“That explains it.
Doesn’t excuse it.”
I looked at him differently after that.
“Apology accepted.”
He nodded.
“Dante wanted to come himself, but Marco wouldn’t let him leave this morning.”
“Your brother?”
“Cousin.
We were raised close.”
I filed that correction away.
Nicholas looked toward the hospital corridor.
“You really don’t want anything?”
“From Dante?”
“For what you did.”
“No.”
“Most people would.”
“Then he should enjoy meeting someone cheap.”
Nicholas laughed once.
“You have no idea how unusual you are in his world.”
“I don’t belong in his world.”
“Probably for the best.”
He turned to leave.
Then he paused.
“One thing.”
“What?”
“Marco didn’t wander because nobody cared where he was.
There was a mix-up.
Dante has already changed the pickup arrangements.
It won’t happen again.”
The defensiveness in his voice wasn’t for himself.
It was for Dante.
I nodded.
“Good.”
Nicholas left.
I assumed, once again, that the story was finished.
For several weeks, it seemed to be.
Then one rainy afternoon, Maggie called me during my break.
“Your little friend is here.”
“What little friend?”
“Dinosaur backpack.
Expensive coat.
Apparently believes my hot chocolate is the finest beverage in Massachusetts.”
I smiled despite myself.
“Marco?”
“With his father.
Relax.
Nobody is lost.”
After work, curiosity won.
I stopped at Maggie’s.
Marco spotted me through the window and waved so violently I thought his arm might detach.
Dante sat across from him.
No entourage.
No frightening display.
Just a dark coat hanging over the chair, two mugs on the table, and a father listening while his son explained something with enormous hand gestures.
I nearly kept walking.
Then Marco ran to the door.
