April 13, 1991
Trini Kwan looked over at where Kimberly usually sat in English Class and sighed. Kim wasn't in class today and Trini was a little surprised. Whatever was wrong with her must have come on suddenly. She had been fine yesterday.
However, recently at least, 'fine' had been a relative term in regards to Kimberly. Her parents' always shaky marriage was rapidly rattling apart, and Kimberly was showing signs of the stress. She tended to slump at her desk, not looking around and only speaking when called on. She scurried around with her eyes downcast, completely lacking her normal exuberance. Though still always neatly dressed and groomed, something about her appearance spoke of her lack of interest in taking care of herself.
Trini had tried to get her to open up about what was going on, to give Kimberly a way to express her feelings, but Kim had resisted her efforts, saying only that the situation had gotten worse and she was afraid her parents separation was inevitable. But more than that she wouldn't, or couldn't say.
That day at lunch Trini used the pay phone to call Kimberly. Kim's mom answered the phone, and reported that Kimberly was feeling ill and was taking a nap at that time. Trini got the distinct impression that Kimberly's mother was not being completely truthful with her, but she was far too polite to say so. She hung up the phone more worried about her friend than she had been before. Unhappy, she drifted back into the cafeteria to eat her lunch.
"Hey, Trini, we saved you a spot!" Zack called out to her as she entered the large room with her lunch bag in hand. Trini spotted her friends and walked over to join them at the table.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked, noticing her downcast expression.
"I tried calling Kimberly and her mother said she was sick, but I just have a feeling it is something more than her just being ill," Trini replied.
"You think things got worse with her parents?"
"Maybe. I think it has been getting worse all along, but she won't talk about it. I tried, but she just wouldn't. I'm worried about her, she thinks she's responsible for their fights," tears glistened in Trini's eyes.
"But she isn't responsible," Zack noted, confused.
"I know that, but I don't think she does. She's told me that if she would just be good enough her parents wouldn't fight so much. Remember when we were in the fire, what she said then about how she wasn't supposed to cause any problems? She still feels that way. Like it is all her fault," Trini's voice was sorrowful for her friend.
"I wonder why she would think that. I mean, it's not her fault, is it?" Billy asked.
Trini's first reaction to Billy's innocent question was anger, until she realized that he probably had no idea what it was like to hear parents fight. "No, it isn't," she said evenly. "I think they would fight, no matter what. At least that is what my parents told me. I asked them about Kim's parents one night when I had been over visiting her and heard them arguing." That had been the last time Kimberly had invited Trini over to her house, almost four months ago.
"Tell you what, why don't we all go over to Kim's after school, you know, just sort of check on her. Sound like a good idea?" Jason asked the group. They all quickly agreed to meet in front of the school when it let out that afternoon.
Three thirty found the four friends briskly walking toward the Hart residence. Kimberly lived near Billy, within easy walking distance of the school. The four children laughed and joked as they walked, comparing notes on their day at school. But as they approached Kimberly's front door they settled down, and when Eileen Hart opened her front door she found the kids standing there quietly.
"We missed Kimberly today and wanted to see if she was okay," Jason said for the group.
Eileen looked, and felt, wrung out, but she had to smile at her daughter's friends. "Let me go tell her you are here," she said, not even bothering to keep up the pretense of Kimberly's illness.
A few minutes later Kimberly herself came to the door with red, puffy eyes and a sorrowful expression.
"Kim! What's wrong?" Trini exclaimed, reaching out to embrace her best friend.
Kimberly backed off a bit, allowing Trini's embrace, but not returning it.
"Guys, I don't feel very good, that's all. But I should be able to come back to school tomorrow. Thanks for coming by, and all, but I just want to be alone for a while," she said as tears stood in her eyes.
"Are you sure? Is something else wrong? You can tell us," Trini prompted as the boys all nodded in agreement.
"It's nothing. Really. I'm okay." Kimberly's voice was fading rapidly.
