Marcus watched the people on the screen doing everyday tasks but invisible people laughed aboublt it. Sitcomes were weird, Marcus thought.
"Maybe you should call your mother first", he answered, "or else she'll worry about you."
Of course he saw it. Logan sat right next to him, how could he not?
"But yeah. I wanna meet her. And I promise I won't make a job interview out of it. Can't promise not to check her, though."
He leaned his head on Logans shoulder and tried to keep the thoughts out. Just keep the peace a little longer. It somehow worked, which was definitely Logans work. Just his presence made things better. Another point on Marcus' mental list.
They just sat there, staring at the tv. Marcus tried to not listen to anything Logan did on the phone. Of course it was all in his head but he didn't remember it consciously. Until someone asked or he actively tried.
Then it was time to pick up Dylan. Marcus didn't drive. He'd always let someone else drive, if possible. He watched the different houses fly by, admired the front yards. The school came in sight in under five minutes. The kids were running around, cars fought for a parking spot. Marcus always parked across the street on the corner. There was always space and you just had to walk a few meters.
"Dad!", he heard the familiar voice of Dylan through the crowd as they reached the entrance.
Shortly after, the boy ran across the sidewalk and jumped into his fathers arms.
"Hey buddy."
"Did Logan tell you?"
"He did, yes."
"Can Kyle come over?"
"Who's Kyle?"
Dylan climbed down and pointed to a blond boy, waiting a few meters back, smiling.
"Has he asked his parents?", asked Marcus.
"He doesn't have to. They're working. He wrote his big sis a message and she said, it's okay. He only has to be home by eight."
Marcus looked the smiling kid over and nodded.
"I trust you with this. He can come over."
Dylan jumped joyful and ran over to Kyle. A second later both of them were talking about some cartoon and walked to the car.
"Great parenting move?", he asked Logan, "by the way, point for me. The boy messaged his sister."
Marcus grinned winning.
"Mr. Williams?"
He turned around and saw Dylans headteacher walking over. Immediately the thoughts rushed through his brain. Was something wrong with Dylan? Did he do something?
"Go look after the boys", he said to Logan, before he went over to the teacher.
"What's up?", he asked the teacher, registrating the dark blond, curly hair, the barely visible freckles on her face.
She was tall and thin, good looking compared to social standards. From a genetic standpoint she wasn't ideal. Her skin was to pale, her hair to thin, her muscles seemed weaker than they should.
"I want to show you something", she said with an melodic voice, "You have a minute?"
"Sure."
Marcus followed her inside the school building, taking everything in without even trying. The teacher brought him to one of the classrooms. Childish pictures everywhere, watercolors, pens and pencils. An art class.
"Is something wrong with Dylan", he finally asked.
The teacher smiled and shook her head.
"Everything's fine, don't worry", she answered and put something on her table.
It was a picture with Dylans name on it. Marcus had read a lot about child psychology after Dylan moved in. A lot of it was based on the analysis of pictures they drew. So of course Marcus analyzed the picture in front of him. It showed a house to the right side with three fleshed out stick figures. Two big ones, a smaller one inbetween them. One big stick figure had different colored eyes, just like the small one, the other figure had Logans features. The figures were holding hands. On the left side was a cloud with another stick figure looking down on them, smiling and with small wings. It was the onlu cloud in the picture and there was a yellow sun in the corner over the house. Marcus knew what it meant and ignored the less scientific explanation from the teacher.
"Todays assignment was 'Draw what makes you happy'. Dylan didn't even hesitated. He started drawing as soon as he got his hands on the pens. That's a great sign, Mr. Williams. He's accepting his new environment and copes with the loss of his mother in the best possible way."
Marcus nodded. If the teacher only knew what he was thinking. He was just glad, that 'uncle Francis' wasn't in the picture.
"Can I take this?", he heard himself saying.
"Of course!"
The teacher rolled the picture up and put a rubber band around it.
"You're doing great, Mr. Williams. You three."
Another nodd, than Marcus left, the picture in his hand. He was completely inside his own head till he reached the car. He got in, put the seatbelt on and put away the picture.
