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Stanley found himself shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He had been standing in front of his pa's pawn shop since late morning with no break, and his feet were aching something awful. Somehow, though, it still hurt less than the pitiful glances he received from the passersby throughout the day, silently reading the sign he'd been holding up stating Extra Stan, 3 dollars or better offer. A creative punishment his pa forced him to endure. He huffed and kicked at some rocks on the sidewalk as he recalled one particularly rude group of teens across the street pointing and laughing at him. If only he hadn't been ordered to stay in place. He would've gone and chased them in a heartbeat, given them a piece of his mind by way of his tiny fists. He kicked another rock, and it went flying down the street, which was quieting down.

He cast a glance to the horizon. The sky was painted with varying hues of orange and red with the setting sun. Stan couldn't help but feel relieved: one, because the sun had been particularly brutal that day and taken sweet care to scorch his cheeks and arms, and two, because pa always closed down the shop by sundown to avoid any thieves hiding in the dark. Any minute now, Stanley would finally be allowed to come back inside. His ma would start prepping dinner, and he could put some aloe on his burning skin. And he could finally catch up with Stanford, his best friend and twin brother, even read some comics together. Just thinking about it brought a smile to his face. 

True to schedule, the front door to the pawnshop opened as his pa flipped the sign on the door from open to closed and took a final glance around the street. The only one out right now was Stanley. He held a steady expression as his pa let out a disappointed hmph.

"No one took you up on your offer, huh?" He asked, gesturing to Stanley's cardboard sign. His stomach lurched. Pa was still angry.

"No, sir," Stanley replied, trying to keep his voice level. If he let his shame show, his pa would use it as an opportunity to lecture him about how a real man shows no weakness. Stanley had to play it cool and do as pa says to make the transition back inside as easy as possible.

"I'm not surprised. Who would want you? They'd want a child they could be proud of, not one who gets F minuses on their exams."

The sunburn on Stan's cheeks flared up as more blood rushed to his face, flushed with shame at his pa's words. It's not like he was proud of his failure. he didn't want to be a disappointment. Sure, he goofed off in class every now and then, but he really did try to pay attention to the teacher. It was just hard for him to remember everything he learned from class once the exam came out. Once the class chatter began to quiet down into pencil scribbles, all Stanley could feel was the weight of his pa's expectations, and suddenly, everything he thought he knew was replaced with layer after layer of doubt. It wasn't intentional. Stanley wished he could explain it to his pa. But Stanford always excelled in his exams, and if Stanford could do it, there's not reason he shouldn't be able to do it. Pa reminded him of that often. They're supposed to be identical.

"You're right, sir."

"Of course I'm right," his pa replied, exasperated. He shook his head and started closing the door again.

"Wait," Stanley interjected, suddenly panicked. "Can't- Can't I come in now?"

"You can come back in once you've earned your worth. Shouldn't be too hard. It's only three bucks." With that, his pa shut the door, and with a quiet click, locked it. Stanley stared at the door for a few moments longer. There was no way he was actually going to leave him out there, right? This was all for dramatic effect- to really sell the lesson that he should be grateful to have a roof over his head, to try harder because nothing in life is guaranteed. The light inside the shop turned off, and he didn't movement on the other side of the door.

A cool breeze snaked across the back of Stan's neck and made him shiver. With the sun making its quick journey below the horizon, there was no warmth to fight the evening chill rolling in. Stanley set the sign down and redirected his attention to the display window behind him. He cupped his hands around his eyes and leaned up to the glass, trying to see if he could see his pa watching over him silently inside. All that greeted him were the still silhouettes of the merchandise.

He was alone.

His pa really left him.

Stanley bit his lip as he willed the tears building in his eyes not to fall. Real men don't cry. Real men don't cry. If pay catches you crying, finding three dollars is going to be the least of your problems. He took a deep breath and turned back around, picking up his sign again. Stanley's understanding all day was that this whole punishment was meant to humiliate him, so he hadn't bothered trying to engage with anyone passing by. Had he known his pa was going to hold him to those three dollars, or better offer, his mind bitterly supplied, he would've actually tried to get it. He probably could've thrown together a comedy routine funny enough to get fifty cents here or there from whoever saw. Stanford always laughed at his jokes, and his ma frequently praised his high energy. Even if he hadn't gotten the full three dollars, he still would've had something to show his pa. Deep down, though, Stanley worried that whatever spare change he might've ended up with wouldn't have been enough to convince his pa to let him in, and he would be in the same exact place he was now regardless.

