Chapter 32

The biggest toad in the puddle
The most powerful, influential, knowledgeable, or experienced person within a small group.

• o 🦋 o •

I was eating breakfast with my family. And I could hardly get my food down. Today was attack day. Confrontation day (part 2). Except it wasn’t Mica that I would be confronting. It was the source of his pain. The source of it all. I felt nauseous.

“What’s wrong?” Mom asked.

“Nothing.” I sighed. “Things. I.. It’s a big day today.” I sighed.

“Then maybe you need a big meal.” My mom smiled at me.

She had a point there. If I was shaking and nearly fainting while confronting a beast, I’d fail.

I grabbed a bunch of slices of bread and some eggs and started munching away. My phone buzzed.

Jay: what r u up to today

Mica: ballet .-.

Jay: at home?

Mica: no at the company

Jay: you’ll prob be there all day huh?

Mica: yeah. sorry

Jay: no, it’s okay. I had plans anyway

I took a breath and started devouring my food.

• o 🦋 o •

I rode my bike into Mica’s sunny neighborhood. I wasn’t sure his dad was even home but I hoped for the best. If he wasn’t, I’d wait. I had all day.

I parked my bike against the gate and walked right into the garden. The gate was unlocked, luckily.

I don’t know.. In the plain front yard I felt the need to check the back. I wanted to see if Mica and my violets were still there.

I walked down the side of the house and smiled when I saw the purple flowers wave at me in the wind.

“What the hell are you doing here?” A voice growled.

I walked further into the garden and found George sitting on a rocking chair in the shade. He was holding a portrait. It looked like a family photo. All four of them were in it: George, Mica, Daniel and Violet.

“G-george!”

“Mica isn’t here. And even if he was, I thought I made myself clear.”

“You did.”

I walked right in front of George, a few feet away. “We saw each other at Riley’s party. We almost ruined her birthday because we couldn’t get along.”

George looked confused as if he had no idea why I was bringing this up.

“Riley is my best friend. And I almost messed up her birthday because of your stupid scheming.”

“Hey!” George stood up from his chair, towering over me.

“I’m not scared of you!” I lied. “And I’m not here for me, I’m here for Mica.”

“He is better off without you. You corrupted him-”

“Do you even hear yourself?! Do you seriously believe you’re doing all this out of love?!”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you. Leave.”

“Who’s gonna make me? I heard you even fired Charles!”

“He knew what you were doing to him.”

“I wasn’t doing anything to him, we were in love! We were together just like any other couple!”

“Couple? Don’t make me laugh! Mica is going to be great one day and you’re not going to ruin it!”

“No, Mica is going to be alone!” I yelled.

George took a step back. For once he had nothing to say.

“Mica.. is incredibly lonely. He’s aching for connection and you’re taking that away from him-“

“You-” George began to speak but I interrupted him again.

“You know what it’s like!”

George frowned.

“You know what it’s like to be lonely because you miss your wife everyday. And now you’re dooming your son to the same sad fate and for what? So he can be ‘the best’? ‘Perfect’? Perfection doesn’t exist. But sadness does. Loneliness does and that’s all you’re bringing him.”

George’s head was turned away. For once I could see emotion in his face other than anger. He suddenly looked so sad and alone. Then he frowned. “I won’t let a child speak to me this way.”

“Mica showed me your photo album.” I ignored him. “‘I never thought I could love anyone more than your mother. I was wrong.'”

George finally looked at me with tears in his eyes.

“Those were your words. You said that about Mica and Daniel when they were born. Mica loves you more than anything. God knows why. It’s time you start showing you love him again. Cause right now all you’re doing is controlling him and bringing him down. You’ve already lost one son and you’re going to lose another if you don’t change.”

George looked at his hands. He started picking at his fingers the same way Mica does when he gets nervous. Some of the hate I had for this man dissolved in the realization that without him there’d be no Mica.

