Then his voice dropped, and all the bravado drained out of it.
“I wanted you to be proud of me.”
I stared at his badge. It caught the light. Real. Solid. My anger didn’t disappear. But it cracked.
I reached out and touched the badge. “You did this.”
Grant’s lip trembled. “Yeah.”
I blinked hard. “You scared me half to death.”
“Mom. I’m sorry.”
“I know,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
The tears came anyway. Because my worst kid had done something good. Because my hardest kid had tried.
“I thought you were gone,” I said, and my voice broke.
Grant’s face crumpled. He stepped in and hugged me, careful at first, then tight.
