cutepanda12323: Thank you very much! The story is slowly coming to a close and it's so cool that you can tell that from the tone of the recent chapters! Chapter 53 is definitely one of my favorite chapters ever. The fence has been a huge factor in Ed's story since the literal beginning. I don't remember if he mentions it in the first chapter, but literally in the second chapter he's dreaming about it and he mentions it constantly in his narrative. It was so satisfying to finally write the event and it was super sad. Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you like this one! Thanks for the review! You're amazing! :D

Hey, guys! It's been almost a month since I've updated. Nursing school is taking up a lot of my time but I'm happy to share it's going extremely well! I have all A's in everything and my clinical is going well, too. Anyways, I'm hoping to get a new chapter out sooner than within a month, but who knows? My spring break starts March 12 so maybe I could pump something out by then. I don't have much else to say except a huge thank you to everyone reading! You guys are amazing! The two year anniversary of me uploading this story on the internet is coming up in March so I really want to upload before or on that day. But seriously - you guys are all so amazing for sticking by me for two whole years and even if you haven't been around that whole time, you're still awesome and it means so much to me that you guys are reading. So, thanks again, and I'll see you all in March!


Al and me have been sleeping together all week. I know Dad and Dr. Hughes really want us to sleep by ourselves at least once a week, but this week's been really shitty so we haven't. I don't think it's that big a deal, but if we let it slip to Dr. Hughes on Friday he'll think it is a big deal. I know he's just trying to help us recover and feel better, but sleeping with Al makes me feel better. He's pretty much the only person in the universe who can calm me down. He's the only person who makes my anxiety disappear to a faint whisper. He's the only person who really knows me. Dada's good at making me feel better when I'm upset and Winry makes me feel calm, but it's not the same. I mean, how could it be? Al was there through seven years of abuse. He was the little kid trying desperately to keep our family functioning and keep me taken care of. Al knows me like no one else does, like no one else can. Even if me and Winry start dating and I tell her more things, she'll never know me the same way Al does. I just hope she's okay with that.

I groan and roll over. I don't know what time it is. I know it's late but I can't fall asleep. Al's curled up next to me and he gets closer after I've rolled over. His thin arms wrap around my middle and I smile fondly at him. I kiss the top of his head and sigh. I wish I could be sleeping right now. I don't know why I'm not. I guess my mind is stuck on everything that's happened this week. Al's bad touch, getting in a fight with Ryan Vaus at school, family therapy, and talking about the fence at group. I mean, all of those things pretty much happened back to back, too. Monday was the bad touch, Tuesday was the fight and family therapy, and yesterday was the fence. I can't believe all that happened, honestly. It's so much and I guess maybe that's why I can't sleep. I keep thinking about the Porters or about the fence and my brain just won't shut off. I wish it would, though, 'cause I don't wanna be sleepy when I take my permit test tomorrow. I actually, you know, wanna pass it on the first try. I'm still kinda anxious about driving. I think what scares me the most is getting into an accident, especially with Al in the car. He'd get hurt and car accidents are scary. I've heard they are, anyway. I've actually never been in one before. Ever. Not even as a baby or something. Mom and Dad are super safe drivers. I think Mama got rear-ended once but me and Al weren't there and when Dada was a teenager, he got in a pretty serious car accident with Papa. Those are the only two I know about. Maybe there's more, but they never involved me and Al. I don't ever wanna have a car accident, but knowing my luck, I'll probably have one the first day I have my license.

Al stirs next to me, exhaling softly. I close my eyes, trying to go to sleep, when I hear the bedwetting alarm go off. I groan softly and sit up, my pajama pants already wet. I put my leg on and go stop the alarm, wondering how Al's gonna react when I try to get him up. This dumb thing has never worked right for him. It works for me, though. If I'm not having a bad dream when it goes off, Dada and Al can wake me up and I go to the bathroom like I'm supposed to. I've actually noticed that I've been getting up and going pee more at night time than I have ever before. It's actually helped me, I think, but it hasn't helped Al. Maybe he's just not ready. I don't know. The alarm turns off so I gently shake Al.

