Eric spent the rest of the week exploring the area around his new home. At first, he had been hesitant to come and go as he pleased. It wasn’t until Roth sat him down on the third night, and gifted him his very first phone, saying, “This isn’t an elaborate scheme to trick you into getting in trouble. I want you to feel comfortable and safe. It’s a good thing you want to go out and explore. Learning about our neighborhood and meeting the neighbors isn’t something to be reprimanded.

“If you ever need help, use this to contact me, Susan, or Kayden. If you make new friends, add their contact information and make plans to hang out. I understand this is a little overwhelming, so take your time. You won’t get in trouble, I promise.”

He left that conversation feeling relieved. Eric did think Roth was testing him to get him to make a mistake. He knew he was being paranoid. It was something he wanted to work on fixing. Letting it grow with him into adulthood sounded like a terrible idea. In order to leave behind his past, there were certain things he had to let go of now, or else he feared what he would become in the future.

Eric left the house around eight after eating breakfast under the careful watch of Susan. Despite the things she said to him on his first night there, he saw she was making an attempt to be nice. Like her insistence that he eat a hearty breakfast this morning before leaving.

He found he didn’t mind. Her actions made him feel taken care of; something he lacked for most of his childhood and adolescence. The change was welcome.

Another thing he noticed was how often Kayden was absent from home. When he asked Roth about it, he said his son was a social butterfly, and a bit of a workaholic, and not to worry too much. He started to see Roth’s point when, after his fourth day living his new life, he noticed Kayden often went to bed earlier than everyone else, and woke up before six. He was always at dinner, just like Roth.

Eric hadn’t seen much of Angela or Sam yet because Susan was always taking them places. Turns out, she decided to take a long break from work after what happened his first morning there. He heard her complaining about it on the phone while she was cooking. Something about bad energy and misaligned planets. He thought it best to escape outside without asking questions.

Eric learned Angela was lively at dinner and Sam kept quiet, whispering to her older sister on occasion. Eric wanted to ask why she never spoke, but figured it was too personal a question.

Roth and Kayden always ate with a relaxed calm, never rushed when speaking, and took great care to be attentive listeners whenever someone else was talking. Susan busied herself by keeping the conversation flowing with gentle enthusiasm and jumping in whenever there was a lull.

It meant that dinner was never quiet and Eric could sit back and listen without feeling pressured to participate.

He stretched out his body, breathing in the fresh morning air. His feet took him down a new path under the hot summer sun. He’d already explored most of the neighborhood within a ten-block radius. The part he hadn’t explored yet was the park. Three acres of land, full of trees, winding paths, lakes, and ducks. Lots and lots of ducks.

Roth told him about the park yesterday and how the area used to be an old construction site years ago before the city converted it.

Eric took another deep breath, letting the fresh air fill his lungs. A map of the park stood next to the entrance, showing all the different trails and locations available. He scanned it, looking for the best path.

He used to get into arguments with Mrs. Laje about joining the track team in middle school. It was a few months after returning back from hell when Eric decided to do something that made him happy. He loved running during P.E. and was told by many of the teachers he’d do well in track. He tried out for the track team, unaware of how much trouble he’d cause, not only for him, but for the other children in the orphanage.

Mrs. Laje was furious when she found out, calling Eric selfish for not thinking of the other children who weren’t able to join extracurricular activities. She asked him why he thought he could join a team, while the others weren’t able to. Eric argued, questioning Mrs. Laje about why the other children couldn’t join a sports team or club. She never gave him a satisfactory answer.

Even now, he wondered why she wasn’t truthful with him. It would have saved so many arguments. If she had told him it was because the orphanage couldn’t afford it, he would have relented. Granted, he’d still be upset, but he thought that was better than being called selfish for trying to be happy.

He took another breath to quiet his thoughts. All that was in the past. He couldn’t change it.

After choosing a mile-long trail, Eric went through twenty minutes of stretches and a warmup. It’d been a long time since he had the luxury of running. Once he finished, he took off at a jog, planning to increase his speed halfway through.

