Child of a King

Chapter forty - Good heart + Characters

It's been some time since the day I thought Dad was leaving. Since then, Dad has been extra attentive and transparent with me to avoid misunderstandings. I knew there were some things he couldn't share with me because I was too young, but I appreciated that he made an effort to explain things to me in the simplest way possible. It not only strengthened our relationship, it also reassured me and deepened my trust even more to him.

"Do you remember the three areas that are most important to hit if someone tries to attack you?" Marc asked as we stood outside on the lawn in the late afternoon sun. My brother and I had done a lot of training the last few weeks where he would teach me how to protect myself. It was something I looked forward to each and every time as I had come to love spending time with Marc. A lot of things about school starting soon sucked, but not being at home surrounded by Dad and my brothers was the biggest one as I had grown accustomed to their presence all the time.

"Uh-huh," I nodded earnestly. "Eyes, throat, and groin."

"Exactly," Marc said with a smile, ruffling my hair. "And do you remember why those spots are important?"

"Yeah," I replied, thinking back to our lessons. "Because they're sensitive and can disable someone long enough for me to get away."

"That's right," he encouraged. "Now, let's practice again. Show me what you'd do if someone grabbed your wrist."

I took a deep breath, focusing. "Okay, first I twist my wrist like this," I demonstrated, twisting out of his grasp, "then I use my other hand to strike at their eyes or throat."

"Perfect," Marc said, nodding approvingly. "Remember, it's all about speed and surprise. You want to catch them off guard."

"Got it," I said, feeling more confident. "Can we try it a few more times?"

"Of course," he agreed. "Repetition is key. The more we practice, the more it will become second nature to you."

As we went through the motions again, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and sadness. Excitement because I was getting better at defending myself, but sadness because I knew these training sessions would be less frequent once school started.

"Marc," I said hesitantly during a break. "Will we still have time to practice when school starts?"

Marc looked at me, his expression softening. "Of course, we will. It might not be as often, but I promise we'll make time. Your safety is important to me."

I smiled, reassured. "Thanks, Marc. I really like our training sessions."

"Me too," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "And remember, no matter what, I'm always here for you."

Warmth spread through my chest as I snuggled into his side. His words meant the world to me.

"Do you want to practice more today?" Marc asked, unscrewing the lid on his soda.

"Yup!" Stealing the drink out of his hand, I gulped down a generous amount of the cool liquid.

"Let's go then". He smiled.

Walking side by side, we ended up in the garage, loud music blaring through the speakers as Ray worked on one of my favorite cars he owned. It was the blue one that was low to the ground and could drive with the speed of lightning. When I first started living here, I sometimes found his cars loud and dangerous. Now I was beginning to like how the engine would roar as we cruised down the roads.

"Hi guys," Ray nodded at us as he was bent over the hood of the car, working on the engine. His shirt was smeared with oil, as well as his hands and face.