The streetlights came on as the last rays of light disappeared, along with any tourists he might've been able to convince to give him money. If no one else came, which is how it was starting to look, would he be expected to stay outside all night? He gulped. He didn't think he would be able to do that. Sure, it was a tight knit community, but that didn't mean hoodlums didn't stroll the streets at night. Stanley bounced on his toes anxiously, peering down both sides of the road for any signs of life as another chill ran down his spine from the cold.

If only Stanford were with him. They'd be joking and laughing together, no doubt. Stanford would probably spout some nerdy fact he learned, and Stanley would pretend he understood why it was important. He wondered what his twin was doing in that moment. Was he wondering where Stanley was? Did pa tell him? Was his nose deep in a book, complete unaware of the fact that he hadn't seen Stanley all day? His heart squeezed painfully at that last one. Did anyone ask where he was? Did anyone care?

His breathing hitched. He had to get out of his thoughts. If he kept asking himself all these questions, he was definitely going to end up crying. Who would want to approach a crying child? No one. Everyone's problem are their own. They wouldn't want to hear about his and be saddled with finding a solution.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" A high pitched voice drew Stanley out of his thoughts. There was a woman in a car in front of him with the passenger window rolled down. He hadn't noticed her pull up. C'mon, Stanley. This is your chance. Reel her in.

"Yeah," he squeaked out. He bit the inside of his cheek. This was probably going to be his only shot at getting the money, but he couldn't seem to shake the sadness away. His usual arsenal of jokes were lost to him, locked behind a steel wall of nerves and shame.

The woman's face was partially hidden in darkness, but he saw her gaze shift from looking at him to his sign. He could barely make out the shape of her lips mouthing the words on his sign as she read it to herself.

"Three bucks, huh? Sounds like a steal to me. How did a cutie pie like you end up in the discount pile?" Her voice was soft and sweet with a hint of concern. Stanley wanted to reply with wit, but his voice locked up, and he ended up shrugging as a response. He saw the woman frown.

"So, um, where are your parents? Why are you out here all alone?" Stanley felt guilty as she asked, her brow furrowed with concern and confusion. He was a burden, bothering this nice lady. Making her worry. He could imagine it now. She had just been minding her own business, driving down the street, when she saw a kid all by himself. Of course she would have to check in to see if there was an issue. Children weren't supposed to be alone after dark. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"Inside," he said, unable to address both questions. He cursed his inability to say more than one word at a time. She was going to get the wrong idea at this point. But no matter how hard he tried to muster up more words, Stanley found he had no energy to try to explain the situation. He was cold and tired and sad. Lonely, too. And guilty. So, so guilty. He just wanted to go inside with the rest of his family. But he messed up so bad his pa locked him out, and now this poor lady got roped into this whole mess.

Leaving the car running while in park, the woman opened the door, left the driver's seat, and carefully approached Stanley. With the new lighting from the lamppost illuminating her features, Stanley was finally able to see that the woman had long, black hair that matched her dark eyes. She had laugh lines on her cheeks, a mole on her chin, and seemed to be around the same age as his mother. He figured she was an out-of-towner since he knew everyone in this area but didn't recognize her.

"So why are you out here while they're in there?" She asked, casting a glance at the dark window behind him. Stanley tried to think of an easy explanation, but a particularly strong gust of wind blew through and made him shiver, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Oh dear, you poor thing. You must be so cold. And no sweater either."

She rushed up to him and pressed her hands against his cheeks to feels his temperature. IT caught Stanley off guard. He stumbled backwards away from her touch, but her hands moved with him. His back pressed against the facade of the pawnshop. Her hands were pleasantly warm, but he didn't like it. He wasn't used to anyone other than family touching him- at least outside of all the fists and feet he came into contact with when trouble found him. But this was different. The way she touched him was different.

"You're freezing," she said, worry coating her voice. "This is unacceptable. I don't understand why-"

"It's not that bad," Stanley interrupted, suddenly finding his voice again. He wasn't sure why he was lying, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Yes, he was actually very cold, but something felt wrong. He wanted to get this lady away from him as fast as possible, three dollars be damned.