"Al, get up," I say softly. Al moans and sits up, rubbing his eyes.

"School?" He asks and I chuckle at him. He always asks if it's time for school when I try to wake him up when the alarm goes off and he's not having a bad dream. Always. It's funny.

"No," I chuckle weakly. "You need to go to the bathroom. You were peeing in bed and now you need to finish in the bathroom, okay?" Al nods and swings his legs over the side of the bed. I watch as he gets up and takes my hand. I look at him and ask, "You good?" He nods, yawning loudly.

"I'm good," he replies. I smile and walk him to the bathroom. He goes in and I see Dada peek his head out of his room.

"Success?" He asks eagerly and I give him a thumbs up as I nod enthusiastically.

"He did it!" I cheer softly, a big smile spreading across Dada's face.

"That's great!" Dad cries, hurrying over. He kisses my cheek and says, "I was beginning to think he wasn't ready – which is okay – and that maybe we needed to stop using the alarm for a few months and try again later. Maybe he is ready after all."

"We were in my bed, Dad," I tell him. "It's wet." Dad nods.

"I'll strip it, don't worry," Dad replies. "I just wanna give Al a hug when he's done." The door opens and Al comes out. He looks tired but he smiles when he sees Dad's here.

"Dada," he says sleepily. "Dada, I did it."

"Yes, you did, sweetie," Dada enthuses, engulfing him in a big hug. "I am so, so proud of you! Good job, Al!"

"Do I get candy now?" Al jokes and Dad laughs. When Al was little, we gave him candy when he'd use the potty when he was potty training. I didn't really get it, though, so I'd give him candy all the time which kind of defeated the purpose. Oh well. I think Mom thought it was cute.

"No, honey, but maybe I'll pick up a little treat for you after work," Dad replies, hugging him tight. "Good job, Alphie. I'm so proud." I smile and say,

"C'mon, sleepy head. Let's change your jammies so we can go back to bed." Dada lets go of Al and Al nods. He takes my hand and the three of us walk back to my room together. Dada starts taking the damp sheets off my bed and Al walks over to the dresser. I have to change, too, since Al was practically laying on me when he peed the bed so I go to the dresser, too. Dada leaves the room with the sheets and stuff, saying he'll be back to wish us a goodnight. Al and I quickly change, grab Lamby and Chico from my bare bed, and crawl into Al's. Al instantly hugs my middle and I hug him back.

"Good job," I praise. "You're such a good boy. I'm really proud of you."

"I'm sorry about your bed," Al says softly.

"It's okay," I tell him. "That's how the alarms are supposed to work. You pee a little in bed and then finish in the bathroom. It's supposed to train you to wake up before you go in bed eventually." Al yawns, cuddling up closer to me.

"Mmm, yeah," he says tiredly.

"Okay," I say softly. "Go to sleep, buddy."

"Ed?" Al asks quietly.

"What?" I say.

"Will you make me a sandwich tomorrow?" Al yawns. "With banana in the middle?"

"Sure, Al," I reply, lightly scratching his back so he'll fall asleep. "I'll make you a sandwich." Dada comes back in and I smile as I feel him tuck me and Al in. He kisses my forehead and I say, "Love you, Dada."

"Love you, too, Ed," Dada replies, leaving the room. Al's breathing is steady and deep and I shut my eyes, finally falling asleep.

I've been so excited all day to take the permit test. I actually think it helped me remember more about school than I have almost all year. I really need to start paying attention in school. Eventually, not paying attention will catch up with me and it'll blow. Anyway, I walk to Al's locker after the bell rings and I notice Mei loitering around. My brow furrows and I walk over to her. She waves at me but doesn't say anything. I stare at her, Mei fidgeting as she waits for Al. I mean, I guess she's waiting for Al. I don't know why else she'd be standing here if she wasn't waiting for Al. We stand in silence for a minute before I cross my arms and ask,

"Uh, Mei? What are you doing?" Mei looks over at me.