“I love your son. I’m in love with him.” I made sure to look George in the eyes as I said this.

George scoffed bitterly.

“And if you love him too you’ll leave him alone until you’ve healed.”

It was quiet then. The wind blew through my hair and rustled the grass and the flowers.

I reached into my pocket. With trembling hand I gave George a stack of flyers.

I only then realized I was still nervous.

He took them from me and shot a quick glance at them.

They were all kinds of places for therapy and anger management. I’d been up all night researching.

George stared at them for a long time. It made me nervous. What was he thinking about? Why wasn’t he saying anything?

I opened my mouth to speak but George beat me to it.

He looked at me.

“You look like shit.” He said seriously.

I frowned, entirely confused.

Then he smirked.

Maybe I had eye bags. Either way, what a weird thing to say in a moment like this.

“Will you do it?” I insisted.

George took a breath. He went through the flyers again.

Then he nodded.

He looked serious. And he seemed like the kind of person to follow through on his word but still.

“A-and if you don’t, I’ll tell the cops.” I said.

George began to laugh as if I’d told him a joke. His laugh roared through the quiet garden.

“I’m serious!” I insisted.

“No, I know you are. But that was the most docile threat I’ve ever heard.”

I was embarrassed. Whatever, it didn’t matter. I’d gotten my point across. That was most important. I walked away.

“Springfield,” George called me.

I turned around. It was weird he was using my last name.

“I was wrong about you.”

I was so shocked to hear these words from him. Was this a dream? Why was he suddenly being so nice?

“Maybe you know better how to love my son. I trust you’ll look after him.” George looked sincere and serious. Earnest. For once.

I nodded.

George took a few steps forward and grabbed the collar of my shirt. He pulled me towards him.

I almost crapped my pants, I was so scared. Was he going to hit me?!

“Be good to him. Yes?”

I nodded frantically.

He let me go and I almost fell to the ground. George disappeared inside the house and I sprinted to my bike as if guns were blazing around me.

• o 🦋 o •

“And then he said ‘Springfield’ ” I tried to mimic George’s voice.

“Seriously?!” Riley cried.

She was laying on my bed and I was telling her the whole story of what’d happened. It was the day after.

“Yeah! It was like we were in one of your action movies or something. And then he said, listen to this, he said: ‘I was wrong about you’!”

“Holy shmokes!”

“I know! It’s freaking crazy! It’s like he admitted to everything and he even said I was better at loving his son or something like that. Riley, he’s actually going to do it!”

“But what about Mica?” Riley asked.

“Well.. I told George I’d look after him. Maybe they’ll rehire Charles and then while George goes away Charles can stay with Mica and I’ll check up. I don’t know.”

“What if he just takes Mica and leaves?”

“Riley!”

“Of course he wouldn’t but what if?!”

The bell rang. Riley and I were the only ones here.

“Must be the pizza.”

Riley rolled on her stomach.

I ran to the little hallway. I opened the door.

“Mica!” I was so shocked to see him. He looked great. There was a black car behind him. I could see Charles sitting behind the wheel. He smiled and waved. I waved back.

Guess he was rehired like I thought. I felt so relieved.

“I’m so glad to see you!” I said.

Mica looked nervous somehow. “I uh..” Mica stared at the floor. “My dad told me about what happened yesterday. He told me how you.. How you stood up for me.”

I smiled.

“He just left. Like.. an hour ago and.. He rehired Charles and he told me I could decide where I’ll stay.”

I nodded. Good. I knew George was a man of his word. At least he had that going for him.

“And I.. You said you would.. I know a lot has happened and I understand if you don’t want me to but if you’ll have me I’d love to stay with you.”

“With me?!”

“If it’s okay.”

“Of course it is! There’s nothing I want more!” I flung my arms around Mica and pulled him in.

“Thank you..” Mica’s voice was muffled by my shirt. I felt his fingers dig into my back.

Charles smiled and started taking Mica’s bags out of the car.