"Well, aren't you a tough cookie?" She said with a smile, releasing his face from her grasp. The way she looked at him made him uncomfortable. His skin felt itchy where she touched, and he wanted to do nothing more than scratch it all away. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need anything?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine." Stanley was feeling more and more confident in his words even though everything else about the situation had him on edge. The woman gave him a half smile and almost seemed like she believed him, but then his stomach let out a loud growl.

"Is that so? Because to me, it sounds like someone's hungry." She punctuated her sentence with a chuckle. "When did you last eat?"

Stanley frowned. She was too close. Although she wasn't touching him anymore, she was still crowding him up against the window. Her long coat brushed against his legs, and the ends of her hair tickled the sides of his face every time the breeze flew by. She made him feel small. And he didn't like all the questions she was asking. Her undivided attention made him uneasy. She was overly invested in him, a mere stranger. If she was so worried, why not drop him off at the police station to let them figure it out? He wasn't her responsibility. It was odd, unnatural. Normal people didn't act like this. 

"Have you been to Georgie's Burgers and Fries? It's not too far from here. They've got great foo, and it's warm inside. What do you say?" Before he could deny her, his stomach let out another rumble. "Sounds like your tunny thinks its a great idea. I've got the heater on in my car. I can drive us."

Stanley cursed his stomach for its obvious enthusiasm. Georgie's was his favorite burger joint in town, and he hadn't eaten since that morning. Just how long had it been since then? It all began during breakfast time. He had just finished his pancakes when his pa found the failed test he thought he'd hidden well in his room. He'd stormed into the kitchen and demanded Stanley to explain himself. Unfortunately, Stanford wasn't there to help defend him in that moment, as he had inconveniently taken a bathroom break, and before Stanley knew it, he was thrust outside with that God forsaken sign. No wonder his stomach had reacted so enthusiastically to hearing the woman reference Georgie's. He hadn't eaten in over eight hours. But he couldn't her her know that.

"Ma is cooking dinner right now. I don't think she'd like if I spoiled my appetite."

"Oh, hun, I understand, but if I'm being honest, I'm not too sure she wants to deed you. Why else would you be out here still? Can you look me in my eyes and guarantee me that they're going to let you in soon?" Her tone was soft, but her gaze was intense. He didn't even know how to reply. He knew he was supposed to lie, but he was worried she'd somehow see through it and use it to her advantage. He tried to come up with a reasonable response, but the way she stared at him made all his thoughts scramble. He had to admit, she was starting to scare him a little. Apparently, she took his silence as an admittance of parental neglect because she continued, "See? Even you're not sure your parents care about your wellbeing. Should we  knock on the door to be sure? To see if they actually want you back?"

"No, don't," Stanley interjected, the words slipping out without him having thought about it. He bit the inside of his cheek. He knew it was the wrong move, to make it seem like he didn't trust his parents, but to some degree, it was true. For his pa at least. He wasn't sure his pa would let him in if he knocked right now, no money, and a random lady seemingly ready to lecture him for child abandonment. Or if he did bring him in to satiate the woman, there would certainly be more consequences waiting for him as a result of not enduring his punishment in its entirety.

"You're such a sweet, little thing. Okay, we won't ask your parents then. Let's just go. It'll be a quick meal. In and out. I'll bring you right back. Your parents won't even notice you left." Stanley let his gaze fall to the ground. What option did he have? If he continued to say no, she would just keep coming up with reasons for him to say yes. Or worse, go back on her word and get pa involved. That definitely was not an option. If he said yes, then he'd still get in trouble for leaving without permission, because knowing his luck, pa would absolutely find out he left somehow. But at least he wouldn't be hungry anymore. Plus, at least he knew Georgie's was a safe place. He'd been going there since he was a baby. They all knew him there and wouldn't let anything bad happen. The same couldn't be said if he stayed here on the street alone, in the dark, where any criminal might stumble upon him. Who knows what they would do to him? He looked down at the sign in his hand. Extra Stan, it said. Maybe this woman was right. Maybe pa really didn't want him if he was willing to sell him for three measly dollars.

"How about we make a deal? Here's how it goes. I have twenty dollars cash in my purse. We go get some food in your stomach. I pay with the twenty. Then I bring you back and give you three dollars from the change for your time, just like the sign says."