"I, um," Mei struggles. She licks her lips and sighs, hanging her head. "I don't know. There was something I wanted to ask you and Al something but it's stupid so I'll just go."

"I doubt it's stupid," I comment.

"Well, maybe stupid isn't the right word," Mei replies. "I, uh, well…. That thing with Ryan on Tuesday and what happened at Ling's sleepover…. I've been worried about you two and yesterday I remembered that Al said he understood Picard." My blood runs cold and Mei shakes her head. "Picard was abused by his owner. If Al understands Picard, that means… that means he was, too, right?" I blink, sweating heavily as Mei stares up at me. "Edward, please tell me it's not true. Please tell me I'm over thinking."

"I wish I could," I tell her softly. Mei's eyes widen and I sigh. "Al and I were abused by our step-mom for seven years, Mei. You figured it out. I'm sorry. Don't tell anyone, okay? We're not ready for a lot of people to know." Mei's chin quivers and she hugs me tight.

"I'm so sorry," she whimpers. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, but the idea that someone could be hurting you or Al…. It's over, right? She doesn't hurt you anymore?"

"No, don't worry," I assure her gently, my body shaking. "She's in jail now. We're both safe."

"God, Ed, I'm so sorry," Mei cries miserably. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay," I assure her, my voice shaking. "Me and Al were gonna tell you when we were ready to, promise. We're not trying to hide things from you guys. It's just…. It's so hard to talk about and we don't want to upset you guys by telling you what happened. It's just not fun to think about or talk about. We don't want to put you through that."

"So, uh, when did it end?" Mei asks, pulling away from me. I cross my arms and sigh.

"Two years ago," I say, hanging my head. "You, me, and Al didn't know each other very well then. God, actually, it's almost been three years. It'll be three years in May. Jesus. I can't believe that."

"Who else knows?" Mei asks me nervously. I sniff loudly and I can feel my throat tightening up.

"Ms. Hawkeye, my guidance counselor, Winry, and Ling," I reply. "Uh, obviously my dad knows and so does Winry's grandma. And you, now."

"I really am sorry," she apologizes. "I really didn't mean to pry but I was worried. I heard that Al has nightmares and that thing with Ryan and the whole thing with Picard made me really worried about you guys." I smile weakly at her, wiping my eyes quickly so she can't see how close to crying I am.

"It's really okay," I tell her. "There's nothing wrong with worrying and you didn't pry. You kinda stumbled upon it on your own. I just kinda confirmed it."

"Hi, Brother," Al chirps happily behind me. I turn around and he smiles broadly when he sees Mei and he says, "Hey!" Mei's chin quivers and she hurries over to him. She hugs him tightly, Al stunned at first. Soon, though, he returns the hug, his whole body shaking like normal.

"What's the matter?" Al asks gently, rubbing Mei's back. I inch over to him and whisper in his ear,

"She knows about the abuse, Al." I hear Al gasp and I back up a little. Al's tremor gets worse, Mei pulling away a little. She smiles sadly at him, Al whimpering softly.

"It's okay," she says, taking his hand. "I won't tell anybody, I promise. I'm just sorry that someone who was supposed to love you hurt you instead."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Al says, his voice shaking. Mei pulls away, a scowl on her face.

"Don't do that," she tells him, wiping her face. "You don't have to tell anyone ever if you don't want to."

"But we're friends," Al replies softly, fidgeting with his jacket. "Friends aren't supposed to keep secrets." Mei raises an eyebrow at him.

"Who the heck told you that?" She questions, Al glancing over at her.

"Huh?" He asks.

"That's not true," Mei says seriously. "As long as the secret doesn't hurt one of your friends, you can keep as many secrets as you want. Don't confuse lying with keeping secrets."

