With any luck, he’ll have forgotten all about the trip by dinner tonight, and it’ll be a few more days before he brings it up again. I need to figure things out.
"Of course, buddy. Have fun at Comic Book Club. Tell me all about it later, okay? Don't forget to tell them you’ll miss the car wash because we’ll be in Arizona visiting Grandma and Grandpa."
Another wave of mom guilt. It won’t be a simple trip. Yet another secret that could uproot my son’s life in an instant.
"I told them this morning. I still get to help decorate signs before we go." He's so excited, and why shouldn't he be?
He's making friends and fitting in great at school. He’s settling into our life here better than I could’ve hoped.
"Bye, Mom. Love you."
"I love you too, buddy."
We hang up, and I quickly text James’s mom about Comic Book Club. She’s more than happy for him to go, and she’s planned some special snacks after school.
My professional and personal lives are crashing together, and I'm not sure what to do.
Staring back down the hallway, I know I have to face the one person who ties these two lives together.