Stanley looked up at the woman. That could work, assuming pa doesn't find out in the first place, which was unlikely, but at least this time, he'd have three dollars to make up for it. But... he didn't know this woman, didn't even know her name. And even though she had been nothing but sweet, he still had an uneasy feeling. Leaving with her didn't seem like a good idea, yet neither did standing around all night hoping someone would simply give him three dollars out of the goodness of their heart. He reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, holding him firmly.

"Let's go before it gets even colder. I'm shivering as it is even with a coat on. I can only imagine how you're feeling." She started pulling him toward the passenger seat of her car. "I'll let you rude up front, right next to me. It'll be so fun. You'll see."

Stanley struggled against her grip. He hadn't decided yet if he wanted to go with her. He dug his heels into the ground, but she was much stronger than him.

"Um, I'm not sure-" He got cut off as she opened the passenger door. She started to usher him inside. "Wait, he exclaimed, as he threw his hands out to brace against the door frame, having dropped his sign at some point while she was pulling him.

"It'll be fine. Just get it," she said, voice strained. She used both hands now. One to hold him and the other to push against his back. Stanley grit his teeth and clung to the doorframe with all his might, pushing from his legs back against the lady. He didn't want to go in her car. Why didn't she understand? Why was she acting like this? He squeezed his eyes tight as he focused solely on his body, using every ounce of strength to avoid entering the car.

"Hey, what's going on here?" A strong voice yelled from behind them.

"None of your business," the lady snapped, halting her efforts to him into the car temporarily. "My son is being a brat is all. Now get in the car, dear."

Son? Dear?

Stanley threw a glance over his shoulder to look for the source of the new voice. He saw a bearded man, older than his parents but younger than his grandpa, down the street looking furious.

"That's not what it looks like to me. Kid, do you know this woman?" He asked, pointing angrily at the woman. 

"Of course he does. I'm his mother," the lady angrily replied, tightening her grip on his shoulder until it hurt. He winced as she started pushing him again, resuming her efforts to get him in the car.

"No, she's not," Stanley called out, panicked, his muscles straining to keep from entering the vehicle.

"Get away from him now, or I'm going to get the police involved," the man yelled, charging toward them.

"For fuck's sake," the lady muttered under her breath. She pulled Stanley backwards, away from the car, and shoved him in the direction of the incoming man. He tumbled hard onto the sidewalk, landing on his hands and knees. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he stared at the cracks in the pavement, trying to catch his breath. A pair of tennis shoes entered his vision as the sound of her car peeling away hit his ears.

"You okay, kid?"

Stanley looked up. The man was now down on one knee in front of him, seemingly scanning him for injuries. 

"I, uhh, I-" Again, Stanley had no words. He needed to pull himself together. Man up. Now was not the time to be showing weakness. He had gotten himself stuck in that situation with that lady because he didn't have proper answers for her. He couldn't do the same with this man. "I-I-I-"

"Shhhh, it's okay. Let's focus on breathing first. I want you to follow my breathing, okay? Watch and copy." His voice was steady, eyes firm and serious. He pointed at his chest as he took a long, deep breath in. Stanley did his best to follow. He was so confused. He didn't understand. He had no words. What just happened? What was up with that lady? Why was this man here now? What-

"Focus," the man repeated, interrupting his thoughts. "I need you to focus. Breath in, long and slow with me. Now."

Breathe in. Long and slow.

"Hold." The man held his hand out in a stop gesture.

Hold. Hold. Hold.

"Out. Long and slow."

Out. Out. Out. Slow. Slow. Slow.

"In again."

In.

Hold.

Out. 

In.

Hold.

Out.

"Good job. Perfect. How are you feeling?"

"I... don't know."

"No worries. That's totally fine. That's okay. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Um, I don't think so?"

Stanley's mind finally caught up with the rest of him. He was still on his hands and knees, so she shifted his weight to sit on his bottom. He checked his hands for scrapes. The top layer of skin was broken, but he didn't see any blood. He took a moment to take inventory of how the rest of his body felt. He mostly felt fine, cold but fine. Except his knees. They stung

"I think I scraped my knees. It doesn't hurt too bad though," he explained, avoiding meeting the gaze of the man in front of him. Trouble always had a way of finding him. And people were always being dragged into it. Just how many people was he doing to burden today?