The park was beautiful at this hour. Sunlight illuminated the trees and sparkled against the water. Ducks quacked, waddling along, looking for food. Other park-goers were exercising like Eric, while some were taking pictures or having a breakfast picnic in one of the open fields.

Tall, sturdy oak trees lined the trail he was running. A green canopy blocked out most of the intense heat as the morning wore on. Birds sang their songs and the quacking of ducks added to the noise. Yellow and pink coneflowers added a splash of color and a field of sunflowers danced in the gentle breeze.

He’d never felt more at peace.

When Eric finished his run, he took the long way back to the entrance, enjoying the sunshine and wind. Remembering that he owned a phone, he took multiple pictures of the scenery and a few videos of the ducks. Actually, a lot of videos of the ducks. And pictures. Their sleek, green heads, yellow bills, brown and white bodies, and orange feet flipping back and forth in the water did something to Eric.

He swore he’d never seen anything cuter. If he could take some of them home, he thought his life would be complete.

When he finished taking the videos and pictures, he decided to send a few to Roth, to test out some of the functions. Angela ended up being the one to show him how his phone worked. She didn’t have her own yet, but she often used Susan’s to watch ballet videos online.

His phone buzzed.

Roth 10:59 AM: Awe, so cute

Eric stared at the message for a long minute, not sure if he was supposed to reply back. After a silent debate, he tucked his phone into his pocket. He’d figure it out later.

He took his time returning home, enjoying being out in nature. He found Roth sitting on the porch swing with a book in hand.

“Morning, Eric,” Roth greeted, smiling. “Out for a run? The ducks were cute.”

“Yeah, I like running. I went to the park you suggested. It was nice.”

“Good,” Roth closed his book. “I’m headed to the mall soon. Want to join?”

Eric’s first instinct was to decline. And then his second instinct was to decline. He had nothing against Roth, just… “I’m sorry, I—”

Roth chuckled. “No need to apologize. Thought I’d offer since I’m about to head out. You probably want to freshen up after your run and relax. I’ll see you for dinner.”

His shoulders relaxed at the excuse Roth conjured up for him. Eric honestly had nothing against him. His issue lay in what happened in the past anytime he was left alone with… Irritated at himself, Eric pushed those unpleasant memories away. Roth was a good person.

“Eric?” Roth abandoned his book, taking in the look on the young man’s face. “Whatever it is you’re feeling, feel it, don’t try pushing it down. I know what you’ve been through. I’m not expecting you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If coming with me to the mall is something you can’t do right now, it’s okay. I’m not angry.”

“Really?” Eric asked. “You’re not angry because I can’t—”

Roth picked up his book and lightly tapped Eric on the head. “No, I’m not. Trust takes a long time to build. Don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

Eric couldn’t believe how understanding Roth was being. Wasn’t it normal to get upset if someone didn’t want to spend time with you? “I…”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

Another chuckle. “Okay. Then I’ll see you later. Kayden is out for the day, and most likely won’t come back until the middle of next week. He’s traveling with a friend he hasn’t seen in a while. Susan and the girls are inside if you want company.”

“Uh…thanks.”

Roth smiled and headed out to his car, waving at Eric as he drove away.

Feeling conflicted, Eric sat down on the porch swing, content to lay back and close his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because, what felt like seconds later, Susan was shaking his shoulder and telling him to go inside.

Half awake, Eric pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was almost noon. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

“I’ll be finished with lunch in about forty minutes.” Susan replied, giving him a smile.

He returned it, feeling grateful she was being nice to him and not holding what happened those first two days over his head.

After his shower, he went in search of Angela and Sam. Like Kayden said during his house tour, think of the last place he saw them and try to calculate where they’ll end up instead.

The last place he saw them was the dining room, and with the weather being so nice, he might as well try the backyard.