"Is something going on with your parents?" Trini asked watching Kim closely.
Kim burst into tears at that question. Trini reached out to hug her again as Kimberly sobbed out brokenly, "My dad moved out last night."
The others all exchanged a look. They knew Kimberly's worst fear was her parents breaking up, and now it had happened. Trini, Jason and Zack had all asked their parents about Kimberly's situation, as none of them quite understood what it was like to have parents that fought openly and loudly. The Kwan's infrequent disagreements were kept very quiet, and Trini and her sister never knew of them. The Scott's also argued rarely, but on those occasions that they did they tried to keep the volume down so that Jason wouldn't hear it. The Taylor's arguments were louder, but very brief and usually ended with humor. Billy had no memory of his parents fighting, and he did not question his father about it.
None of the kids had gotten satisfactory answers to their questions, as none of their parents could come up with a way to explain the situation to young children. Despite the fact the kids could not really understand the situation completely, they offered Kimberly all the support and kindness they could.
"I'm so sorry Kim," Trini said softly, as she hugged her best friend close. The boys all stood around looking, and feeling, uncomfortable, wishing there was something they could do for her.
"It was awful. They kept yelling and yelling, then he just slammed out the front door and took off in his car. He pulled out so fast his tires squealed, you can see the marks over there," Kim pointed to some black streaks on the driveway. The other four regarded the marks solemnly. "He hasn't come back at all today, but he called Mom and said he was coming by tomorrow to pick up some of his stuff. He…he…he's n-n-not coming b-back," she choked out.
"Want me to come in with you for a while?" Trini asked.
"Please, yes," Kimberly whispered.
"Can we do anything for you?" Jason asked hesitantly.
Kimberly just shook her head, and Trini gave the three boys a meaningful look as she herded Kim back into her house.
No one but Kimberly and Trini ever knew what was said between them that afternoon, but the already close friendship the two shared was even closer afterwards. Trini became Kimberly's shadow-wherever Kimberly went, Trini was sure to be close by.
Jason, Zack, and Billy were also solicitous regarding their diminutive friend. They refrained from teasing her, instead going out of their way to be careful of her feelings. Perceptive enough to see what they were trying to do, Kimberly nevertheless found it irritating that they were so nice to her. Between Trini's mothering and the boys' treating her like she was made out of glass, she was starting to grow irritated with them all.
Two weeks later in the park, it finally got to be too much. Billy innocently asked her if he could get her something to drink and Kimberly blew up in his face.
"Quit being so..so…so..NICE to me! Just stop it! You are worse than my mom is! Just leave me alone!" seeing the shocked, hurt expression on Billy's face, Kimberly suddenly burst into tears and ran towards her home, yelling at the others to just "leave me alone!"
Shocked into immobility, they stood in a group, watching her retreating figure, wondering what had just happened.
"I didn't mean to upset her," Billy said softly, sounding on the verge of tears himself.
"We know you didn't, Billy. I don't know what is wrong with her," Trini said, putting a comforting arm around the upset boy.
"Should we follow her?" Zack asked, sounding doubtful about that idea even as he said it.
"Why don't we just make sure she got home okay. I don't think she wants to see us right now," Jason suggested. The decided to walk over to Billy's house, as he lived the closest to Kim.
When they got there they called the Hart's residence, and Kim's mother told them she was home, in her room and very upset.
"We didn't mean to do anything to make her upset," Jason explained.
Eileen Hart knew her daughter's friends were trying their best to help Kim, but they were too young to understand what Kimberly needed. She reassured Jason that she knew they had not done anything intentional to upset her daughter, and promised to tell Kim they had called and were sorry.
"I still don't understand what got her so upset," Zack said with a puzzled expression.
"Got who so upset?" The voice from the doorway surprised them all as they turned to find Wallace Cranston standing there.
"Kimberly. I offered her a drink and she got mad and yelled at me, then ran home crying," Billy explained.
"Oh. What did she yell at you?"