"Okay, that's good. That's good. Where are your parents? We need to tell them everything."

Stanley's stomach flipped uncomfortably hearing him ask the same question as the other lady.

"They're inside," he repeated, gesturing to the pawnshop, "but, um, they're going to bring me in soon."

"Well, soon isn't fast enough. We're going in now." The man stood and headed for the front door.

"Wait, we can't," Stanley yelled. He jumped up and pulled on the back of the man's shirt. He immediately let go when he realized what he was doing. The man startled, halting his actions, and looked back at him. He had a careful expression on his face.

"Why's that?" He asked, simply.

Stanley shifted uneasily on his feet. This was the moment of truth. Either this man would understand his situation and leave him be, or he wouldn't and make things worse. Stanley located his discarded sign on the ground and picked it up, displaying it to the man as he did to every passerby earlier in the day.

"I'm not allowed in until I earn my worth." He offered a strained smile and gave the sign a little jiggle, the way some sign spinners do to bring extra attention to a shop. "Pa locked me out. Said to come back with three dollars."

"Kid. Stan," the man corrected, expression softening. "What happened just now was very serious. An extremely dangerous situation. I'm sure your pa will understand why you need to come in early," he said, gingerly. Stanley wasn't sure he agreed. Serious? Maybe. Dangers? Not at all. Stanley wasn't even really hurt.

"I dunno. He was really upset with me earlier. I think it'll only upset him more if he knows I got in more trouble with grown ups."

"Does he get upset with you often?"

"Only when I mess up," Stanley replied with a shrug.

"Do you mess up often?"

Stanley shrugged again. Now that the chaos from earlier was fading, he was starting to feel guilty again. This was all his fault. Had he done better on the exam, pa wouldn't have gotten mad. If he hadn't been mad, he wouldn't have been locked out. If he hadn't been locked out, he wouldn't have gotten in trouble with the first woman. And without her, he couldn't have dragged this man into it. Yes, he got in trouble often. Yes, pay got upset with him often because of it. It was his own fault though. He was a bad kid, and pa had to discipline him to teach him.

"Are you afraid of your pa?"

He'd never been asked that question before.

Am I afraid of pa?

Stanley thought about all the bruises that had healed over time, how he flinched every time someone moved too fast near him.

Yes.

But then Stanley thought about all the time he enjoyed the warm sun while on the family fishing boat, the delectable scene of the grill as his pa roasted the fish he helped him catch.

No.

Stanley didn't know how to answer, but the man seemed to understand anyway.

"I had a complicated relationship with my pops, too, you know. He was my best friend when I was your age. I'm actually named after him. I thought it was so cool. A testament to how close we were."

"What's your name?"

"Alex, short for Alexander."

"I'm Stan. Oh, well, I guess you know that already." He looked down at the sign in his hand and dropped it to the floor. He had no use for it anymore. "It's short for Stanley."

"It's nice to formally meet you, Stan for for Stanley," the man, Alex, said tipping an imaginary hat on his head.

Stanley giggled.

"Likewise, Alex for short Alexander," Stanley replied with a British accent and a dramatic bow for flair. Alex let out a chuckle at his antics.

"Stan," Alex began again, somberly, "do you feel like your pa loves you?"

Stanley was taken aback by the question.

"Of course he loved me," he shot back defensively. "He's my pa." Alex threw his hands up in surrender.

"Alrighty, alright. That's great. I didn't mean to imply that he didn't. I just wanted to know if you felt like he did."

"He does. He doesn't really say it, but I know he does. He's just like that." Stanley crossed his arms, a little upset that Alex would even dare question his pa's love for him

"I'm really happy to hear that, Stan. You see, my pops loved me a ton when I was a kid. A ton... until he found out that he wasn't actually my pops." Stanley's jaw dropped. "I know. I know. Crazy, right? My mom kept it a secret from him for thirteen years before he found out."

"Was he angry?"

"Oh, absolutely. He was livid that my mom had lied to him about me for so long, and even though it wasn't my fault that she lied, he ended up mad at me, too. He became very bitter. Was harder on me, never satisfied with anything I did. And if I messed up, he would punish me heavily, saying that he was trying to toughen me up for the real world."

