them. Oh some do, but not most. The thing about a gay person is they are exactly like me or Eric, or the nurse that was in here earlier, and for the most part, if they didn't tell you, "hey I'm gay" then you would never know. They are not all the same, and just like any group of people, all of them will be different. Some like wearing dresses, and some like acting girly, but a lot don't too. It's who you are and who you want to be that will decide that. You know how some kids at school dress like bums, while others dress like their going someplace fancy?" I asked him which got a nod from him,

"Well it's the same for gay people, some want to dress that way, and act that way, while others don't." there is no right and wrong way to do things. It's entirely up to you." I said as I felt him relax and say softly,

"Well that's good, cause if I am gay, I don't want to wear a dress," which got me laughing again.

Leave it to a 12 year old boy to be worrying about that, more than anything else. 

"Well don't then, sweetheart, I have known construction workers, firemen, policemen, paramedics, nurses, doctors, lawyers, pilots and many others who were gay, and believe me I knew it because they told me, not because they wore dresses." I finished, still chuckling softly.

"Good." was the reply.

"What's going to happen now?" he asked.

"Well, your step dad is going to jail for a long, long time, and I am going to get your brother and mother and bring them here."

"Good." he said. 

I held him for a while longer before finally saying, "Well, I am going to take care of things and I'll be back as soon as I can, ok?"

"Ok," he replied, as I got up and started walking back towards my bunch.

I was about half way there when I heard

"Mike," and turned to find him looking at me, "Thanks." he said softly.

"No problem, little one, things are about to get a lot better," I told him, as I joined my group.

All were looking at me, as I sat down and said, "He needs some help, and I am going to have to go out for a while, guys."

Sammy et al just nodded their heads, and I told them "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Ok dad, be careful," SamSam said to me.

I got up and went over giving him a kiss and hug, and told him, "I will baby."

Then, everyone else was getting some too, and finally the only one left was Eric, whom I couldn't resist teasing, "You want one too?" 

But it was my turn to be surprised, when he said, "Sure," and promptly enveloped me in a hug.

Instinctively, I hugged him back, and found myself looking into his eyes, as we released our grips on each other. 

Giggles broke us out of whatever we were in, as I looked to find 6 pairs of eyes staring at us, with big old grins on their faces.

"Well, he needs loving too, you know," I said to them, which broke them up in giggles again.

Eric walked me to the door, where I filled him in on what was going on, and he said he'd watch the kids while I was gone.

I knew he would.

"Stay safe" he told me. 

"I will." I told him then I added, "you too." which got a laugh from him, with neither of us quite knowing which of us had the more dangerous assignment.

Retelling what this man had done had gotten me angry and it wasn't me that should be worried I thought, as I opened the door and headed out.

"DAD," I heard as I was almost through the door.

I turned back around to find Sammy, and the boys staring intently at me, with worry evident on their faces.

"I'll be alright," I told them thinking they worry too much, but was caught in the stare that Sammy was giving me.

"I'll be alright, Sam." I said as I broke my gaze from his and walked out of the room.