Golden Gooses

17

     Months had gone by, and it was time for Evan to wake up for school again. He was now able to put on his own shoes, grab his backpack, and wait by the door for the bus. It was baby steps, but Miranda and Timothy were elated that their child was learning responsibility already. Though, Miranda's morning sickness gotten the better of her. She laid nauseous in their bedroom with a bucket beside her, just in case she felt the need to expel the contents of her stomach again. Timothy left her side to go give Evan his daily farewell. He knelt, patting Evan on the back. "Ready to go, champ?" Evan smiled faintly and nodded, knowing his father would only be worried if he showed he wasn't delighted to go. Timothy pulled Evan into a bear hug, a sudden foreboding sense making him sentimental. "I love you, son." Evan was taken aback, his father never the type to be corny like his mother. "Love you too, daddy!" He responded, hugging him back. Timothy let go, rebuilding his in-charge facade. "Well, off you go, bud." He said as the bus pulled in front of the house. Evan climbed aboard the bus, giving an exaggerated wave to Timothy, the only parent standing at the door now.

     Evan walked to the back of the bus to make sure his cries weren't heard by the others again. Rumors about him still floated among the group. There weren't any more accidents, so the kids who feared him were no longer intimidated by him, but still cautious. Other children realized Evan wouldn't do anything to them for gossiping, so they lost all sign of a filter. Those kids continued to voice snide remarks about Evan being a freak of nature. Evan would usually cry in the back of the bus, his sobs stifled by the vibrations of the bus on the road. But today, his father's seemingly-out-of-place affection gave him something good to feel. So he sat silently in the back, feeling as though his cruel routine was finally going to change.