"To quit being so nice to her, and that I was worse than her mom, and to leave her alone," Billy was sounding upset again and Wallace put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I may know what the problem is," he said quietly. Seeing the curious looks on the youngsters' faces he smiled a bit. "Why don't we sit down and talk about it?"
Once the kids were settled down around the kitchen table Wallace spoke again. "I think it may be that you are treating her differently than you usually do. Her parents split up, and things are probably very strange at home for her right now, and she is feeling like everything is kind of topsy-turvy. She needs for something in her life to be normal, and I think she was looking for that from you guys. Instead, she found you all acting differently also, and it upset her. Now, I know you all meant the very best, and it was very good of you to be so nice to her, but maybe you should try treating her normally and see how that goes. Does that make any sense?" Wallace looked around the table to find the kids all thinking about what he had said. He spoke from painful experience. After Marie had died he found his own life a confusing mess, nothing was as it should be. He had looked forward to work as a place of normalcy, only to find his coworkers were treating him with kid gloves. It had taken some time for them for start treating him normally again, but once they did he had finally found a sense of place again, and from that was able to rebuild his shattered life.
"I guess that makes some sense," Trini finally said a bit hesitantly.
"So, we should treat her like we used to?" Zack asked.
"Yes, I think that would be good for her," Wallace concurred.
"It won't upset her more?" Billy asked.
"I doubt it. It's worth a try at least. Just don't forget she is having a hard time, so if she seems really moody, try to understand it probably has nothing to do with you. Okay?"
"Okay" four voices chorused back at him.
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The next day Kimberly approached them a bit hesitantly at school. "I'm sorry I yelled at you guys yesterday. I was upset."
"That's okay, Kim. We know it is hard for you," Trini said with an encouraging smile. "We'll try to be more understanding. Do you want to come with us to the park to study after school?"
"Oh, I can't. I have to go…be…somewhere after school. Maybe the next time." Kim hurried off toward her classroom without another word.
"Wonder what's up now?" Zack commented as the four of them prepared to head to their own classrooms.
It was later that day, during lunch, that they found out what was up with Kimberly. She joined them for lunch, but hardly ate anything and was obviously upset. The others tried to get her to join in their conversation, but she was impervious to their attempts. Finally exasperated, Zack flat out asked her, "What's wrong Kimberly?"
"My folks are sending me to a shrink," she whispered.
"Oh. Maybe he can help you with dealing with your parents," Jason said calmly. Given his mom's profession, he had met a few psychologists and psychiatrists, and had found them to be nice, normal people. He did not have any prejudices concerning their profession, or their patients.
"Yeah, you can psych them out," Zack added with a laugh, finally eliciting a smile from the unhappy girl.
"You don't think I'm nuts?"
"No, we think Zack is nuts," Billy said with a smile, and a yelp when Zack slugged his arm. The others all burst into laughter. Billy rarely attempted a joke, but when he did it was usually quite funny, at least partly because it was so unexpected.
"Thanks, guys," Kimberly said softly, smiling a little at her friends.
So it was that Kimberly spent the rest of the school year and the first part of the summer seeing a therapist. The others did not ask her any details about what they discussed, but if she indicated a need to talk, they were there to listen. Other than that they all made the effort to treat her like they usually did. With their support and friendship bolstering her, she made significant progress in her efforts to adjust to the new realities of her family life. Once the first shock of the separation was over, and with her therapist's help, she began to see that things might actually become better than they had been before, when her parents were fighting all the time.
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July 16, 1991
Jason, Zack, and Billy were in the Scotts' family room, enjoying a "Star Wars" marathon and tub of popcorn. They were an hour into "The Return of the Jedi" when they heard Jason's mom come home. Jason looked up with a smile when she came into the room, but the smile quickly faded when he saw the expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Mom?" he asked, the movie forgotten for the moment.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Why don't you turn off the movie?" she replied.
