Then something happened at school.
It was a Wednesday afternoon. I was in our bedroom folding laundry when Emma came in and flopped down on the end of the bed.
“Mom. Tyler stood up for me today.”
I stopped folding.
“What happened?”
“At lunch. Brandon came over to our table. He made another joke about my arms. Something about how I should join the wrestling team because I’d fit right in with the guys.”
I clenched a pair of Daniel’s socks in my fist.
“What did Tyler do?”
“He was sitting at the next table. And he stood up. And he said, ‘Knock it off, Brandon.'”
Emma sat up on the bed.
“Brandon laughed at him. He said, ‘Aw, Tyler’s being sensitive.’ And Tyler said, ‘Yeah, maybe. I was a jerk about it too. I’m not doing that anymore. And you shouldn’t either.'”
She looked at me.
“Then he rolled up his sleeves, Mom. Both of them. In front of the whole cafeteria. And he sat back down and finished his sandwich.”
I put the socks down.
“How did that make you feel?”
“Good,” she said. Then she thought about it. “And kind of sad.”
“Why sad, honey?”
“Because I wish he’d said it before I cried in the bathroom.”
I sat down on the bed next to her.
“That makes a lot of sense.”
“I went over to his table after,” Emma said. “I told him thank you.”
“That was kind of you.”
“He asked if we could start over.”
My heart did a little flip. I waited.
“What did you say?”
“I told him I’m really glad he stood up for me. And for himself. But I don’t want to date again.”
“How did he take it?”
“He said he understood.” She looked down at her bare arms. She was wearing the yellow T-shirt. “I think he really is trying to be better, Mom.”
“He might be,” I said.
“But I don’t have to be his girlfriend to be happy about that.”
I pulled her into a hug.
“No, sweetheart,” I said into her hair. “You don’t.”
Ethan Blake is a skilled Creative Content Specialist with a talent for crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives. With a strong background in storytelling and digital content creation, Ethan brings a unique perspective to his role at TheArchivists, where he curates and produces captivating content for a global audience.
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