\u201cI don\u2019t think your wife ever told you the whole story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I lowered the screwdriver I\u2019d been using to fix our restaurant sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stranger glanced through the window at Paige, my wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbout the boy she found sleeping behind this place 14 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m Damian. Cedric\u2019s uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew Cedric had an uncle he sometimes spoke to. We\u2019d never met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damian looked toward our delivery entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know what happened here that night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPaige called me shortly after Cedric moved in with you. She asked if I could take him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy would she do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what you need to ask your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige and I had wanted children for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We went through treatments, disappointing appointments, and too many nights when she cried in my arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy not us, Landin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I never had an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, we stopped trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We poured everything into our little restaurant instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I cooked and handled repairs. Paige knew every regular\u2019s favorite meal. Our daily specials went on a chalkboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It became our life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, one chilly October evening, Paige found a teenage boy sleeping near our delivery door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wore a thin hoodie and looked exhausted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His name was Cedric. He was 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen did you last eat, hon?\u201d Paige asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His stomach answered for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She brought him inside and served him dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I asked about his parents, Cedric stopped eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige touched my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot tonight, babe. Let\u2019s just have Cedric enjoy a warm meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, we learned he had nowhere safe to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige asked if he could spend the night in our spare room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust tonight,\u201d she promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I glanced at the food he\u2019d barely touched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay. Just make sure he gets breakfast, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One night became a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With help from his school\u2019s counselor and a youth support worker, we arranged for Cedric to stay with us while his family situation was addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon, our spare room became his bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric did homework at the corner table, washed dishes after school, and helped me unload deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was quiet at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, one morning, I caught him trying to fix a loose cabinet hinge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re making it worse,\u201d I told him. \u201cTry the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen why are you watching?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause that\u2019s my favorite screwdriver.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed and handed it over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his 17th birthday, Paige baked him a cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stared at the candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo one\u2019s ever done this for me before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen you\u2019ve been missing out, honey,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hugged her before she\u2019d finished speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, he started calling her Mom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called me Dad a few months later while we were repairing that same cabinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was so surprised that I dropped a screw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He teased me about it for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He still came over for holidays and helped whenever our kitchen got busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One Sunday, he arrived while I was preparing lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you have your own kitchen?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, but Mom said you\u2019re making roast chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour mother needs to stop feeding you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige appeared behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s taking leftovers home, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course he is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric laughed and reached for an apron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He even kept a key to our house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years, life went on like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then our restaurant started failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A major repair drained our savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Business slowed, and we fell behind on the loan secured by the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sold equipment, cut expenses, and worked extra shifts. Paige hated losing things we still used, but the bills kept coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One evening, Paige caught me checking our bank balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShould we tell Cedric?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s saving for his own business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s 30, Landin. You don\u2019t have to protect him from everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather he built something of his own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lender had already started foreclosure proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now we had one final week to resolve the debt or reach an approved arrangement before the scheduled sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night, Paige joined me in the empty dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe built this place together. We should make these decisions together, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve asked for more time. They want a repayment plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s talk to Cedric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet me think about it,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next afternoon, Damian arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And while I still struggled to understand his accusation, he had more to tell me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you take Cedric?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, Damian shifted his weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mother needed full-time care. I had a small apartment and couldn\u2019t give him a proper home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut you spoke to Paige?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes. She called because she was worried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhether Cedric was wanted by both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked toward the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy come here now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCedric called me last week. He asked whether investing his savings in your business would be a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t owe us anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen make sure he knows. Paige sounded uncertain back then, and I don\u2019t want Cedric risking his savings out of guilt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid Cedric know about her call?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. Paige said she\u2019d tell him when the time was right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apparently, she never had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I went inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige was counting receipts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you fix the sign?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you ask Damian to take Cedric?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her hands stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDamian? He\u2019s here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOutside. Why didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought Cedric might be better off with family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t he family to us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was still early. Things weren\u2019t as simple as you remember.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen tell me what I\u2019m missing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something I should\u2019ve told you years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen tell me now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how. Please give me time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve had 14 years, Paige.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watched Damien drive off as I walked into the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I drove to Cedric\u2019s apartment that evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He opened the door wearing an apron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad? Where\u2019s the food?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought you\u2019d finally learned to cook.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen you haven\u2019t tasted my rice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I followed him inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was chopping vegetables for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour uncle Damian came to the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe said you asked him about investing in our business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI asked for advice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you ask me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause you\u2019ve refused every offer I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t argue with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else. Your mom contacted Damian when you first moved in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI knew she helped me reach him later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe called him before that. She asked whether he could take you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He set down the knife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe wanted me to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t heard her whole explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen why are you telling me this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was right. I\u2019d brought him a painful question without an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI should\u2019ve spoken to her first. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric pulled out a chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid you want me there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore than you realized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you ever tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought I had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou did show me, Dad. But I spent those first months wondering when I\u2019d have to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou should\u2019ve been able to ask us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo should you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I left, Cedric asked me something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you think Mom regrets taking me in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. Whatever happened back then, she loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I want to hear the rest from her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll make sure you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back at the restaurant, Paige was sorting supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I took a box from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave that. We need to finish our conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wrote you a letter back then,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t give it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you say it now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She returned from the office with a folded page. I read it across from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard you say you couldn\u2019t keep living like this. I thought you meant our marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Cedric came, I was afraid you\u2019d agreed to take him in because you thought it would keep me happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPaige, I wasn\u2019t talking about leaving you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She pressed her lips together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI heard you on the phone that night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After another painful appointment, I\u2019d told a friend, \u201cI can\u2019t keep living like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I meant the silence between us, not our marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feared Paige would leave me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI meant I couldn\u2019t stand seeing us hurt each other anymore,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou stopped talking to me. You worked late every night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought coming home and bringing up children would make things worse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInstead, I sat there wondering whether you still wanted our marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I lowered the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd when Cedric came, you thought I only agreed because of you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I called Damian. I wanted Cedric somewhere he wouldn\u2019t have to wonder whether both adults wanted him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you give me this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy the time I felt ready, you and Cedric were inseparable. I thought we\u2019d moved past it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe never talked about it, Paige.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know. I was ashamed I\u2019d doubted you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat beside her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI should\u2019ve asked instead of burying myself in work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I told her about my conversation with Cedric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe thinks I wanted to get rid of him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe wants to hear it from you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s call him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric came over the following evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige explained why she\u2019d contacted Damian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was worried about the wrong things,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI never wanted you to feel unwanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric studied her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou could\u2019ve asked what I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish you\u2019d told me,\u201d Cedric said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wish I\u2019d handled it differently,\u201d Paige replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember your arguments. I thought I cost too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t the problem,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know that at 16.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige took his hand. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need some time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, honey,\u201d Paige said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric stood, then looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou both keep saying you wanted me here. But you never asked what I wanted back then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had no answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd now you\u2019re deciding whether I can help with the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He picked up his jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen are you going to let me make my own choices?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After he left, Paige looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s right, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah. He is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next morning, I reviewed our expenses and arranged to sell the unused delivery van. Paige joined me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe could shorten our hours,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd hear Cedric\u2019s catering idea?\u201d Paige asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He agreed to come after work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He arrived with his own figures and details of catering customers who\u2019d already shown interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI could use the kitchen during quiet hours,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d pay into the business and take a share of the profits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow much would you invest?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was more than I\u2019d expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remembered Damian\u2019s warning. Was Cedric doing this because he wanted to, or because he felt he owed us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of money, son.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know. That\u2019s why I want you to hear the whole plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you show us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery time I brought up helping, you changed the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I set down the papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s start again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We worked through the costs together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I offered to sell the van and put my remaining savings toward the debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige suggested reducing the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next morning, with four days left before the sale, we presented our plan to the lender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour projected income doesn\u2019t justify these expenses,\u201d the employee explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen what are our options?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReduce your operating costs further, find additional financing, or prepare for the sale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at Paige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We could sell the restaurant ourselves before the foreclosure sale if we found a buyer in time. But we\u2019d lose the place we\u2019d spent 18 years building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric studied our figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat if we close the dining room three evenings a week and use the kitchen for catering?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I almost refused. That meant changing the restaurant I\u2019d worked so hard to preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShow me how the numbers would work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That evening, I called Cedric back to the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve revised the figures,\u201d I told him. \u201cYour catering business would take over the kitchen three evenings a week. We\u2019d share ownership, profits, and decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric studied the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019d really give up control of your kitchen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cApparently, I\u2019m getting too old to run everything myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He smiled, but I wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDamian worried you felt you owed us. I need to know this is what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cedric looked at Paige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom, do you want me here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stepped forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve wanted you here since the night you walked through that door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He hugged her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he turned to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want this, Dad. The restaurant. The catering. All of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I held out my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen let\u2019s do it properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shook it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPartners?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPartners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he turned toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I still tell you when your cooking needs work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnly if you\u2019re prepared to wash dishes afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With three days left before the scheduled sale, I submitted our revised proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lender agreed in writing to postpone the sale for thirty days while reviewing Cedric\u2019s investment and our plan to reduce operating costs and repay the debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t a rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We still had to prove the smaller restaurant could support its payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I handled the calls, Cedric checked the catering costs, and Paige worked out the reduced menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two weeks later, the lender approved our revised repayment arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Cedric and I signed our partnership agreement, I called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re keeping the restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He went quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeriously?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeriously. But your first catering order had better be good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry. I learned from the best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Cedric\u2019s first morning as our business partner, he arrived carrying a box of supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige was already preparing coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I handed him the chalk for our specials board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re in charge of today\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wrote it out and misspelled a word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige reached for the chalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCedric, that\u2019s not how you spell it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMom, people will understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paige raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince when do you tolerate mistakes on your board?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I handed Cedric the chalk again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince it stopped being just mine.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cI don\u2019t think your wife ever told you the whole story.\u201d I lowered the screwdriver I\u2019d been using to fix our restaurant sign. \u201cAbout what?\u201d The stranger glanced through the window at Paige, my wife. \u201cAbout the boy she found sleeping behind this place 14 years ago.\u201d \u201cWho are you?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Damian. Cedric\u2019s uncle.\u201d I …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25117,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25115\/revisions\/25117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}