Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Both Mr. and Mrs. Rothfuss went stiff.
Summer braced himself.
Here it came.
Mr. Rothfuss turned on his wife, scowling. “I told you sending him here was a mistake. We should have home schooled him where we could keep an eye on him.”
“It absolutely was not a mistake,” Mrs. Rothfuss shot back. “Theo needs to learn how to function in the larger world instead of having his every need catered to. Home schooling would have just pampered and isolated him more. He’s too used to getting his own way.”
“And he’s repeating the same patterns here, only now we can’t rein him in!” Mr. Rothfuss countered. “If keeping him at home doesn’t help and sending him away doesn’t help, then what are we supposed to do?”
Summer just watched with wide eyes.
Not...what he was expecting.
Not what he was expecting at all.
But Fox cleared his throat softly behind him, reminding Summer...
Right.
This was his rodeo, and he had to keep things moving productively.
He raised his voice slightly, just enough to cut off another volley between them. “I think Albin Academy can still be a good, nurturing environment for Theodore,” he said. “But we aren’t his parents. In order to help Theo acclimate and stop his antisocial behavior, we need you to be more present for a while. Set boundaries for him. Structure. There’s only so much we can do, legally. But we can help you know what you need to do. And I think that if we can get Theodore on a better path, that will go a long way to helping several other boys whose grades have been slipping because of his bullying.”
Mr. Rothfuss’s shoulders slumped. Mrs. Rothfuss fussed at her purse, looking at Summer in consternation. “He’s been affecting the other boys’ grades?” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. This is our responsibility, and clearly we failed.”
Mr. Rothfuss smiled bitterly. “Somehow, even after all these years, we aren’t quite ready to be parents. But you mentioned being more present?” He glanced at his wife. “I could afford to take a few weeks off of work.”
“I’m sure I could swing it as well,” she said, frowning, tapping her lower lip. “Theo won’t like it, but...”
“Sometimes we have to give our children what they need, not what they want,” Summer said—but inside, God, he was jumping, buzzing, shouting, the air in his lungs suddenly seeming to go a mile further when...maybe, just maybe, this might go somewhere. “There’s a lovely bed and breakfast down the hill that usually has rooms open year-round, if you’d like to book a stay.”
“Y...es,” Mr. Rothfuss said thoughtfully, his moustache and his brows twitching quite firmly as he stretched the single syllable out into two halting sounds with a long breath in between. “Yes, I think we shall. Thank you for informing us of this, Mr.... What was your name again?”
“Hemlock,” Summer said, offering a smile. “Summer Hemlock.”
Mrs. Rothfuss blinked. “Oh, my,” she said. “What an unusual name.” But she offered a smile as well, rueful, chagrined. “We’re so sorry we’ve not been as attentive as we should be with Theo, but we’ll be in touch again soon. Is it all right to visit our son in his room?”
“Of course.” Summer stood fully, offering his hand. “Do you need to be escorted?”
“We know the way.” Mr. Rothfuss shook his hand firmly, followed by his wife, before Mr. Rothfuss squinted at Summer. “...I say, I do know that name. I’m a graduate from the old school here, you know. And you’re the spitting image of your father at your age.”
Summer stopped, his breaths catching, before he numbly let go of Mrs. Rothfuss’s hand. “Oh, I...thank you,” he said, even if he wasn’t quite sure if it was a compliment or not.
It was just...
Odd.
To be reminded that even if he barely remembered his father...
Summer had roots here at Albin that went deep.
And maybe he’d always been meant to come home here after all.
But he barely waited until the Rothfuss couple had excused themselves from the office.
Before he turned around and threw himself into Fox’s arms, catching the professor just as he was standing and hitting hard enough that for a second they unbalanced, Fox rocking backward.
“Oof!” Fox exclaimed, before steadying them both with firm hands and planted feet—then letting out a soft chuckle. “I take it you’re proud of how that went.”
“Yes,” Summer breathed, burying his face in Fox’s chest. “They listened. They cared, they...oh my God it worked.”
“Many people are inherently selfish without realizing it,” Fox said gently. “But there are those who aren’t. We just have to find them, and hope they will listen.” His arms came around Summer, holding him steady, holding him tight, gentle approval rumbling against his ear. “But they never would have listened if you had not had the courage to speak.”
Summer let out a laugh; he couldn’t stop it, bursting up from inside him, and looked up into Fox’s eyes. “So does that courage earn me another kiss?”