"I, uh, haven't had that many friends," Al admits quietly, wiping ears off his face. "Most people either make fun of me or ignore me. I guess I don't really know a lot about having friends. Kinda pathetic, huh?" I look down at the floor. I really hate that hasn't had a lot of friends since pre-school especially since kids bully him or ignore him for shit he really can't control. It's really not fair. I shake my head, nobody saying thing and I look over at Al.

"Didn't Hannah tell you that friends don't keep secrets from each other?" I question, my arms crossed. Al nods and I say, "Well, Mei's right. Hannah's full of shit, Al. Don't lie or hurt other people but keep secrets all you want." Al nods and looks over at Mei.

"I really was gonna tell you someday," Al tells her. "We're gonna tell everyone, we're just not ready yet. We like having friends who don't know." Mei's brow furrows.

"How come?" She asks curiously.

"It's hard to explain," I reply. "Basically, telling people usually changes the way those people talk to you or treat you. People tend to feel sorry for us or feel like they can't say certain things around us and it blows. We know they're just trying to be sensitive but we just want to be treated like everybody else."

"Oh," Mei says. "I'll try not to do that. I don't know what she did so I wouldn't even know what topics to avoid." Mei fidgets and looks up at Al. "You're still gonna volunteer with me, right?" Al grins weakly and nods.

"Yeah, of course," he replies, Winry walking over. "I couldn't this week but I'll go next week, I promise." Mei grins brightly and I wave at Winry.

"Hey, guys," she greets, her brow furrowing when she sees Mei. "Uh, hey, Mei. What

are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to Al about…." Mei trails off, biting her bottom lip. "Um, I gotta meet Ling."

"Mei found out about the abuse," I say bluntly, Winry's eyes widening.

"What? How?" Winry questions.

"She's smart so she figured it out on her own," I explain. "She got the conformation from me but like Ling she figured it out by herself." Winry sighs.

"Well, at least she didn't get the idea from Ryan Vaus," Winry grumbles. Winry looks over at Al who is fighting tears and she asks, "You good, Alphie?" Al nods and rubs his eyes.

"I'm good," he replies.

"So, you guys have plans after school?" Winry asks, starting to walk toward the main doors. We follow her and I say,

"I'm taking the permit test."

"That's awesome!" Mei says enthusiastically.

"Yeah," Winry agrees. "The test's not hard, I promise. I've heard the license test is, though." Mei rolls her eyes.

"That's what Ling says but I think he's just a bad driver," Mei says. "As long as you're a good driver the test shouldn't be hard. That's what Lan Fan says, anyway."

"Wait, Lan Fan as her license?" I ask. "I know her birthday was last month but she didn't mention getting her license." Mei nods.

"Yeah, she got it," Mei replies. "Got almost 100%, too. She's a really good driver." We get to the front door and Mei looks down at the floor.

"What's the matter?" Al asks worriedly.

"I'm sorry," Mei says softly.

"It's really okay," Al tells her. "We were going to tell you eventually."

"Yeah, it's not that big a deal," I say dismissively. "I mean, it's not something we want everyone to know or anything, but we also know you're not gonna go spreading it around. Besides, people are gonna find out anyways. They'll hear it from Ryan Vaus or one of his stupid friends or they'll overhear one of us telling somebody we trust. It's something we've known is gonna happen for a while but we're just trying to prevent it from spreading everywhere. We want you to know, it's okay."

"You were really going to tell me?" Mei asks.

"Heck yeah," I say.

"We're friends," Al adds. "It might be okay to keep secrets, but friends do tell each other stuff like that." Mei grins and I glance out the window. I can see Dada's car so I say,

"We gotta go." Mei nods and gives Al a quick hug.

"See you later," she says. Al nods and smiles weakly.

"Okay, yeah," he replies. He pulls away and I take his hand.

"See ya, Winry," I say.

