You Are Loved
Copley sighed as he opened the doors to Old Guard Preparatory Academy. How many times had he been here? 5? 10? How was it only the beginning of October?
"Ah, Mr.Copley right this way, your son is with the Principal now."
Copley nodded, running a hand down his face.
"What did Sebastien do this time? Did he put glue in another kid's desk again?"
The receptionist stopped and shook her head. She gave him a sheepish smile.
"It was actually Nicolo. He -"
Copley completely stopped walking and looked back at the receptionist...Amanda was it?
"You're tell me Nicky did something bad enough to get sent to the principals office? Are we talking about the same Nicky?"
Nicolo was his sweet middle child, sure he and Yusuf got into trouble now and then but he was a good kid. He was the first to apologize, the first to make the others laugh.
What had happened to set him off?
Copley didn't wait for an answer from Amanda and strode into the Principal's office.
Nicolo sat hunched in a chair, his knuckles bloody and cracked. But when he met his father's eyes they were steady. He didn't regret what he did.
"Ah, James welcome. Honeslty I'm thinking of just giving you your own chair in my office."
The Principal Steven Merrick drawled as he leaned back in his leatherback chair.
"They were bullying him. It was why Booker is always so sad."
Nicolo finally said in Italian. Copley had lived all around the world, he and his wife had adopted children from all over the world. When possible they had nurtured their mother language.
At home it was a beautiful blend of Greek, Vietnamese, Italian, Arabic and French. It was wonderful sight to see his children communicate so fluently.
Merrick eyes narrowed and he gave Copley a cold look.
"Here in The Old Guard Preparatory Academy we use English not Italian. What did your son say?"
"He said he was sorry, that he lost control and it won't happen again. Isn't that right Nicolo?"
Copley put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it. Nicolo looked up at Merrick and repeated his father's words. His eyes downcast to complete the ashamed look.
He would be a wonderful actor if he ever wished to it. Though secretly his wife and him hoped he continued with his passion for cooking - he was amazing.
Merrick nodded accepting his son's apology. He cleared his throat and waited till Merrick met his eyes.
"I'd like to take my kids home, I think its best for everyone."
Merrick nodded and told him to tell the receptionist. He led Nicky out of the office and they sit and wait for the others.
His 3 oldest strode toward them looking at him with varying levels of concern. He gave a quick shake of his head, not here. Though he assured them their mother was alright her condition hadn't gotten any worse. Soon Yusuf joined them with their youngest siblings.
Nile at 10 was just excited to be going home early. Sebastien let go of Yusuf's hand and threw himself into Nicolo's arms hugging him tightly.
Sebastien didn't let him go till they were all home.
Copley gently herded Sebastien and Nicolo into his office. He trusted the older kids to handle Yusuf and Nile for the time being.
His wife stopped playing as she saw the two boys. She fussed over them, giving them kisses and bandages. James felt himself smile as he saw his two quietest children began to smile and laugh.
Nicolo finally opened up talking about the kid who was bullying Sebastien. Sebastian had been more withdrawn these last few weeks but had refused to tell anyone why.
James and Sarah shared a look at least now they knew why. Sarah and he weren't pacifists by any means but they had taught their children to use their words first. From what Nicolo said it seemed he had tried before his temper had gotten the best of him.
Sebastien hung his head and curled into James arms as Nicolo recounted the whole story.
When James gently pushed Sebastien away to ask if this was all true, he was surprised to see silent tears sliding down his face.
James wiped the tears away. He hummed one of Sarah's piano compositions to him softly. He knew how much Sebastien loved to listen to her practice, that usually calmed him down.
"What is mon coeur, can you use your words to tell me what's bothering you? Remember whatever you say we still love you Mon Ami. We'll figure this out together."
Sebastien had been taken from the foster system in France when he was 5. He'd been in 12 homes in 5 years. As a result he had gone mute with some deep rooted trust and abandonment issues.
James and Sarah had worked with him especially hard to get him to trust them and talk to them. Still James liked to remind him every once and while there was no fear of leaving, of him being given away again.
"The - Declan made fun of my stutter. He - he said that I was worthless and -"
James closed his eyes if he ever saw this Declan boy he'd kill him. Why were kids so cruel?
Sebastien looked at his hands, at sniffed. At 13 he didn't like to be held as much but it seemed today was an exception.
"What - what if Declan is right? What if I am -"
"No! La familglia. Sebastien don't you understand that?"
Nicolo turned away from where Sarah was dabbing antiseptic on his knuckles. He cupped Sebastien's face. He touched their foreheads together.
"You are the soul of this family Sebastien."
He murmured softly kissing his forehead.
James didn't remember the rest of the day but he saw the the older kids give Sebastien more attention than usual. Lykon even showed Sebastien how to make his own wood carvings - something Sebastien has been bugging him about for weeks.
They weren't out of the woods yet but at least Sebastien could remember how much he is loved.
Sarah and he sat on the porch late at night after the kids had gone to bed.
"We got lucky didn't we Mr.Copley?"
Sarah teased smiling at James. James smiled at her and kissed her hand.
"We did Ms.Brown, we really did."