In the sudden stillness, she spoke again. "Just before my shift ended, there was a call to the emergency room for all available staff. There had been a bad accident just outside of town. I went to help them out, and that is when I found out one of the families involved was the Kwans."
The three boys looked stricken. "Trini and her family?" Zack asked.
"Yes. Trini has some broken ribs, and I think her left arm was broken as well. Also, a lot of cuts and bruises. Her mom and sister didn't have any broken bones, thank goodness. But her dad was very badly hurt-both his legs were broken, he suffered significant head trauma, and he underwent surgery for internal injuries. He will be in the hospital for several days, and they are keeping Trini overnight for observation. Maybe you guys could go visit her later with me. I think she'd like to see her friends. I'm sure she was very scared."
"Can we? We'll call Kimberly and get her to come too," Jason replied, his expression grave. Trini and her family had been out of town for several days on a mini-vacation, the accident happened just a few miles from their home.
"I think that would be a good idea," Marjorie agreed. She hated the thought that the kids would again be going to the hospital to visit a friend, but she felt in her heart that Trini really needed to see them. She didn't say so to the boys, as she didn't want to upset them more than necessary, but Trini had been absolutely terrified. Marjorie had spoken to Michelle Kwan for a few minutes, and Michelle had agreed Trini would benefit from seeing her friends.
Late that afternoon Marjorie went with the four children to the hospital to visit Trini. All four had gotten their parents' permission, and had been told the extent of Trini's injuries. They would visit two at a time for a few minutes, keeping the conversations focused on buoying the girl's spirits.
Kimberly and Jason went in first with Marjorie. Kim in particular had a hard time hiding her dismay at her friend's appearance. Trini had two black eyes, numerous small cuts and bruises on her face, and her left arm was encased in a bulky cast. The car that had hit the Kwan's sedan had struck at an angle, doing the most damage to the driver's side, and the occupants there. Trini had been sitting behind her father, who had been driving. It was the expressed opinion of the rescue workers who had been called to the scene that Trini and her father had actually been very lucky, and that the luck had been helped considerably by the fact that they had been wearing their seatbelts. Accidents such as theirs with unbelted victims usually resulted in fatalities.
"Trini, how are you feeling?" Jason asked awkwardly, knowing the question sounded stupid, but unable to think of anything else to say.
"Not too good. My side hurts, and so does my arm. Is my father okay?" she asked, her voice small, and somehow lost sounding.
"I don't know, we didn't see your family outside. Are your ribs broken?" Jason countered, desperate to keep off the subject of Trini's father.
"Yeah, that's what the doctor said. How bad do I look?"
"Not as bad as Billy did when the Martinez brothers finished with him last year," Jason grinned. The previous fall Billy had been waylaid by the Martinez brothers and beaten up pretty badly. It had been the first time he had been beaten up since he had become friends with Jason and Zack, and Jason had felt extremely guilty for not being there when Billy had needed him.
Trini smiled back a little puzzled, she knew Jason hated talking about what had happened. "I guess I'm okay, then," she murmured.
"Of course you are!" Kimberly suddenly declared with a stern look. She had finally gotten over her initial shock. "You are going to be completely fine in no time. You promised to attend a week of summer camp with me and I am not letting you off the hook. So you are going to be fine SOON!"
"Yes, ma'am," Trini said with an awed look at her petite friend. Even Jason was a bit taken aback by Kimberly's emphatic tone of voice.
"Not to sound mean, or anything," Kimberly demurred.
"Oh, no, not at all!" Jason laughed, while Trini grinned at them. Standing quietly to the side Marjorie smiled in satisfaction. This visit was exactly what Trini had needed.
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Two weeks later the kids had decided to meet in the park for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of goofing off. Trini was the last to arrive, walking slowly and looking obviously dejected. The facial injuries she had suffered were already faded to almost nothing, but her arm was still in a cast, and she moved with the careful motions of a person who expected pain.
"Hey Trini! Pull up a corner of the blanket and grab something to eat before Zack gets it all," Jason invited with a smile.
