"Always." I glance at him. "You have Claudia. She's an incredible woman."
"She's all right, I guess." He snorts. "Kinda bossy sometimes."
I laugh. My mind races. Todd needs more help than I originally thought. I assess he's never known stability and wonder if he realizes how different he really is. Sweet, thoughtful, protective of his sister yet also a little lost, Todd is a good kid to the core, one who would have to believe his life was in inevitable danger in order to do something illegal like buy a weapon under the table.
Oblivious to my darker thoughts, he's studying the calendar. "What's the entry on the fifteenth?" he asks.
"Visiting the VA hospital and local soldiers' home. We'll have to take you out of school to go with me."
"You want me to go with you?" He sounds amazed.
"Definitely. You can help me find candidates for the limb replacement program."
"Wow."
His unguarded expression is close to one of worship as he gazes at me. It makes me laugh even harder this time. The kid has never had anyone take an interest in him, which is unfortunate but one of the rare actions I can take to help them both.
I pull up to the curb of his apartment building and park. "So we good? You like the schedule."
"I love it!"
"Great. Let your sis know. I'll pick you up at the diner, same time tomorrow."
With an eager nod, Todd grabs his bag and hops out. He slams the door behind him and leaves, trotting down the snow-cleared sidewalk towards the building. I wave back and flip on the windshield wipers to prevent snow from building up on my windshield.
When he's inside, I pull away, deep in thought. Todd has never had a positive male role model. It pleases me to be able to provide this for him. What disturbs me: fearing Claudia means to move again, destabilize Todd and well … expand the ache lingering in my chest from her retraction this morning.