Ben
Remy doesn’t get it. Not really.
He kinda likes Ben. Ben is nice at recess. He plays games with him sometimes when Mr. Nicky—Papa—doesn’t. He asks him questions. Talks to him like a big kid. And Remy is a big kid. Ben says so. Says Daddy babies him too much. Says Daddy doesn’t pay enough attention.
Remy doesn’t like when Ben talks about Daddy. It makes his tummy feel weird. Heavy. Like when he eats too much too fast and it hurts after.
But Ben is nice. He listens when Remy talks. He asks him about trains and cars and lets him win at rock-paper-scissors (sometimes, but not always, which makes it fair). He doesn’t baby him like Daddy does. Like Papa does.
Except…
Except Daddy has been weird lately. A little sad. He doesn’t hold Remy as much. Doesn’t pick him up as high. He still makes smiley pancakes and still kisses his head when he drops him off, but sometimes he looks far away.
Remy doesn’t like it when Papa is far away.
And maybe… Maybe Ben can help? Maybe Ben knows why? Maybe Ben can fix it?
Remy isn’t sure. He doesn’t understand. It’s confusing.
He kinda likes Ben. He loves Papa. He loves Daddy. But everything feels… weird.
Maybe Ben knows why. Maybe Ben can help.
Ben seems nice.
He talks nice. He tells funny jokes that make the other kids laugh. He even talks to Papa sometimes, and Papa talks back. It’s weird. Everything is weird.
It’s been a week since Papa cried. A week since Daddy and him visited Papa’s home, and now things feel wrong.
Ben says daddies are supposed to give attention, but not too much. Not like babying. Ben says Daddy babies him. That Daddy is a bad daddy for being sad all the time. That Daddy doesn’t take care of him right.
Remy doesn’t know what to think.
Daddy has never been bad. Daddy is kind and warm and soft and makes funny voices when reading bedtime stories. Daddy kisses his bruises and makes them better. But…
But Daddy did hurt his wrist.
Daddy did yell at Papa when the bookshelf fell.
Maybe Daddy is bad.
Maybe Ben is right.
…Right?
Remy doesn't know. But Remy likes Ben.
He has a friend.... Finally. His best friend!