Trini's return smile was barely existent, and Jason immediately sensed something was very wrong with her. He shot a questioning look at Kimberly, but saw she was as confused as he was.
"What's wrong, Trini? Did something happen?" Jason asked in his direct way.
Tears began to run down the girl's face as Jason asked his question. "I think we may end up moving to Houston, to live with my grandparents," she said softly, not looking at any of her friends.
"Why?" Zack asked.
"My dad can't work yet," she replied, still not looking up. "I heard my parents talking last night, they said if Dad couldn't start back at work soon they may replace him, and we would have to move in with my Mother's parents until he can find another job."
The other four children all looked mystified at the idea. None of them had ever heard their parents discuss financial matters, or faced the possibility of a change in their lifestyle due to a parent's loss of a job. They were at a loss to understand how this could happen, but realized that Trini was very upset and uncomfortable talking about it.
"Well, maybe something will come up so your dad can work again soon," Kimberly said, knowing it sounded lame, but unable to think of anything else to say.
"Maybe," Trini murmured with no conviction.
"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Billy asked.
"I don't think so. It didn't sound like it."
No one could think of anything to say to offer hope to the downcast girl.
"You guys want to play tag Frisbee?" Jason finally offered, wanting to do something to work off the unhappy feeling Trini's announcement had caused in him. The others agreed and soon even Trini was engrossed in the spirited game they had dreamed up the previous summer. Because it was difficult for Trini to throw the Frisbee, but she was still adept at catching it, they teamed her with Billy who was the least skilled player among them. This allowed Trini to participate in the game despite her injuries, and gave Billy a fighting chance against the better players.
Later walking home Jason, Zack and Billy talked amongst themselves about what Trini had told them. Zack knew more about financial problems than the other two boys did due to having overheard his parents discussing his uncle, who had lost his job the previous year.
"My folks were talking about how they would have to give up their house, and their car, and even some of their furniture, and move to a small apartment until my uncle could find work. My mom was crying a little, cause that's her favorite brother. I guess he found another job before they had to move, which was really lucky. But it sounds like Trini's dad can't work because of the accident, and that's mean if he loses his job because of that-it wasn't his fault," Zack said.
"Yeah," Jason agreed. "I'm going to ask my dad if there is anything that can be done, I don't want Trini to have to move."
"Me neither," Billy added. "I'll ask my dad, too. He knows a lot about finances."
"Good deal. Maybe we can find out something to help Trini."
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That night Jason asked his parents about the Kwan's problem.
"How did Trini hear about this?" Jack asked.
"She said she overheard her parent's talking. She's been really worried about her dad, and I guess she was going to check on him and that's when she heard them discussing the move. She's really upset about moving. It's not fair, Dad. He was hurt in an accident. Can he really lose his job for that?"
"Possibly. Though most employers try to avoid that, it can lead to all sorts of legal problems, depending on the situation. Hmm, I wonder if there isn't some sort of precedent for this sort of situation? I think I'll give Wallace a call, maybe he knows someone who can help the Kwans," Jack decided. He looked at Jason with some sympathy. It sure seemed like his friends were having a spate of perfectly horrible luck. Zack getting so sick, Kim's parents divorce, now Trini's problems. He found himself idly hoping the old wives tale would hold true about troubles coming in threes, and there would be no more bad news for Jason or his friends.
He went to his study to make the call, and came back a half-hour later with a satisfied expression. "Wallace said he has a client who handles this sort of situation all the time. He's going to talk to him tomorrow, and maybe steer him toward the Kwans. Wallace said he would ask that his friend not mention how he heard of the situation. So, Jason, that means you keep mum about it to Trini, okay?"
"Okay, I guess. But, can I ask why?" Jason looked very confused. "Isn't it a good thing we are doing?"
