If You Fall

Nine

I was up at nine, writing on my laptop in the recliner and drinking coffee, when I noticed the little boy was awake. His round dark eyes peered out of his face, the only thing showing as the rest of him was wrapped in the blanket still. 

He didn't look anxious or scared or anything, which told me more than anything. Dissociation was also a friend of mine.

"Hola," I said to him softly, and his eyes bore into me. My palms got sweaty. How to not make this kid's life harder than it already was? "Quieres chocolate?" I figured I'd start somewhere safe.

He didn't answer or blink or anything. Okay, good start. I got up slowly and said awkwardly "esta bien" as I went into the kitchen. I returned with a dark chocolate candy bar full of pistachios, hazelnuts, and almonds. I bought them by the case online because they were the best thing. If they didn't work to win the kid over, nothing would. "Okay," I said, holding out the candy bar even though it was way too much for him. Whatever.

He didn't take it but regarded me solemnly. "Um," I said, wishing I was better at life. "Reed? Quieres Reed? El va a, revolver? No, no, devolver. Va a devolver, en el noche." Did I say he was going to come back at night?

"Oh my God, you're killing me," Bella said from my room. She appeared in the doorway, her hair a fluffy cloud of tangles, still wearing her jeans and hoodie from the day before. "I seriously cannot listen to any more, so please stop. Like, I mean, forever stop speaking Spanish. Reed regresará esta noche," she rattled off to the kid. "No tepreocupes. No vamos a hacer daño. Come tu chocolate."  Don't worry, we won't hurt you. Eat your chocolate.

He believed her assurance that we wouldn't harm him, for he reached out a thin arm took the candy from me, his eyes widening a little at the weight. Still he hesitated until Bella gave him a look, which apparently was a language he also spoke, because he unwrapped it and took a bite. His eyes became fully round, and he scooted so he was sitting up, pressed into the corner of the couch. He quickly took another two bites so his mouth was crammed full, and then sat and chewed and drooled a little chocolate in the ecstasy of it.

Bella and I exchanged an amused look and she went into the bathroom. Neither of us acted as if we noticed when he flinched from her walking by. I took the opportunity to fully open my bedroom window and strip the bed so I could wash the sheets, giving him as wide a berth as I could as I went so as not to spook him.

My laundry room was just off the kitchen, something we had added on. It had a door into the house and one that opened to the back yard. The door to the yard was not alarmed and I only used it in the day when it was safe to turn off the alarm. I was paranoid, yes, but sometimes paranoia is just good thinking. 

I threw in the bedding and reset the alarm, then put on Spongebob for the kid. I realized I didn't know his name and shook my head at myself.

"Como te llamas?" I tried, but he didn't respond or even look away from the TV. He was more than halfway through the giant candy bar, the wrapper long discarded, chocolate melted all over both hands, his face, and my blanket. Whatever, he was happy.

I texted Reed because he did have an actual phone when he was in town. He texted back his name was Raul or Julio, as best as anyone could tell, and they knew he understood Spanish though he didn't talk. I conveyed this information privately to Bella after her shower as she sat outside smoking. It was chilly.

"Peter Pan run off again?" Her hand was shaking because she hadn't drank anything yet.

"Just for the day." I offered her some of my coffee.