It was as though Alex's words had grown their own two hands and put his heart in a chokehold. He knew that saying like the back of his hand. That was the exact same reasoning his pa had used for why he was so hard on him. To keep him tough. To prepare him for an unforgiving world. Stanley's feelings must've shown on his face because Alex sent him a knowing, sympathetic look.

"At first, I took his punishments without complaint. His reasoning seemed logical enough. But over time, I realized he wasn't doing it to help me. He was doing it because he was angry." He let out a deep sigh. "Why he stayed with my mom, I'm no sure, but year after year as I grew up, he got angrier and angrier. The punishments became harsher and more painful. One day in high school, I got sick of it and ran away from home. I was gone for three days before I came back. You know how he reacted when I got back?"

"How?" Stanley asked, eyes wide.

Alex shook his head with a bitter smile.

"He didn't. It was as if I had never left. You see, anything I had done after the truth came out seemed to make him angry and violent. But running away? It meant nothing to him. I could've been hurt. I could've died. He never would've known. He didn't care," he added with a shrug. "I wanted him to miss me, ask where I was. Hell, even punish me for being so reckless. But he didn't. I loved him so much He was the only father I ever knew, but in his eyes, I was no longer his son. He had stopped loving me for a while but that day... that was the day I realized it myself." 

"I'm sorry," Stanley offered, uselessly.

"It's okay. It's been several decades since then. I've reflected on it, learned from it, the whole works," Alex said, waving his hand in a circular motion. "Listen, the reason I'm telling you all this isn't to make you feel sorry for me. You told me your pa loves you, and I completely believe you. It's just... I know you're scared he's going to be mad if you tell him about what happened, but I promise you, any loving father would want to know what happened here. I'll admit, he might be upset that the situation happened, but I swear, his anger, scary as it is, will not be directed at you. Do you hear me?"

Alex made some good points, but Stanley was still scared. He was positive pa loved him, but he wasn't positive pa would react the way Alex was predicting. His pa was an angry man, and he normally took it out on whoever was closest. But Stanley also realized he agreed with Alex that pa deserved to know what happened between him and the lady. Stanley sighed and nodded at Alex. He would just have to deal with whatever new punishment pa came up with.

"Good. Do you want me to tell him for you, or do you want to do it yourself?"

"I can do it."

"Do you want me to be with you when you do?" Alex offered softly.

Stanley thought for a moment.

"No thanks." He couldn't risk pa taking his anger out on Alex by accident. After all Alex had done for him, it simply wouldn't be fair to expose him to his pa like that.

"You're the boss. I'll watch you from around that corner over there, so whoever answers the door can't see me but I can still make sure you're okay. Deal?"

"Deal," Stanley said with a small smile. He was very appreciative of Alex's consideration. He spoke to him like a real person and not some dumb kid. After the long day he had, it was nice to be treated with kindness. He had almost forgotten what that felt like.

"Oh, and one last thing." Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He took out a few bills, counted them, and put his wallet back. "I've got five ones with me. Three of these are for your pa. Keep them in your hand." He placed them in Stanley's left hand. "The other two are just for you for being so brave today. Put them in your packet, and don't tell your pa. Got it?" He placed the bills in Stanley's right hand, which he instantly deposited into his pocket as instructed.

"Good job, and good luck. Remember, your parents aren't perfect, but they love you and care about you, okay? I'll be right over there." With a farewell pat on the head, Alex walked down the street, stopping behind the wall at the corner. Stanley took another deep breath. He could do this.

Pa was probably upstairs watching tv, so he knocked on the front door as loud as he could to try to get his attention on the first try. His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he waited. Despite the cold aid, Stanley had beads of sweat rolling down the back of his neck, dripping from his hairline. He didn't know how this was going to play out, and truthfully, he didn't want to find out, but Alex said he was brave. Alex said his pa needed to know. And he told Alex that his pa loved him.

The stairway light at the back of the shop lit up. Pa was on his way. Soon enough, he found himself staring at his pa through the glass door. He waited expectantly. A few moments passed, and Stanley gulped. Why wasn't he opening the door? Did he decide not to let him back in after all? But he had just gone through all this trouble to finally those damn three dollars. Oh right, the three dollars in his hand. Pa didn't know he had those yet. Stanley held up the bills so his pa could see. Pa nodded, unlocked the door, and opened it for him.

