When his daughter had insisted on going to see her friend after school, Michael had not resisted. He found it hard to say no to Hayley because she usually asked for very little. She never wanted dolls or toys. She wanted books and drives to the museum. She wanted to watch the discovery channel, not cartoons. She watched trivia shows and if there was an answer she didn't know she would sit with her MacBook trying to learn as much as she could about this new subject.
She had never had friends before even in her old school. So when she said that Isaac had been kind to her and she wanted to go and see him, he couldn't say no. He asked the school administration for Ms. Callahan's address and after the school called her and she Okayed it, he had the address and was heading to meet Isaac and his mother.
Hayley had a lot to say about him but what hit him was the conversation they had earlier that day. How could a five year old know that there is such a thing as pretending so as not to stick out? Michael was very curious to meet this kid.
When they got to the address, they walked to the front door and rang the bell. The woman that opened the door was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Michael was a software engineer. He knew nothing about poetry or art but if he were ever to write a poem about a beautiful woman, it would be this one. She looked younger than he expected. Maybe in her late twenties.
She had head a full of black bouncy curls that she had tied back slightly with a floral scarf in an attempt to keep her hair out of her face. She was maybe mixed race, he couldn't be sure. She had freckles on her nose and cheeks and when she smiled her teeth were white and even.
"Hi. You must be Michael." She shook his hand.
"I am. Sorry for the short notice. Hayley was worried about Isaac."
"It's no problem at all." She peaked behind him and said. "And you must be Hayley."
Hayley nodded. "It's very nice to meet you Ma'am."
"Aren't you cute?" She said with a laugh like she wasn't used to hearing "ma'am" referred to her. "Come on in."
She led them though the entryway, past the stairs and into the living room. It was a cozy little house, Michael thought. Nothing expensive, everything was probably second hand but it all matched and was well kept.
"Is that 'The garden path at Giverny'?" Hayley asked as she saw the painting hanging over one of the walls in the sitting room.
"Good eye!" Hannah replied. "It is indeed. It's one of my favorite painting. This one is an imitation though."
"It is a good one." Hayley said.
"Please sit down." She indicated the large sofa facing the Monet. "Let me go call Isaac. He has been in his room since he got back from school." She talked as she backed out of the sitting room
He watched as she started to turn towards the staircase and bumped into something. She screamed. The he saw a little boy swinging a bat and she screamed again.
From the conversation they had, he gathered that the young man wielding the bat was in fact Isaac and that he was concerned about his mother's safety. In his panic he had inadvertently injured her. He watched as the boy tried not to cry as he apologized to his mother over and over again and he wondered, what could have happened to make this little boy jumpy in the presence of a man, what had they been through that this little boy felt the need to shield his mother from a stranger?
Michael laughed when he interrupted his mother so they could have the red velvet. He was a smart boy, no doubt about it.
When the kids went to the kitchen to fix some snacks, Michael sat quietly and waited for Hannah to speak. In his experience, you got a lot more from being silent than from asking any direct questions.
Hannah sniffed and wiped her eyes. He pretended not to notice.
"I am sorry you had to see that. You must have a hundred questions." She sniffed again. "I didn't think he remembers." She said.
"Was it his father who was abusive?" He asked and almost kicked himself for it. But she responded.
She nodded. "He was a bad man. Isaac was so young. He still is." She said then sniffed again. "I didn't think he'd remember."
"It was something that was traumatic for him. He might not remember everything, but he remembers enough to fear." He said. She looked like she would start crying in earnest so he changed the subject. "Hayley told me something on the way over. Apparently Isaac advised her to pretend not to be smart so she wouldn't be so different."
"He said that?" She pursed her lips clearly displeased.
"Yes. Hayley thought that maybe it is something he has been doing." He cleared his throat suddenly not sure if this was the best way to distract her. "He has been helping her with her school work and she is on the accelerated program."
She sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I have no clue what I am doing. Am I a good parent? How is it that I don't know this aspect of my five year old's life?"
"You have raised a boy who is willing to stand up to bullies and say to a new girl, hey, I will be your friend. You have raised a boy who will stand between you and anyone or anything that threatens your safety. On those points alone I think you are doing a fantastic job."
Just then they heard the kids coming from the kitchen. They walked in each holding a tray. Hayley put the tray before him. It was the presentation that took his breath away. He knew Isaac was the one responsible for it because Hayley knew nothing of the kitchen. He had decorated the plate with strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries dusting everything with confectioner sugar. Next to the plate was a napkin folded pocket style with a desert fork inside and next to that was a glass of iced tea.
"And apparently, you raised a boy who can dine royalty." He noticed that her tray had a flower.
She smiled. "Thank you." She said to him. "And thank you Munchkin. This is very good." Isaac beamed at her. Then ran to the kitchen to fetch his own tray with Hayley trailing behind him.