Page 110 of Back To Our Beginning

“Sometimes,” he whispered.

“Did Bruce kick you instead of Sparks sometimes?”

Eli looked at the controller in his hand. A tear splashed down on the black plastic. “Sometimes.”

“What else did he do to Sparks?”

“He had a piece of wire. It made a whizzing noise when he swung it. He would hit Sparks over and over and over again with it. Sometimes he made him bleed.”

Eli wiped his nose with his sleeve.

“Did you try to protect Sparks from the wire?”

Eli nodded.

“What happened when you did?”

“It hurt. One time, he took off my pajamas and hit me with it. I was bleeding just like Sparks, but mom made him stop that time.”

I scooched closer to him so that my arm rested against his arm. After a few moments, he rested his head against my shoulder. It felt like I had won a marathon.

“What else did he do to Sparks?”

“He didn’t feed him. He said he wasn’t worth food. Sparks would get really hungry. Sometimes I would get up in the middle of the night and steal food from the fridge and give it to Sparks. Bruce never caught me.”

Thank God for small miracles.

“I don’t want Bruce to ever be around Sparks again,” I said.

“That would be good,” Eli mumbled. “But Mom made him go away once, but he came back, and he was madder.”

“Bruce?” I asked.

Eli nodded.

“I can make it so Bruce goes away for a long, long time.”

“You can?” I got another powerful hit from those blue eyes. This time, they were filled with hope.

“Yes. I can. But I’d need your help.”

“I can’t do anything. I’m little.”

“You’re teaching me how to play video games.”

“You’re not very good.”

I chuckled. “No, I’m not. But you’ve helped me. You did, Eli. So, can you help me stop Bruce from ever hurting Sparks again?”

“How?”

“I need you to tell a friend of mine the same things you told me. He’s a lawyer, and he can make it so that Bruce can never hurt Sparks again.”

“He can?” Eli looked amazed.

“He really can.”

“Can I see Sparks? Can he come here and live with me?”