"You actually scammed some poor sucker out of their money, huh?" Pa said gruffly, snatching the bills from his hand before locking the door behind him. Stanley felt a heavy weight lay deeply on his soul.

"Um, about that-"

"I don't want to hear it." Short. Gruff. Not open for discussion. Stanley understood exactly what was expected of him instantly. Even after all this time, his pa was still mad. He turned his back to his son and started heading for the stairs. Stanley wanted to cry. He went through so much to get those three dollars, and his pa wasn't even going to give him a chance. No. No. He was going to do this. He was brave.

"But pa-"

"I said I don't want to hear it. End of story. In fact, I don't want to hear a peep out of you for the rest of the night. Go to your room. No dinner for you tonight." His tone left no room for argument. It made him shake in fear. This was the same warning tone he used before getting ready to give him a whooping. If he disobeyed now, he was guaranteed to feel the regret down to his bones tomorrow. His pa's heavy footsteps began the ascent upstairs. Stanley was stuck in place. Somehow, he knew that if he made it upstairs without saying anything, he'd never find the courage to tell his pa what happened.

Any loving father would want to know what happened here.

Stanley balled his hands into fists and closed his eyes with a deep breath. It was all or nothing. 

"Some lady grabbed me outside," Stanley shouted unintentionally. He had meant for it to come off as confident, but the adrenaline coursing through him had other plans. His pa's footsteps stopped. Stanley peaked one eye open to see pa paused on the staircase.

"Some lady what?"

Oh no. If he was angry before, now he's pissed off. Stanley wrung his fingers together nervously in front of him as he started to shake harder. Pa was definitely going to teach him a lesson this time. He tried to school his face into a neutral position as his pa turned around on the stairs to face him. But he didn't look the way Stanley expected. Normally when he got pa mad, his eyebrows furrowed together to make a v shape, and his eyes would always be blown wide open in rage. Right now, he looked... almost normal. But no quite? Stanley trued to figure out what was wrong with it, but he couldn't read his pa's face at all. He'd never made this expression before.

It made Stanley nervous. He pulled his gaze away from his pa's face and went searching for other tells to give him any indication of what was to come. His shoulders were raised and tense. This was familiar. He could work with this. Tense shoulder meant pa was angry. Stanley knew how to deal with that. His eyes moved down from the shoulder to pa's right hand. See, that's another unnatural position. Tense shoulder were always followed by twitching fingers. A sign that he was physically trying to hold back his anger- something he never succeeded at doing. It always ended the same way for Stanley. With a new bruise.

But no. That wasn't happened now. Stanley had no clue what was happening now actually. His father had never acted like this in his life. He was just standing there like he was waiting for something. Stanley's eyes widened. He asked him a question. Of course. He actually was waiting for something, his answer.

"She, uh, grabbed me, sir," he repeated. Stanley but his inner lip. He needed to tell the whole story. He knew he had to do it, but he was so scared. Everything about what was happening was wrong and unnatural. He didn't know what to do with himself.

"What else did she do?" His pa's gaze was steady and gave nothing away. Stanley struggled to meet it.

"Um, I guess she touched me?" Stanley added, thinking about how she touched his face. "Wait, no," he corrected, realizing his phrasing made the situation sound much worse than it had been. "That cane out wrong. It wasn't like bad touching-" But it certainly felt it at some point, hadn't it? "Or maybe kinda-"

"Where did she touch you?" Gus father interrupted, now starting to make his way down the stairs toward him. His voice was still angry, but his body language remained unclear. Stanley felt his shaking pick up again. In just a few long strides, his pa was right in front of him now.

"J-Just my face," Stanley squeaked. "And, uh, I guess my shoulder from when she grabbed me. Maybe parts of my back, too, when she- when she, uh-" tried pushing me into her car. Why was that so hard to say?

His pa grabbed his chin lightly and tilted his face from left to right, looking for any marks, Stanley supposed. When he didn't find any, he moved to the collar of his shirt, stretching it to one side to view his shoulder skin. Left side clear. Pa moved to the right side. He visibly frowned and returned the collar to normal. That wasn't a good sign. Stanley stiffened.

"What did you do to make her grab you?"

