Not because a therapist suggested it.
Because he decided.
Darius came to pick him up one Saturday afternoon.
Their relationship had improved slowly.
Painfully.
Darius attended every counseling session.
Every school event Caleb allowed him to attend.
He stopped demanding forgiveness.
That helped.
Before leaving, Caleb ran upstairs.
He returned holding the battered folded paper.
Darius recognized it immediately.
“What’s that?”
Caleb handed it to him.
Darius opened it.
BEST PILOT EVER.
The blue marker had faded.
The folds were nearly torn.
Darius stared at the picture for a long time.
“I remember you drawing airplanes like this.”
“I made it for the Atlanta trip.”
Darius’s face crumpled.
“Oh.”
Caleb shoved his hands into his pockets.
“I was going to surprise you.”
“I know.”
“You surprised us instead.”
Darius closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Caleb looked at him.
“I hated you for a while.”
I stopped breathing.
Darius didn’t defend himself.
