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“Easy,” he cautioned. “Try to take small sips. Too much too quickly could make you sick again.” I slowed my drinking, swallowing only a small mouthful at a time. “There you go,” he said, combing his free hand through my hair. “Good job, Taterbug.”
My heart skipped a beat. Not only was Weldon allowing me something that I’d desired for so long, he was encouraging me. He even seemed proud of me. I took a couple more drinks before releasing the spout from my lips.
Weldon placed the cup on the nightstand and picked up the bowl. “This is just chicken broth. It will be easy on your belly. As long as you don’t have any problems with it, I think you’ll be fine to eat regular food for dinner.” I was thankful that he knew about the poisonous berries I’d eaten, and how to help me recover.
I nodded and he scooped some of the liquid into a spoon. He gently blew on it to make sure it wasn’t too hot before offering me the bite. Once again, he didn’t hand me the utensil or the bowl. He didn’t expect me to feed myself, and appeared happy to help.
I knew that’s all it was; that he was just being an incredibly nice man. He had no way of knowing the significance this moment held for me; that I was imagining I wasn’t sick, and that Weldon was my Daddy, feeding his boy.
As I took the bites he offered, my daydreams warmed my stomach even more than the soup, but that warmth was wrapped around a ball of guilt. I had to tell Weldon about my desires. It wasn’t fair to take advantage of the moment like this. But I selfishly decided to allow myself just a few more bites first.
Chapter Four
Weldon
My boy looked so sweet as he sipped the soup from the spoon in my hand. After each bite, his tongue swiped across his lips to collect any rogue drops of broth. I was sure he had enough strength to feed himself, but I was thoroughly enjoying caring for him.
And it was obvious Tatum enjoyed it, too. He watched with anticipation each time I dipped the spoon in the broth, and his lips sprung apart when the bite neared. Though I doubted he had any experience with this lifestyle, he was made for it, just as he was made for me.
After about half of the broth was gone, I noticed Tatum slowing down, so I stilled my hand. “Are you getting full?” When he nodded, I put the bowl down on the nightstand. The poison’s effects would be worn off by now, but he needed to heal. I didn’t want to push him too far and get his stomach upset again. “You did great.” His answering smile was stunning.
“Thank you; for everything.”
“It’s my pleasure,” I assured him.
“I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up.”
Now that he was doing better, and since he brought it up, I couldn’t fight my curiosity any longer. I wanted to know everything about him, starting with, “What were you doing all alone in the woods?”
Tatum’s expression dropped, and his eyes fell to his lap. “I had nowhere to go. My dad threw me out of his house because I…I did something bad.”
Fury bolted through me towards his father, whom I’d never met. I didn’t even know the situation, but it didn’t matter. I was surely biased because of our bond, but I couldn’t imagine this little sweetheart doing anything wrong. I kept my anger under wraps and asked, “What happened?”
Tatum was silent for a few moments before lifting his gaze to mine. His eyes were wide and nervous. “I’m afraid if I tell you, you won’t want me here, either.”
He didn’t yet know that I’d stand with him against anyone and anything. I would never turn my back on him, and would protect and support him for all time. “I promise nothing you say could make that true.” I didn’t care about his past. I only wanted to better his future.
He took a deep breath and replied, “I quit my job.”
I blinked at him, unsure how to react. I didn’t want to diminish his story, but…there didn’t seem to be a story. I tried to come up with words of comfort, but I had nothing to go on, and my confusion won out. “That’s all?”
“Well…no. But that’s where it started. Well…not really. It started before that, I guess. But it made everything worse. And what I did afterwards made it even worse.”
Tatum sighed and dropped his head into his hands. My sweet boy was having a hard time getting his words together. Needing to comfort him, I instinctively pulled him onto my lap, and his body sagged against me with relief.
“Take your time,” I said quietly into his ear. “I’m not going anywhere.” I caressed my hand up and down his arm as Tatum snuggled against my bare chest as he gathered his thoughts before starting at the beginning.
“My relationship with my dad has been strained as long as I can remember, but I was always very close to my mom. She was my best friend and we did everything together. It grated on my dad’s nerves; he said she coddled me, and maybe she did.” He shrugged against me and I hugged him tighter.
“She passed away in a car accident shortly after I graduated high school. It tore my world apart. I fell into a deep depression and was barely functioning. I rarely left my room.” My heart broke for him. I could feel his pain from his words, and I wished I could take it away.
“That put even more space between my dad and me. He was hurting too, but we couldn’t connect. And life went on for him. He continued to work and keep up the house while I could barely move. Dad finally had enough. He said I needed to get up and make something of myself instead of wallowing in self pity.”
Anger tore through me again. Tatum needed support and understanding from his father, not disdain. It seemed far too minor, but I offered, “I’m sorry he said that.”
“I think he was trying to help me,” he shrugged again. “He was trying to push me forward. He ended up contacting one of his friends who managed a fast food restaurant, who pulled some strings and got me a job. He said it was time for me to start pulling my weight, and I went to work.
“I got very little training. The restaurant was very busy, and they basically handed me an apron and told me to help. I didn’t know where things were, and I was having trouble filling the orders. Other workers were yelling that I was moving too slowly. I quickly got overwhelmed and went into the breakroom to try and catch my breath.” His cheeks reddened when he added, “And to try to keep from crying. I didn’t want anyone to see that.”