"Who wants ice cream?", he the asked, being a dad again.
"Maybe you should call your mother first", he answered, "or else she'll worry about you."
Of course he saw it. Logan sat right next to him, how could he not?
"But yeah. I wanna meet her. And I promise I won't make a job interview out of it. Can't promise not to check her, though."
He leaned his head on Logans shoulder and tried to keep the thoughts out. Just keep the peace a little longer. It somehow worked, which was definitely Logans work. Just his presence made things better. Another point on Marcus' mental list.
They just sat there, staring at the tv. Marcus tried to not listen to anything Logan did on the phone. Of course it was all in his head but he didn't remember it consciously. Until someone asked or he actively tried.
Then it was time to pick up Dylan. Marcus didn't drive. He'd always let someone else drive, if possible. He watched the different houses fly by, admired the front yards. The school came in sight in under five minutes. The kids were running around, cars fought for a parking spot. Marcus always parked across the street on the corner. There was always space and you just had to walk a few meters.
"Dad!", he heard the familiar voice of Dylan through the crowd as they reached the entrance.
Shortly after, the boy ran across the sidewalk and jumped into his fathers arms.
"Hey buddy."
"Did Logan tell you?"
"He did, yes."
"Can Kyle come over?"
"Who's Kyle?"
Dylan climbed down and pointed to a blond boy, waiting a few meters back, smiling.
"Has he asked his parents?", asked Marcus.
"He doesn't have to. They're working. He wrote his big sis a message and she said, it's okay. He only has to be home by eight."
Marcus looked the smiling kid over and nodded.
"I trust you with this. He can come over."
Dylan jumped joyful and ran over to Kyle. A second later both of them were talking about some cartoon and walked to the car.
"Great parenting move?", he asked Logan, "by the way, point for me. The boy messaged his sister."
Marcus grinned winning.
"Mr. Williams?"
He turned around and saw Dylans headteacher walking over. Immediately the thoughts rushed through his brain. Was something wrong with Dylan? Did he do something?
"Go look after the boys", he said to Logan, before he went over to the teacher.
"What's up?", he asked the teacher, registrating the dark blond, curly hair, the barely visible freckles on her face.
She was tall and thin, good looking compared to social standards. From a genetic standpoint she wasn't ideal. Her skin was to pale, her hair to thin, her muscles seemed weaker than they should.
"I want to show you something", she said with an melodic voice, "You have a minute?"
"Sure."
Marcus followed her inside the school building, taking everything in without even trying. The teacher brought him to one of the classrooms. Childish pictures everywhere, watercolors, pens and pencils. An art class.
"Is something wrong with Dylan", he finally asked.
The teacher smiled and shook her head.
"Everything's fine, don't worry", she answered and put something on her table.
It was a picture with Dylans name on it. Marcus had read a lot about child psychology after Dylan moved in. A lot of it was based on the analysis of pictures they drew. So of course Marcus analyzed the picture in front of him. It showed a house to the right side with three fleshed out stick figures. Two big ones, a smaller one inbetween them. One big stick figure had different colored eyes, just like the small one, the other figure had Logans features. The figures were holding hands. On the left side was a cloud with another stick figure looking down on them, smiling and with small wings. It was the onlu cloud in the picture and there was a yellow sun in the corner over the house. Marcus knew what it meant and ignored the less scientific explanation from the teacher.
"Todays assignment was 'Draw what makes you happy'. Dylan didn't even hesitated. He started drawing as soon as he got his hands on the pens. That's a great sign, Mr. Williams. He's accepting his new environment and copes with the loss of his mother in the best possible way."
Marcus nodded. If the teacher only knew what he was thinking. He was just glad, that 'uncle Francis' wasn't in the picture.
"Can I take this?", he heard himself saying.
"Of course!"
The teacher rolled the picture up and put a rubber band around it.
"You're doing great, Mr. Williams. You three."
Another nodd, than Marcus left, the picture in his hand. He was completely inside his own head till he reached the car. He got in, put the seatbelt on and put away the picture.
"Who wants ice cream?", he the asked, being a dad again.