Jack smiled at his son's innocent question. "Yes, it is. But, adults, parents in particular, don't like others knowing they are having financial problems, especially their children. I think Mr. Kwan, for all he is such a good person and very nice, would be upset if he knew we had been told of his problems. It's hard to explain, Jason. Let's say you were taking a class, and you just didn't understand the subject. No matter how hard you tried, you just didn't get it, and it seems like everyone else does. Now, let's say the teacher goes to your friend, Billy maybe, and says 'Jason is failing the class, will you please help him study', and Billy tells you that the teacher said that. How would that make you feel?"
"Pretty stupid, I guess. Like I couldn't take care of myself, or do the work for myself."
"Right. Now, let's say Billy just approaches you and wants to study for the class with you, no mention of how you are doing in the class, but giving you the opening to ask for help without it seeming to be a big deal. Would that be better?"
Jason nodded, thinking it over. "I think I get it. And I won't say anything to Trini. I'll make sure Billy doesn't either. Thanks, Dad." He gave his father a big hug with a smile.
"You're welcome, kiddo," he hugged his son tightly, then looked at him warmly. "You know, you are a very special person."
Jason smiled as he headed toward the den to watch some TV before bedtime.
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A few days later Trini appeared to have been relieved of a tremendous burden. When the others asked about it, Trini told them that her family would not have to move after all. It seemed that the company her father worked for was willing to keep his position open until he was completely recovered, and set up some sort of plan to help pay for some of the Kwan's living expenses until he could resume work. Trini admitted that she had finally confessed to her parents that she had overheard their discussion earlier, and so they had told her of the good news so she could stop worrying.
"That's so great!" Kimberly squealed, carefully hugging her best friend. Kim was doing better all the time, herself. She was down to bi-weekly sessions with her therapist, tapering down to the point where she would finally be done completely with therapy. She had made great strides in dealing with her parent's separation, soon to be divorce.
"Wonderful news, Trini," Billy added with a big smile.
"We should celebrate! I have my allowance, plus some money I earned mowing lawns, so I'll buy us a round of smoothies at the Juice Bar. Sound okay?" Zack offered expansively.
A round of enthusiastic approval met the proposal, and they trooped to the Juice Bar to celebrate Trini's news that she would be staying in Angel Grove.
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October 11, 1991
Jason came home from his Friday afternoon karate class to find his parents in a serious discussion in the kitchen. He came in and looked at them with mild curiosity as it was a bit unusual to find both home at this time of the evening, and odder still to find them sitting at the kitchen table this way.
"Hi Mom, Dad. When's dinner?" he asked casually.
"In an hour or so. Jason, come over here and sit down. We need to talk to you for a few minutes," his mom replied quietly.
"Sure," he said with a slightly apprehensive look at his parents. Something was definitely wrong.
Both Marjorie and Jack looked at Jason with somber expressions. "I guess there is really no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just say it straight out. Billy's dad is very sick, he has colon cancer. He has to go to the medical center in the city to undergo treatments for a few months. He will be staying with his aunt, but there is no room there for Billy. Wallace asked us, and we agreed to let Billy stay with us for that time. I hope you will have no objections to that."
Jason looked at his parents with a fearful expression. "Is Mr. Cranston going to die?" he asked, tears in his eyes.
Marjorie looked taken aback at the question, and the look on her son's face. "There is a very good chance he will be okay. This sort of cancer usually responds well to treatment. You know, not everyone who gets cancer dies," she added.
Jason looked at her doubtfully. "But you are always saying how so-and-so died of cancer, it seems like that is what kills all the patients at the hospital."
His mother was surprised by her son's inference. "Oh, Jason, I didn't mean to give you that impression. When one of our patients dies, it always makes me sad, and when I talk about it to you and your dad it helps me feel a little better. But the patients die of all sorts of different causes, not just cancer. And maybe I forget to talk about those patients who get better. A lot of those are cancer patients. Just because he has cancer does not mean Billy's dad is going to die. According to Wallace his doctor is very optimistic. But, treatment for cancer is not fun, and he is going to be very sick. That is another reason he wants Billy to stay here, to spare him seeing his father so ill. That, and his aunt really doesn't have room for him. But you have to understand, Billy is going to be upset no matter what. He's so intelligent, it is hard to hide things from him, and he is sure to find out all sorts of information about his father's illness. We have to be ready for that."