With a plan formed, he dashed to the first floor and rushed down the main hallway to the end where the back door was. It opened out to the well-maintained garden taken care of by Susan and the girls. Giggling and lots of shouting reached Eric’s ears when he stepped outside.

Roth and Kayden had built a large playground area similar to what would be in a park, and the two girls were busy chasing each other through tunnels and going down slides. Eric noticed none of the equipment was too high off the ground and looked very secure.

“Eric!” Angela shouted, scrambling through a tunnel and jumping off the platform with a shout. “Sam! Look who’s here!”

Sam peeked around one of the playground walls.

Eric gave her a friendly wave. “Hello!”

She darted behind the wall, but her head was soon visible a second later, unable to control her curiosity. Hesitant, she lifted her small hand and waved.

A burst of happiness spread through Eric. He understood how she felt. Meeting strangers for the first time was nerve-wracking. He stepped further out into the yard, heading towards the swing set. “Susan said lunch will be ready soon.”

“Awesome!” Angela dashed over, wrapping her arms around him. “Wanna play on the trampoline? Mom and Dad said we can’t use it without an adult.”

“I’m not an adult,” Eric teased.

“Please? With a thousand cherries?”

“A thousand? You think that’s enough cherries for me to say yes?”

Angela scrunched her nose. “Alright…how about triple the amount. Will that be enough?”

“Hmm…”

“What’s more than triple?”

Eric laughed, holding her tight so he could spin her around in a circle. “Triple is enough. Let’s play!”

He was sore from running, but the look of pure excitement on her face caused him to push aside his body’s complaints. They wouldn’t be jumping for too long. And it would make her happy.  

“Yes!” Angela ran back to Sam, grinning. “We’ll jump really, really lightly! Little bounces so you can learn how to jump! Okay?”

Eric smiled, figuring out Angela’s reasoning. Sam must be afraid of the trampoline because she doesn’t know how to use it, and Angela probably wants her to get comfortable so they can both play together whenever their parents can supervise.

It was surprisingly thoughtful for an eight-year-old.

He watched Angela lead Sam to the trampoline and he followed along, wondering how the two ended up together, and why they were a package deal when being considered for adoption. He wasn’t sure if he should ask anyone about it. Maybe, if things didn’t go sour, they might tell him themselves in the future.

“Right,” Eric knew Angela viewed him as her brother, so he may as well do brotherly things without thinking too hard about it. It wasn’t fair to confuse her with his thoughts about adoption and guardianship. “First, we need to take off our shoes and anything sharp or hard in our pockets.”

He laughed in disbelief when they both pulled out sticks and rocks from their pockets. “Nah, I’m not gonna ask. Okay, who wants up first?”

“I do!”

Shaking with laughter, Eric helped Angela up. He looked down at Sam, melting on the inside when she placed her hand in his. He knew that small touch took a mountain of bravery. “Up you go, Sam. Be careful not to step on the springs. Stay close to the center.”

Once both of them were standing in the middle, Eric hoisted himself over the edge. He was also feeling excited now he was up here. He took in the girls, both with wide, eager eyes, looking up at him.

“Like Angela said, we’re gonna do small, tiny bounces. Keep your feet apart, like this, bend your knees, and push up.”

Angela and Eric shared a grin when Sam started bouncing. Her little feet wiggled whenever she got some air.

“Just like that!” Eric shouted.

“Best! Day! Ever!” Angela cheered, joining Sam bouncing around the trampoline.

Eric added his own bouncing to the mix, being careful not to jump too hard so he didn’t accidentally cause one of them to fall.

With Angela around, there was a lot of laughter and cheering for no reason simply because they could. Eric found he didn’t mind joining in, often letting out his own shouts of joy and laughing whenever one of the girls fell over on their own. He always checked to make sure they were okay.

When Eric remembered they were supposed to eat lunch, he looked over at the backdoor where he found Susan leaning against the frame, a gentle smile on her face.

The uncertainty inside Eric settled.

Things were going to be okay.