𝙽𝙱 ⋆ 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 ⋆ 𝙿𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚖𝚊

"New invention idea," I said, rolling my head over on the beach chair, "Waterproof Uno cards." 

"That's sick," Wes responded, pulling down his glasses, "Uno in the hot tub."

I nodded. "Don't steal that though."

"Can you two stop laying around and get in the pool please?" Danny's shadow cast itself over us, dripping pool water. "I did not pay all this money for you guys to do what you always do anyways."

"Uncalled for."

"We're busy here," Wes waved Danny off, "Talking big ideas."

"Cards are already waterproof, you idiots."

Wes bolted up in faux anger. "Alright, that's it!" He ran up to Danny, who had started backing away, and picked him up, throwing Danny's smaller frame over his shoulder.

Wes had the strength and muscles of a boy that had been working the Halifax fishing ports his whole life. Danny had the slimness of a boy that went on a 6 am jog 5 days a week. He threw the both of them into the pool with a thundering splash. I ran up and jumped in after them, the blue water chilling on my skin, the sun sparkling off the artificial waves.

"Guys, cut it out we're gonna get kicked out again," Aiden said from the sidelines, arms crossed over his chest.

"That's rich coming from you, pal." Danny snorted.

As we splashed each other and raced to slides that day, I already missed us altogether. It was stupid, we were still together then. But, even as it was happening, even as we excitedly bought hotdogs and ice cream, I felt nostalgic for it.

These boys had become my family. A gentle breeze blew through my hair, and I watched the boys talk on the picnic bench. I closed my eyes for a moment, squeezing them tightly. Please, I thought, remember this moment forever.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

𝙰𝚍𝚕𝚊 𝙹𝚞𝚖𝚊

When Adla moved to Canada, she became a full-time mother for the first time. She was happy to leave her job as a therapist and focus on her one and only son. Her miracle baby. Her husband Emmanuel was a hard worker, with a soft voice and a gentle strength.

To find out that they were entitled to historical land in Canada was a shock, of course. To see the acres and acres of land for the first time was a bigger shock. Going from a busy Boston to a quiet suburb was something Adla saw as a blessing.

When her son started to make friends, Adla's heart swelled. She had not been encouraged growing up to focus on friendships, but she had tried to instill the importance of friendships in her son. By the time he was 9, he had a tight little friend group. She loved to see him constantly learning about how these other cultures lived and still growing in his love for them.

So, that year, the summer between grade 4 and grade 5, Adla took the group to the waterpark for the first time. Aiden's Father was tough to convince, whereas Paloma and Wesley's parents were a little too easy.

She sat by the pool the whole day, watching the kids run past, jumping into the different pools, lining up for slides, laughing and screaming. There was a joy in seeing these children laugh and play that she wouldn't miss for the world. So different to how she grew up. And now she had the power to make these memories for them.

They would sleep over in the same motel every year. She and Daniel were in one bed, Wesley and Aiden in the other, and Paloma on the sofa bed. The year that they got a lifetime ban was the proudest she ever was of Aiden.

He was a quiet boy by nature, but he always had fun. The summer before grade 9, Aiden was a different kind of quiet. Adla made sure to give him an extra big portion of dessert when he came for dinner and told the other kids to look out for him at school more closely.

"Mom!" Daniel ran toward her frantically.

"What happened?"

"It's Aiden, he..."

"Does this boy belong to you?" A pimple-faced employee stood before Adla, trying to look authoritarian. He had a hand firmly placed on Aiden's shoulder. Aiden looked at the floor.

"Yes," Adla replied, instinctively pulling Aiden toward her. Aiden wouldn't look at her. Her brow furrowed. "What's the problem?"

"This boy just beat up another kid by the hot tub," The employee, not much older than the kids she had with her, said. "We are going to have to ban him from this park, and call the police."

"What?" Daniel started.

Alda shushed him. "Go find the others." She said, and he ran off without another word. Alda felt her heart pounding. Of all the kids to do this, Aiden was at the bottom of her list. She spun him toward her and lifted his chin to look at her. His hair was cropped short then, he was lanky like all the boys were, but he was still slightly shorter than her.

"Tell me." She said strictly.

Aiden's eyes shifted from side to side. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"No," Alda shook her head, one hand on her hip, "Tell me."

Aiden swallowed. "He called me a name."

"Aiden, you can't..."

"He called you and Daniel a really bad name, and he said you should go back to where you came from." Aiden's throat constricted, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.

"Okay, okay." Adla soothed, pulling the young boy close to her, and he automatically sunk his chin into her shoulder.

"Sir, can we not agree that both kids were at fault?" Adla asked through gritted teeth as the older teen fidgeted in front of her.

"Violence is strictly prohibited here." He tried, voice quieter than before.

"But hate speech isn't?" Adla had the fight in her. Her heart thumped fast and the blood rushed to her face. But the way Aiden leaned into her told her that it was not the time to fight. Before the employee could say another word, Adla spoke again, calmly and directly. "You listen here. I will take my kids and go, but you should think twice before calling the police unless you want a lawsuit."

The teenager gulped and reached for his walkie-talkie. "Go figure it out somewhere else, we will be right here." She shooed him away, and he slowly backed off. As soon as he was gone, Adla turned her therapist mode on.

She sat Aiden down on a scratchy beach chair and held his hand. Aiden looked down, still ashamed. "What is happening?" She pleaded with him, hoping she could get something before the other kids came tumbling onto the scene.

"I can't do anything right." Aiden mumbled, "My Dad's right, I'm so stupid." His voice was hollow yet somehow heavy. Adla's stomach dropped. She should never have mistaken Aidens mood as teenage hormones.

She squeezed his hand one more time, tightly, and released it, hearing the familiar sounds of the other kids approaching.

"What happened?" Daniel immediately asked, peering at Aiden quizzically. Adla sighed. She looked up to see the employee a few feet ahead. He nodded at her. She looked back at the kids.

 "We are leaving. We won't be coming back to this park."

"What?" Wesley bellowed.

She shushed him. "This is my decision, and it is final. We will find a new place, a better place."

"Dude, what did you do?"

"Did they ban us? What happened?"

She shushed them all again, and they quieted. "You leave Aiden alone, and trust that I have made the best decision for us all." Adla stood up. "Pack your things."

Aiden looked up at Adla. A surrogate mother, an angel of comfort. The others would never know what a turning point this moment was for him. Finally, he could see an adult that he could completely trust. That would protect him. And most, importantly, that he could talk to.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 

"I swear it was right over there where your Mom told us that we weren't coming back here," Wes said, pointing to an old beach lounger. Danny rolled his eyes, and Aiden smiled a small smile.

"Is the reason behind the ban something you'll die with, A?" I asked. I was so curious, we all were. We had been for what? Almost five years now? I thought back then that Aiden was the only one of us that still had a secret the rest of us weren't privy to. I was wrong.

I saw him glance at Danny. "It's just for me and Auntie Adla, I'm afraid." Danny's face scrunched up in disgust at Aiden's tone.

"I told you this guy likes spending time with your Mom too much!" Wes joked. Aiden smiled with his teeth this time, and I had a feeling that this secret wasn't one that caused him pain, but one that gave him comfort to keep.

So I was okay with that.