I watch my three year old son run out into the street and my heart stops for a second before I react, I run after the little boy; I catch him and pull him into my arms. Wordlessly I pull his jeans and underwear down, bend him over and start to land sharp smacks on his tiny bottom.
I don't care if the neighbours see; most of them would understand my reaction anyway, they knew of my other little boy, my Joey. He had been three as well, when he had ran out into this street, he had been hit by a car that had been unable to stop, we had lost him that day, he had died right here on this road, the same road his little brother, now the same age he had been had just run into.
I keep the swats coming, turning the little behind from lily white, to a flushed pink. My son is squirming around, try to escape the punishing smacks, this was Lee's first real spanking and I'm sure he was shocked. "Daddy, owwie, no more" he cried "please Daddy, stop!" I ignore his pleas, determined to make sure he never runs into the street again.
I stop the spanking and pull the pants up over the sore and red behind, I feel a little bad for making him cry but the thought of losing him like we had Joey scared me so much that I didn't regret it, not really.
"Seeley Max, you never, ever run into the street again, you hear me?" I demanded as I hugged the crying tot. Our newest neighbour was giving me a disapproving look, I hand Lee off to Darcy as Mrs Larson storms over to me.
"What are you thinking, hitting a child like that" she snarled at me and I glare right back "I didn't hit him, I gave him a well deserved spanking" I corrected her "spanking is still hitting, you hit a child" I wanted this woman to shut up, I wanted to go and comfort my children, I had seen the look of horror and pain on Darcy's face, she had been here when it happened, she had watched our Joey die.
"You are new to this street Mrs Larson, so you don't know" I said "don't know what Mr Booth, don't know that you seem to think it's okay to hit children" she wasn't letting it go so I decided to tell her "no, you don't know about Joey" I ground out, trying hard to keep from yelling.
"Who?" she asked "Joey, our son, he was three when he ran out into this road, he was three when a car hit him, he was three when he died right over there" I pointed to the spot my child had taken his last breath in, I hated that I was standing on the sidewalk outside my home, pointing to the spot my little boy died in, it was unfair, so unfair.
I saw the look on her face, she shook her head sadly "I am so sorry Mr Booth" she apologised, it was sincere, this woman was saddened greatly by my son's story "I'll let you get back to your children" I didn't need any more prompting, I walked away from the nosey neighbour and inside, to hold and comfort my children.