"Bye," she says. "Good luck on your test!" I grin cheekily at her and wave, walking out of the building. Al's silent as we walk toward the car and I know we're gonna have to talk about what just happened. Another person figured out that we were abused all on their own. More or less, anyways. She had a suspicion and asked me about it. But she was smart enough to put all the pieces together and come up with the suspicion in the first place. Al's holding it together, but I don't know for how much longer. To be completely honest, I'm surprised I'm taking it as well as I am. When Ling told me he knew, I cried like a baby. I mean, I was recovering from a bad dream, sitting on the edge of his bathtub in his house, and covered in piss. Maybe being in the hallway is the reason I haven't completely broken down yet. I don't know. We get into the car and Dad smiles at us.

"Good day at school, boys?" He asks, driving away. I shrug.

"I guess," I reply. "Uh, Dada?"

"What, honey?" Dada asks with a chuckle. "Getting nervous about the permit test? You'll do fine, you know." I shake my head.

"No, that's not…. Mei knows about the abuse." Dada falls silent, Al looking at his lap in the backseat.

"Oh," Dada sighs. "How did… how did she find out?"
"On her own," I answer. "She kinda inferred it after putting some stuff together and

asked me about it today after school. I confirmed it 'cause I wasn't gonna lie to her."

"Well, I suppose that's the second-best way for your friends to learn you were abused," Dad says softly. "I'd much rather you tell them, but if that doesn't happen, them being intuitive and figuring it out on their own is much better than learning about it from someone else or a rumor." I nod.

"Yeah," I agree quietly.

"Dad, she apologized a bunch," Al says.

"Well, sweetie, she's probably overwhelmed and feels bad that it happened to you at all," Dad explains.

"It reminded me of when I told Win," Al says, a note of panic in his voice. "She cried and apologized over and over again. That's what you did, too!"

"Alphonse, it's okay," Dada comforts. "It's okay. Apologizing is sometimes the only thing people can think of to say when someone tells them something awful like that."

"It's my fault," Al whimpers, wrapping his arms around his middle. It's almost as if he never heard Dada say anything. "It's all my fault."

"Al, none of it is your fault," Dad assures him gently.

"Yes, it is!" Al cries, starting to break down. "I killed Mom, I peed the bed and got her mad at me, I told my first grade teacher like an idiot, and I made you and Winry cry! I broke the family apart every time it fell apart! It's all my fault!"

"Alphonse, baby," Dada coos. I look back at Al. He's all doubled over, his face all crumpled up as he cries like a baby. I glance back over at Dada as he says, "Honey, you did not kill Mom. It's bad luck you happened to be born when they discovered she had cancer. That is not your fault. You were four when the abuse started, Al. You had an accident and that's not your fault. You've always had a problem with wetting the bed and it's not your fault. You don't do it on purpose. She was the one who did something wrong, honey, not you. God, you were both so little then. She should have realized that little kids make mistakes and cry and have accidents but she didn't. That's her fault, not yours. Telling your first grade teacher was a good thing, Al. You're supposed to tell the truth and you did. It's my fault and the fault of all the other adults in your life for not believing you. As for making me and Winry cry, Al, telling Winry the truth when you were eleven pretty much saved you and Brother. If you hadn't…. I don't even want to think about it."

"Dad, weren't you getting close to breaking up with her?" Dada sighs, Al crying in the back seat.

"Yes," Dad answers. "I, uh…. We weren't getting along. We hadn't really got along since before you lost your leg, Ed. I just…. I didn't have the guts to break it off, I suppose. I wanted to make it work between us but I was beginning to think I couldn't. I began noticing all the things she said about you boys or her rude comments and it didn't sit right with me. I never got a chance to break things off, though, because Al so bravely told Winry the truth." Dada smiles warmly at Al, Al sniffling and wiping his face.

"It was pretty brave," I agree lightly. "And Al? None of it was your fault. None of it, okay?"

"But…." Al protests weakly, trailing off.

"Al, honey, she agreed to marry me knowing you wet the bed," Dada begins. "You were four-years-old and even if you didn't have an issue with it, four-year-olds have accidents. It happens. It's her fault that she couldn't handle the responsibility of taking care of you. It's not your fault, Al."

