#arrowfam

“What are you gonna do?” Tommy asked once he felt up to talking again. I set him down and held his hand as we walked to my car. 

“I’m not so sure yet, Tommy. You see, your parents might be good people and all, but your adoption wasn’t legal. The people who took you from your mommy, Jade… well, they took you without any reason to,” I explained. Tommy stopped swinging his feet in the backseat. “I think I might have to reason with them for a while. I don’t know. It might be wrong to expect this to be easy. They might be upset with me… But the truth is the truth, Tommy… And the truth is, you and your mom deserve the chance to meet and talk.”

Tommy stopped in his tracks. “I’m scared, Mister,” Tommy whimpered, “They’re going to be mad. I’m gonna get in trouble.” I parked across the street, and I took off my seatbelt to look him in the eyes. 

“I’m gonna protect you… Okay? And my name is Roy Harper. You can call me Roy. I’m not gonna let anybody scare you. If you get scared, you just hold on tight to me. I’m pretty strong, so I won’t be afraid if they yell at me,” I reassured him. “I won’t even get hurt if you punch me. Wanna try?” Tommy giggled and shook his head. 

“I don’t wanna hit you… I want you to be my friend. Can we be friends?” Tommy asked. 

“How about this? I’ll be your safe grown-up for right now,” I whispered. Tommy unbuckled himself from the car seat. 

“Grownups and kids can’t be friends… Can they?” Tommy asked. 

“Doesn’t mean that you can’t have a few safe grown-ups that you trust. A good grown-up won’t lie to you or make you keep secrets… That’s why I’m gonna talk to your family today and get this over with,” I explained. “Does that make sense?”

“Uh-huh, but I’m still not sure about telling my mommy and daddy,” Tommy replied as I let him out of the car. 

He hid behind me as I rang the doorbell. I reached behind myself, extending a hand for Tommy to hold. He held my thumb and pinkie in his hands. A woman answered the door with her phone in one hand and her apron in the other. “I think we should talk about your son,” I replied. 

“Oakley! Come inside,” she admonished him. She wasn’t angry. She was more afraid than anything. “Yes, you should come in, too. It seems like he’s taken a liking to you. I’m so sorry for all the trouble.” Tommy didn’t want to go in. He shook his head. 

“You gotta go in, buddy. We talked about this,” I whispered. 

Tommy pouted and let go of my hand. “Only if you carry me,” Tommy replied. I nodded and picked him up. He hid his face in my sweater. 

“Oakley, honey—” Tommy wouldn’t look at her. I stepped inside, and his father reached out to take Tommy, but Tommy shook his head. 

“Oakley… I’m sorry, sir. Oakley’s had some behavioral problems lately. We’re looking to get him some—”

“I had a little talk with him, and he’s convinced you’re lying to him. He says his name isn’t Oakley. It’s Tommy. And he said you didn’t want him anymore,” I interrupted. “And I’m not here to start trouble or judge you both, but he’s been very convincing.” 

They exchanged glances, and the man sighed. “Have you come to take him back?” he whispered. “Can you?”

“Well… I—. Are you giving him up? I don’t—. I don’t understand,” I stammered. I tried to make sense of the man’s urgency to let go of Tommy.

Tommy lifted his head and whispered, “I told you they didn’t want me anymore.” 

“We’re not equipped to deal with all these new emotional problems. The bedwetting, the pictures, and he’s running away almost every other day now,” the woman explained. 

“We made a mistake,” the man added, “And after talking with a friend, they said it may get even worse with time.”

“You can have all his things. We’ll move and start over… Whatever you want us to—”

“I just want to bring him back to his mother. She didn’t know he was alive. I don’t want to punish or threaten either of you… I just want to reunite a birth mother with her son,” I reassured them. Tommy trembled in my arms. His father got up to get his things. I set Tommy down because I wasn’t sure if I was going to get physical with the man. 

“I—. Oakley—. Tommy is gifted. Don’t get us wrong. He has some truly beautiful qualities. He’s an excellent listener, very clean, and he’s very quiet and independent. And he’s gifted. He’s in a special program at his school… Did he—? Did he eat?” the woman asked. 

“Tommy, do you think you’d like to meet your birth mommy?” I asked, ignoring her. 

“They’re not lying to you,” Tommy mumbled. His head was low, but I lifted his chin. 