Jason was still trying to assimilate the information he had been given so far. Another question rose in his mind. "When is he leaving?"
"Wallace is telling Billy tonight. Then he will drop him off before he heads to his aunt's on Sunday," Jack told him.
"How long will he be gone? And is he going to come to visit or something?"
"The doctors believe Wallace will be in treatment for four to eight months. We will be taking Billy to visit him every other weekend."
"Okay. Is he going to stay in my room or the guest room?" was the next question. Usually when Billy stayed with them he slept in a rollaway bed in Jason's room. Since the two had become friends, Billy had spent about a week every couple of months with the Scotts while his father worked out of town.
"At least at first I'd like him to stay in your room. Jason, he's really going to need your friendship now. He's sure to be worried and scared. He's already lost one parent, it would be his worst fear to lose his other one. I don't really know how he is likely to react, but we need to realize he is going to need a lot of patience and understanding. And love. We can give him all that, can't we?" Marjorie asked.
"Yeah, we can," Jason agreed. His expression was thoughtful, and he asked to be excused so he could go to his room and change clothes. His parents realized he needed some time to deal with what they had told him, so they ended the discussion for the time being. They both knew Jason would likely have more questions and concerns later once he had thought it all through.
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It was the next morning before Jason asked any further questions about Billy's situation. He was sitting at the table eating his cereal when he suddenly asked his mom a question she was not expecting.
"Mom, what will happen to Billy if his dad dies?"
"Oh, Jason," she sighed, "I thought we explained to you that his father has an excellent chance of being okay."
"You did. But I'm still wondering, what if? You know? What would happen to him? Would he stay with us for good?"
"Possibly. Probably. BUT, we are not going to think that way, and we certainly aren't going to talk that way. Billy's dad will be okay. That is what we need to believe. That is what Billy needs to believe. Okay?" It would be many years later, when her son was already the father of two growing girls, before Marjorie would tell him that Wallace Cranston had already had legal papers drawn up giving custody of his son to the Scotts in the event of his death. He had done so three months before he was diagnosed with cancer. Wallace was nothing if not thorough.
"Okay. And don't worry, I won't say anything to Billy. I just wondered."
"I know, Sweetie. And don't ever feel like you can't ask us a question. This will be hard for you, too. So you come to us if you are having any problems, okay?"
"Okay."
The next morning Wallace arrived with Billy. The boy was quiet and pale, and greeted the Scotts solemnly.
"Jason, why don't you help Billy get settled in your room?" Jack suggested.
"Sure. Come on Billy, I cleared out some room for you," Jason said, leading toward his bedroom.
Billy obediently followed, lugging a large suitcase while Jason took another one. The two boys quietly distributed some of Billy's clothing to the closet and the dresser drawer designated for him. Billy said very little, keeping silent unless asked a direct question. Soon they heard their parents calling for them.
"There you two are. I've got to get going, the Sunday afternoon traffic is terrible down there. I'll see you in a couple of weeks I guess," Wallace said to Jason and his folks. The slight man then headed out to his car, escorted by his son. The Scotts watched from their front porch as Wallace turned before getting into his car and enfolded his only child in a tight hug. It was clear he was speaking softly to the boy, but whatever he said remained between the two of them. After a few moments he gently removed himself from the child's embrace and opened the car door to get in. A final word, a longing look, then the car was pulling out of the driveway, and heading toward an uncertain future, leaving a small, solitary figure standing in its wake.
Marjorie choked back a sob as she looked at Billy, seeing his yearning look after his father. She turned abruptly and went into the house before the kids could see her tears. Jack and Jason went down the driveway and stood beside Billy.
After a few moments the three turned and went back into the house together.
To be continued...