"I don't blame you," I tell Al softly. "I never have. I know how hard that can be to believe, but I really don't blame you." Al sniffles and finally dries his face.

"All better?" Dada asks. Al shrugs.

"Not really," Al replies, "But I feel better than I did a few minutes ago. That's got to count for something, right?"

"Al, I'm sure I've told you this before, but I'll say it again," Dad begins. "I am so incredibly proud that you told Winry. I'm sure it was scary for you but you told the truth anyway. I'm so proud of you." Al blinks, a goofy smile spreading across his face. I smile at him and Al says,

"Well, you're gonna be proud of Brother soon 'cause he's gonna pass his test," Al says.

"I can be proud of both of you at the same time, you know," Dada informs him. "But yes, I'll be very proud of Ed when he passes his test."

"Are we close?" I ask, looking out the window.

"We're nearly there," Dada replies. "Getting anxious?"

"Uh, a little," I answer. "I mean, I read the book so I know the information but tests make me anxious sometimes."

"You'll do fine," Dad assures me. "You studied hard and you'll pass. You'll make a fine driver, Ed." I grin weakly, Al leaning forward in the back seat.

"Yeah!" Al agrees eagerly. "You'll be the best driver ever! Passing will be easy!"

"If you guys say so," I chuckle nervously. We drive for a little bit longer, Dada pulling into a parking lot. He stops the car and I look over to the strip mall. There's shops and stuff but my eyes are drawn to the sign that says; "License Office". We all get out of the car and Al hurries in front of us.

"That's the building!" He cries eagerly. "C'mon, Brother! Hurry up!"

"Alphonse, it's not like the office is going to close in the next five seconds, you silly boy," Dada teases lightly. "Slow down before you trip."

"I'm not Ed," Al snaps cheerfully. "Brother trips way more than I do."

"Shut up, you little smart mouth," I call, hurrying after him. Al smirks and runs across the parking lot and I chase him. He stops at the door to the license office and has his hands on his hips as I make it over and we wait for Dad. Dad makes it over and shakes his head.

"Al, what's the rule about parking lots?" Dada asks lightly.

"Well, no running and look both ways," Al answers instantly. "I didn't do that but it's okay."

"Not really, but I'm giving grace today," Dada laughs. "Next time, let's follow basic safety rules, okay?" Al nods.

"I'm just excited," Al says eagerly. "Brother's gonna drive home!" Al hurries inside the building before me or Dad can correct him. Dad chuckles at him and shakes his head, following Al inside.

We get put in a que and wait for a computer to open up. The test is all on computers now. Dad told me that back in the day, it was a written exam. I think most tests like those were once paper and pencil but now they're all on computers or iPads or something like that. Hell, even boards for nursing licensure and the MCAT are on computers now. I guess it just makes it easier to grade or something. I don't know. With the permit test, I know you get your results back instantly which is nice. I'll know if I passed or not right away. I'm kinda anxious, but I did study really hard for it. I took my time reading the book and Al even quizzed me a bunch to get me ready. I'm pretty sure I'll pass, but sometimes tests make me nervous. Plus, Al and Dad can't go with me to take the test so that's kinda scary. God, I really can be such a baby sometimes. I mean, I have separation anxiety just like a baby does. While I don't cry very often when I am separated from Dada or Al, I am anxious at the mere thought of not being near them. I used to cling to Dad and cry, though, and sometimes Al does. I wish I'd just we'd freaking grow up already.