“That doesn’t matter. Did I get upset when you showed me that picture?” I questioned. Tommy shook his head. “Exactly… Because I understand. I know a lot of kids like you… You’re just scared. I know meeting your mommy might not fix things right away, but I think she’ll understand more than anyone else what you’re going through.” 

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Tommy asked. “Is she gonna give me away?”

“No. Never. One thing I know about her is that she loves her kids no matter what. Your birth mommy has the biggest heart in the world, and she never stopped loving you… She never stopped missing you. Her heart broke for a long time when they took you, and I know what that feels like because someone took my daughter away once. A broken heart’s a pretty serious condition, you know,” I gently replied. 

Tommy had tears in his eyes. “She doesn’t know I’m alive… Does she?” Tommy questioned. I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to lie. 

The woman fidgeted with her hands, practically wringing them, before she offered me a cup of coffee. I shook my head, and Tommy pulled me down to his level. “Can we go to my room? I want to show you something,” Tommy whispered. 

I looked at the woman, and she nodded. “Okay, let’s go look,” I whispered. 

Tommy took me upstairs and down the hall to his bedroom, and the man was already inside, neatly folding Tommy’s clothes on his bed. “Okay… Stop. I’ve got it from here,” I whispered. I just wanted him gone, so that he couldn’t hurt Tommy’s feelings anymore. 

He had stars all over his walls, and some of them were string lights hanging from his ceiling. He pulled me over to a collage of pictures that he drew and printed of space. “This is the Vega system. It’s my favorite. There are twenty-two confirmed planets in that solar system. One of the Titans is from there,” Tommy smiled. 

“Yeah. You like space. Don’t you?” I questioned. 

Tommy nodded. “We’ve got to pack my stuff. Huh?” Tommy frowned. 

Roy: No. I have a guess who you called. First, did you watch Lepus Madness? Lian, that is a horror movie. You're barred from subjecting your friends to them after the sleepover incident!

Lian (missing the point): Lepus Madness is rated PG. The babysitter was nearby while we watched the movie. And again, it’s not my fault those girls can’t handle a movie about a family in a haunted house.

Roy: You showed them Poltergeist!

Lian (indifferent): A bunch of lightweights.

Roy: You’re going to stick to that defense?

Lian: Yes. It’s done me wonders.

Roy: I would too. Anyway, why this bet?

Lian: Damian started it! He said smaller rabbits can win no matter what and I argued, heck no big rabbits can.

Roy: Makes sense that a bat kid thought this first. You can’t train bunnies to be threats. They’re literally too cute to be threatening.

Lian: Not bunnies. Rabbits. If Watership Down taught me anything, it’s that yes, they can be.

Roy’s eyes widened in shock that she knew that movie. Lian smiled sweetly.

Lian: Uncle Con showed me that one. Anyway, I put bragging rights on the line, and the winner gets to pick what we do for fun afterward. I want to go to that new FNAF-inspired arcade, so are you going to help me or not?

Roy (trying not to sound proud): Why are you like this?

Lian (nonchalantly): Daddy… Don't play. Grandpa told me how wild you were at my age. It’s basically in my DNA.

Roy sighed, smiling reluctantly.

Roy: Yeah, before the dark days, I was a cool kid.

Lian: I didn’t say all that.

Roy: I’m going to pretend you did. If this is to one-up a Bat-kid, then I’ll help. But you have to stop showing them horror movies. Clark is still mad at me after you showed Jon that Winnie the Pooh horror spoof.

Lian: It’s not my fault he can’t handle cheesy gore. That movie was barely scary, like I laughed.

Roy: You really are my daughter. Last question, who did you call to get five giant rabbits?

Lian: Flemish Giant rabbits. Grandma supplied me with five, but the toothpicks are basically their blades. Damian’s using a different breed, but he’s totally going to lose. And before you ask, Jon is fine. He loved the movie. The effects were supes cheesy he barely got scared or scarred. I promised to show—

Roy: Stop promising horror movies!

Lian blinked, her cute, round face showing she had about five scary movies of varying quality and ratings ready.

Roy: Make sure they’re not rated R next time, you little sneak.

Lian: That I can do.

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Meanwhile, with Damian and his rabbit army:

Tim: You’re going to lose, dude.