Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Bobby
Liam sat in the passenger seat, quiet, staring out the window as I drove him to school.
His backpack was wedged between his feet, his hands curled into fists in his lap.
He hadn’t said much since we left the apartment, but I could see the way his shoulders were set, the tension in his jaw, the way his leg bounced slightly, an anxious tell he probably didn’t even realize he had.
I knew that look. He was trying to act like this wasn’t a big deal, but everything about him screamed that it was.
"Nervous?" I asked, keeping my voice even, casual, giving him space to decide how much he wanted to say.
Liam exhaled, rolling his shoulders back like he could physically shake off the nerves. "A little."
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. "Makes sense. It’s a big deal."
He didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
It was just there, like he was still figuring out what he wanted to say.
I let him. Pushing never worked with Liam.
He had spent too long being forced to survive, forced to follow orders, forced to do things no kid should ever have to do.
He needed to feel like he had control now.
When we pulled up in front of the school, the parking lot was already buzzing with life.
Kids streamed toward the entrance in small groups, backpacks slung over their shoulders, voices overlapping in a steady hum.
Some were laughing, others rushing to meet friends, the energy light and normal.
Liam sat stiff in his seat, his eyes locked on the building, his fingers clenching around the strap of his backpack like it was a lifeline.
I parked but didn’t turn off the engine. Instead, I glanced at him, watching the way he was breathing just a little too fast, the way his hands fisted then relaxed. "You know," I said, leaning back in my seat, keeping my tone light, "this isn’t the hard part."
Liam let out a humorless laugh, finally tearing his gaze from the school to glance at me. "It’s not?"
I shook my head. "The hard part was surviving everything you’ve been through. This?" I gestured to the school, to the halls filled with lockers and classrooms, the most normal setting he had been in for years. "This is just school. You got this."
He swallowed, nodding slightly but still not moving.
I could see the battle happening inside his head, the way he was weighing every possible scenario, preparing for things to go wrong, the way his mind had been wired to expect the worst. He had spent six years in survival mode.
He didn’t know how to just exist in something that wasn’t dangerous.
I didn’t push. Instead, I reached over and ruffled his hair—half to annoy him, half because I just needed to remind him that he wasn’t alone. He groaned, ducking away from my hand, but there was a small twitch at the corner of his mouth, a flicker of something lighter.
"You’re gonna do fine," I told him, pulling my hand back and resting it on the gear shift. "And if you hate it, I’ll come kidnap you at lunch."
That got a real smile out of him, small but there. "Pretty sure that’s illegal."
I shrugged. "Never stopped me before."
Liam huffed, shaking his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He hesitated, his hand on the door handle, his gaze flicking back to me. "You’ll be here after?"
"Of course," I said easily. "I’ll even bring you something better than cafeteria food."
That seemed to settle something in him. He nodded once, then exhaled slowly before pushing the door open.
I watched as he stepped out, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.
He hesitated at the entrance, standing there for a moment, like he wasn’t sure if he could do this.
Then he squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.
Pride swelled in my chest.
Damn, that kid was strong.
I waited until I couldn’t see him anymore before pulling out my phone and dialing Gabbi.
She picked up after the first ring. "Hey, how’d it go?"
I smirked, starting the car but not pulling away just yet. "Well, he didn’t throw up, so I’d call that a win."
She chuckled softly, her voice warm. "That’s a good start."
I glanced back toward the school, still watching the entrance like I expected Liam to run back out any second. "He was nervous, but he went in."
"And how are you?" she asked, her voice softer now, knowing me too well.
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "Proud. Maybe a little too proud."
"You should tell him that yourself," she said gently.
I nodded to myself, gripping the steering wheel. "Yeah. I will."
I pulled away from the curb, heading toward the fire station but still thinking about that moment—about Liam standing in front of the school, hesitating, deciding. It hit me then just how much we had been through. Just how much had changed.
We had found him. We had saved him. We had brought him home.
And now? Now he was taking steps on his own.
And for the first time in a long time, I let myself feel it—the hope, the quiet kind of happiness that settled in my chest.
We were building something real. A future. A life. A family.
And I wasn’t going to take a second of it for granted.