“You can’t leave.” He blurted, deflating as he caught sight of empty shelf.

“No choice kid.” I replied, starting to bounce Angelica gently up and down, the sun now fully up in the sky.

“Will you sit at my table today?” He asked pathetically, lower lip starting to poke out. Oh no. Waterworks were the last thing I needed. If he started all the younger kids would follow and I’d be surrounded by crying, snot-covered children until I left.

“Yes.” I agreed instantly. Normally I sat with Papi, or alone if she off hatching another escape plot but it wouldn’t kill me to try to inhale some rubber eggs and still partly frozen O.J in other, more pre-pubescent, company. He looked down and sniffled just as the wake-up bell rang, Papi scooting back into the room two seconds later.

“Vamonos.” She snapped at Max as soon as she spotted him. He struggled to put his angry face back on, holding his arms out for Angie and I handed her over, then he scrammed.

“See you at breakfast!” He called out over his shoulder before disappearing.

“Looks like I’m sitting alone today.” Papi said, looking away, and it was silent for the next half hour until the breakfast bell trilled.

I think I hugged more on my way to the cavernous mess hall that morning than in my entire life up to that point. I didn’t get to eat anything either, every time I speared a silly putty colored piece of scrambled egg I got accosted by another, often sobbing, rug rat. The caretakers weren’t much help either, since they all decided to join in on the sad goodbye train, you’d think I was dying or something.

“You know what? I’ll come visit? How ‘bout that?” I announced to a packed rec room after breakfast, my freedom on its way and my luggage expectantly awaiting its arrival on the sun soaked front steps. This was greeted by a million high-pitched declarations of:

“You better!” and “Don’t forget us!” If I’d actually had a functioning beating heart I might’ve cried, instead I just added another layer to the armored black boulder that had taken its place long ago.

“Shane,” Jerry, the youngest caretaker there, called out. “Your ride’s here.”