After waiting for a few minutes, a police officer comes to get me. She explains that there's 30 questions on the test and I can only move forward – I can't go back and change my answer on a question I've already answered. She also explains that I can miss up to five questions and still pass. If I miss more than that, I fail. I nod and she brings me to a room full of computers. I sit down and she tells me I can't leave until I complete the test. Once I'm done, I can leave the room and bring the paper that said if I passed or not to the lady at the desk. If I pass, I'll get my picture taken and they'll give me a paper permit while I wait for my real one to show up in the mail a couple weeks later. The officer leaves and I start the test. The computer's a touch screen so all I have to do is touch the answer and then touch the next button. My hands are shaking and I stare at the screen. I shut my eyes, reciting my list in my head, and take a deep breath. I've got this. I've read the book. I open my eyes and start, doing my breathing exercises so I don't freak out. I take my time with each question and do my best not to second guess myself. I work my way through the questions, keeping my breathing under control. I ignore the urge to look at my watch so I don't get super anxious and just do my best to focus on my test. I get through the test, swallow anxiously, and hit submit. I shut my eyes in preparation and quickly open them to see my grade. I exhale as a huge smile spreads across my face – I passed!

"28," I whisper to myself, getting up. The printer next to the computer prints out the proof I passed and I walk to the door. I open it, Dada and Al sitting near the doors with some other people. Dad looks over at me and I give him a thumbs up. He smiles broadly and I walk to the permit and licenses section of the desk. The lady behind the desk looks up at me and smiles. I hand her the paper and say,

"I passed."

"Congrats," she tells me. "Let's just make sure all your information is correct and then we'll take your picture, okay?" I nod and the lady types loudly on her keyboard. "Your name is Edward James von Hohenheim-Elric, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not all gonna go on my permit, is it?" I ask.

"No," she laughs. "I'm assuming your family just uses the Elric last name, right?" I nod.

"Yup," I confirm.

"If the police scan your permit for any reason, your full name will pop up in their computer," the lady explained to me. "That's why I needed to confirm your full name. Your address is 1914 Central Court?" I nod and she asks, "Do you have proof of residency?" I looked over at Dada nervously and he hurried over.

"What do you need, Ed?" He asks.

"Proof of residency," I tell him.

"Oh, I brought something," Dada says, digging around in his pocket.

"I assume you're dad?" She asks.

"That's right," Dada replies proudly. He hands her the mail and she nods. She hands it back to Dad and types on her keyboard.

"Let's see…. Light brown eyes, blond hair…. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?" She asks.

"I'm, uh…." I trail off, too embarrassed to tell her how short I am.

"He's four eleven," Dad cuts in. "He weighs about one hundred pounds, give or take."

"Tiny little guy," she comments and I glare at her when she glances back at her screen. I know I'm tiny. She doesn't hafta say it. "And the date of birth is February third, 2000?"

"Yeah," I answer, crossing my arms and glaring at Dada. He chuckles at me and ruffles my hair.

"Okay, that's all I need," the lady announces. "Stand to the right of me on the piece of tape." I nod and make my way over to the tape. "Look at the camera and stay still, okay? You can smile if you want." I nod and smile. I probably look like an idiot but honestly, I don't care. For me, getting my permit is a step in the direction I wanna go. I wanna start growing up and driving's a good first step. I'm happy, so I'm gonna smile. I don't care if I look dumb. The camera flashes and the lady says,

"Okay, come back over." I walk back to the desk, the printer sounding like it's gonna explode. "So, you're going to get a paper version of your permit. If you get pulled over while driving or need to show id before your official permit comes in the mail, this is a valid id. When the real one comes in the mail, you should throw the paper version away and just use the real one. You'll need 60 hours of day time driving and 30 hours of night driving before coming back to take the license test. Will you be taking driver's education? That's required by law in Illinois before you can take the license test." I nod.

"Yeah, I'll be taking it fall semester next year," I tell her. "Can I take the license test if I prove I'll be in the class?" The lady shakes her head.

"No," she tells me. "What I would suggest is finding an independent driver's education course. There are several available for various prices and that would eliminate the need to take the class at school. The course doesn't even take that long, but you need to have your permit for at least six months before taking the license test."

"So, I could take the class over the summer or something so I could get my license in the fall?" I ask.

