“Welcome, Thomas, to the O'Sullivan family.” Thomas received his first-ever hug from everyone. The air was warm, and Thomas could hear the boys' hearts beating softly. His heart was first wrenched by the boy's voice, and now his body was warmed by the boy's hug. He was too dazed to act and had no idea what to do! Should he return the hug? Was that okay?

“You can hug me back.” As though he could read Thomas's mind, the blond boy spoke in a whisper. Thomas slowly lifted his arms. Wrapping it around his, he squeezed the boy lightly. Thomas thought everything made sense for some strange reason. He undoubtedly would have fled if anyone else had attempted this. Thomas, however, thought this boy was unique. Different enough to drastically alter his life. He couldn't say how he knew, only that he knew this to be true.