"N-Nothing, sir." Stanley hated the accusation. He didn't do anything wrong. Why did pa always think he did? He felt a stinging sensation building behind his eyes as tears began to form. No, he couldn't cry. Real men didn't cry. He took in a shuddering, deep breath. He was brave. He was brave. Alex said so, and he promised Alex he would tell his pa what happened. If he started crying, pa would get mad and wouldn't give him a chance to finish his story.

"Then why did she grab you?"

"She grabbed me because..." He trailed off.

Why did she grab him? They had just been talking right? When did that start to change? His stomach. Right. He was hungry, and she wanted to take him to get some dinner.

"It was because..." He started again.

She said his family didn't want him anymore, which is why she was offering. She could take him to dinner and still bring him back. But that didn't make sense. If she was convinced that his family didn't want him, why bring him back at all? She was seemingly a concerned citizen wanting to take a hungry child off the cold street. But she was planning to return him to the family who keeping on that cold street? No, that didn't make sense.

"She grabbed me because..."

Stanley tried to sort out all the details. So she would've taken him to dinner and then what? Not take him back home, that's for sure. So where? What could a stranger possible want with a child like him? Suddenly memories of missing poster children flashed before his eyes. Warnings of stranger danger and buddy system from teachers and staff echoed in his ears. The entire situation replayed in his mind.

My son is being a brat is all. Now get in the car, dear...

Get away from him now, or I'm going to get the police involved...

For fuck's sake...

What happened just now was very serious. An extremely dangerous situation...

It all clicked together.

"It was because..."

She was trying to kidnap me, he finally realized.

She had said she would bring him back and give him three dollars. And he had believed her. He had actually been thinking about going with her in her car just to get three dollars. He had been going to let himself be kidnapped, willingly. Was he stupid? Of course he was. Who gets an F minus on an exam? Who thinks about getting into a car with a stranger at night? He was such an idiot. He almost disappeared forever all because he was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I'm so sorry, pa." Stanley covered his face as he began to sob. He didn't care if it made his pa angrier to see him so weak. He deserved any punishment his pa could come up with. Clearly, he hadn't learned anything from the punishments so far. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry."

"What did you do this time?" Stanley couldn't see his body language, but his voice definitely sounded angrier. Good. He deserved it.

"She-She said she wanted to t-take me to Georgie's," Stanley admitted between his tears. "And I believed her. I'm so s-stu-stupid. She t-tried getting me in her c-car and-" Stanley's legs gave out on him, but instead of hitting the floor, he found himself fully supported in his pa's arms. Pa lifted him up and held him to his body. Stanley curled up against his chest, trying to listen for his pa's heartbeat over his crying like when he was little.

"She-She kept- She kept- kept trying-"

His pa hushed him softly and held him tighter, running a hand through his hair gently. It had been a long time since pa had been so soft on him. Part of Stanley felt like he didn't deserve it. The other part of him hoped his pa never let him go.

"I'm sorry," Stanley repeated in a whisper. He was safe in his pa's arms. Nothing could happen him here. No one was tougher than pa. He was the toughest guy on the planet, and if anyone doubted it, pa would teach them a lesson. Pa would do anything for him. He worked hard everyday to make sure there was enough food in his tunny and a stable roof over his head. Pa loved him, and Stanley was sorry he ever made pa angry in the first place.

"It's not your fault, Stan."

"Stanley clutched handfuls of his pa's shirt and shoved his face deeper in his chest. Pa returned the energy with a tighter hold on him. His pa was so warm. He had been so cold outside. It was nice now. Inside. With pa. With love.

"I-I almost went with her. I-I'm so stupid. I swear I kn-know better, pa. Why did I- Why-" He was cut off by more of pa's hushing.

"You're just a kid, Stan. She's the adult. She should have known better."

"But-"

"But nothing. You're a tough kid, Stan. I saw your shoulder. It's already red from where she grabbed you. The only reason it'd look like that is if you gave her one hell of a hard time. Ain't that right, you little devil."

Stanley nodded, unable to trust his voice even though his cries were starting to settle down.

"That's my boy."

Stanley relished the praise. His pa was proud of him. He did good. He fought back against the lady. He didn't let her take him.

He was brave.

"I want to let you know that this is never going to again, Stanley. I promise you that." He peeled his son off his chest while still holding him to meet his eyes. "I'll never let anything happen to you. Ever. I hope you know that."

His pa loved him.

"I do, pa. I do."