𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌

↱ 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊; 𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘

"MOM!" Richie screeches across the playground at his mother as he runs towards her, dragging Mike along.

"Hey, sweetie," Karen grins, bending down to envelope both boys in a hug, kissing their foreheads. "How was school?"

"So, good, mommy!" Richie answers, dominating the conversation as Karen buckles him and Mike into the back seat with Nancy.

"Did you have a good day, Mikey?"

"Yes," Mike answered in a quiet voice with a nod.

"Good, I'm glad," Karen smiled, kissing Mike's forehead before closing the back door and opening the driver's side door before climbing in while Richie continued to babble in the back seat.

"Mom, mom, mom, mom-"

"Yes, Richie?" Karen laughed, buckling her own seatbelt before putting the car in drive.

"Mikey and I made a friend today!"

"A friend?" Karen asks, raising her eyebrows and looking at the two boys in the backseat from the rear-view mirror.

"Uh huh," Richie nodded vigorously. "He's so nice, right Mikey?"

Mike nodded his agreement making Karen smile softly.

"And guess what his name is," Richie continued excitedly.

"I'm not sure honey, what's his name?"

"Eddie!"

"Eddie?"

"Uh huh," Richie nodded again, legs bouncing in the air in excitement where they just hung over the edge of the seat. "He's my bestest friend ever now, I think," Richie told Karen seriously making her laugh.

"That's stupid, Richie," Nancy interrupted, looking up from her picture book. "He's only your first friend, you'll make others."

"Mo-om," Richie whined, pointing at Nancy. "Nancy said a mean word!"

"Nancy, we don't use those words," Karen reprimanded lightly.

"Sorry, mommy."

"Eddie is my bestest friend," Richie continued, glaring at Nancy. "Forever and ever until we're super old and die."

"Richie," Karen tutted.

"It's true, mommy!" Richie grinned. "I'm sad though 'cause he said he has lots of sickies."

"Really?" Karen asked with mild interest, focusing on the road.

"Yeah, like playing outside," Richie explained, expression grieve and serious. "It makes him sick! I'm really sad for him that he can't play with us outside..."

"That is too bad," Karen nodded, using the same serious tone as her son.

"And he's a-sick of peanut butter too, mommy," Richie explained with disbelief. "He can't have any peanut butter or he can't breave. I'm so sorry for him for that."

Karen tittered with laughter at Richie's explanation and slight lisp.

"So, mommy," Richie sighed, voice serious. "You can't make us any peanut butter sammiches anymore, okay? I don't want my bestest friend Eddie to die!"

"I think it's alright if you eat it, sweetie. Just not your friend," Karen smiled, trying to reassure Richie who was clearly quite upset with the idea of Eddie getting sick from peanuts.

"Nuh uh," Richie shook his head, eyes wide as saucers. "No peanut butter sammiches allowed. No more."

"Okay, sweetie," Karen agreed, smiling at her sweet and caring boy.

The car lapsed into relative silence, the only sound being Nancy turning the pages of her book and Mike suckling on his thumb.

"Can Eddie come play at our house?" Richie asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, sure, sweetie," Karen nodded. "But he needs to ask his mommy first. We can probably organize a playdate though, sure."

"We have to put away all the peanut butter first, though," Richie nodded to himself, as though making plans of how to prepare the house for Eddie's visit.

"Yeah, we would, wouldn't we?" Karen humored the boy.

"Have-ta cwean my room too," Richie continued gravely. "Eddie's really a-scared of messes."

"He's scared of them?" Karen frowned confusedly.

"Mhm," Richie nodded seriously. "His mommy said messes mean dirty and Eddie's really a-sick of dirts. They make him so sickie he needs to go see the doctor awl of da time!"

"That's too bad."

"He's really a-scared of the doctors he told me," Richie continued with a frown. "But it's okay, I told him doctors give you lollipops so they're not a-scary."

"Very good advice, sweetie," Karen nodded. "Eddie doesn't have to be afraid of a doctor. You're right."

Richie nodded silently to himself, watching the trees pass out Mike's window.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Richie?"

"I think I should go with Eddie when he goes to the doctors next time."

"Why's that?"

"So, I can show him not to be a-scared," Richie explained to his mother. "But if he's still a-scared I can give him a big hug and make him feel pwotected."

"That's very sweet, love," Karen smiled, looking back at Richie briefly before turning their car in the direction of their street. "I'm sure he'd appreciate that very much."