"You got it," she affirms, handing me the piece of paper. "The permit's seven dollars, dad." Dada nods and hands her his card.

"I've actually been looking at driver's education classes provided outside the school," he informs me. "I wasn't sure when you were going to be taking the permit test. Have you signed up for next year's classes yet?" I shake my head.

"No, but now I gotta find something to fill the driver's ed. hole with," I reply. I cross my arms and say, "Guess I could always take a study hall or something." I look at the paper permit and look at my picture. God, I look like such an idiot. I've got the biggest smile on my face, basically all my teeth visible. I look like a freaking moron. Oh well. I was happy so I smiled. Dad gets his card back and says,

"Let's get going, Ed." I nod, Dada's eyes shifting to the permit. He smiles brightly and says, "What a nice picture. Very cute." I groan.

"Ugh, Dad," I complain, Al standing up as we get close. "Stop it."

"Show Al, honey," Dada insists, my face turning read.

"God, fine," I mumble, handing the paper to Al.

"You're so happy!" Al comments brightly. "I knew you'd pass!" Al hands the paper back to me and I grin.

"I am happy," I tell him, following Dad out of the building. "I'm still anxious about the actual driving part, but if I can pass the test, I'm sure the driving part won't be so bad."

"That's the spirit, Ed," Dad says.

"So," I ask, elongating the word a bit, "When can I drive?" Dad chuckles and shakes his head as he unlocks the car.

"Soon, but not tonight," Dad tells me. "We have Al with us so it's not a good idea. We'll go out driving soon." We get in the car, Al groaning as he slides into the backseat.

"C'mon, Dada," Al complains. "Can't Brother drive home? Please?"

"Absolutely not," Dad laughs. "Ed's never been behind the wheel of a car before. Do you really want him driving home?" Al nods eagerly.

"Yeah!" He cries, smiling. "How else is Ed going to learn?"

"By driving in a parking lot with me and then working up to real roads," Dad explains. "I'm sorry, Alphie, but you can't be in the car with Ed behind the wheel until he gets his license." Al crosses his arms and looks out the window.

"That sucks," he mutters and I shake my head.

"Don't worry, Al," I say. "As soon as I get my license, I'll drive you wherever you want to go, okay?" Al nods.

"Okay," he chirps, appeased. I smile at him and glance over at Dada. Dad grins at me and I look back at Al. Al's holding a hand to his cheek and my brow furrows.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"My tooth hurts," Al says.

"Did it just start?" Dada asks.

"Yeah," Al replies. "It hurts bad, Dad."

"Well, you're due to go to the dentist soon," Dada says, Al's face going pale. "I know you don't like the dentist, honey, but you need to go, especially if your tooth hurts. I doubt I can get you in tomorrow but I can probably get you in on Monday."

"What do we do until then?" I ask anxiously.

"Lots of Tylenol," Dad replies. "And soft food."

"Do I gotta go to the dentist, too?" I ask.

"I'd imagine so," Dada tells me. "You both need to go. You both also need your eyes checked."

"Oh, that reminds me," Al says suddenly. "Dada, I can't see good."

"What do you mean, Al?" Dad prompts. "That's not very specific. How long have you had trouble seeing? Please tell me it's recent." Al nods.

"It started last week but with everything that's been going on and since I haven't been in school much this week, I thought maybe I was just tired the first time it happened," Al explained, "But things that are far away are kinda blurry. I couldn't read the board in Mr. Murdoch's class today. I sit in the back in that class."

"Sounds like you're near-sighted," Dada comments. "You might be getting glasses very soon."

"I don't really want glasses," Al says. "Can I get contacts instead?"

"Maybe after you've had your glasses for a while," Dad replies. "I don't think it's a good idea to get contacts right off the bat, though."

"Dang it," Al grumbles. I grin cheekily at him.

"Cheer up, kiddo," I comment lightly. "You'll look good with glasses, promise." Al smiles brightly.

"Thanks," Al says, my head filled with images of Al with glasses the rest of the way home.