I gaped at his perception of the scars. He didn’t care that they blemished the skin, and he didn’t seem to find them ugly in the slightest. Derrick was convinced, likely due to his own experiences, that the scars gave him superhero status. I never wanted him to let go of that. “You want to be a superhero?” Ethan asked.
“Like Iron Man,” Derrick elaborated. “He went through a lot of fire.”
“Well, so did you,” I told him, kissing the top of his hand. “And so did Ethan. That makes him pretty cool, right?”
Derrick’s face dropped as he scowled at Ethan’s leg. “But I want mine to be as big as yours. You’re a superhero more.”
Ethan’s face softened. “Mine is way too big. You don’t want one like mine.”
Derrick looked confused. “I want one that’s on my whole body. Then I’d be the best superhero in the world.”
I wished everyone could see themselves through the eyes of a five-year-old. Ethan leaned forward conspiratorially as he glanced at me. “Burns might make you a superhero, but you want to know who the best superhero in all the world is?” Derrick nodded vigorously. “Your mommy.”
Derrick laughed. “No, she’s not. She’s a girl.”
“She’s like the Black Widow. You know her, right?” Ethan asked. Derrick nodded. “That’s because she’s a secret spy. Nobody knows that she’s a superhero, but she’s better than Iron Man.”
I smiled as Derrick looked at me with surprised eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked quietly, like the secrets of the universe were traveling by his voice.
Ethan only smiled as a nurse came into the room, and Derrick proudly informed him that both me and Ethan were superheroes. Derrick insisted on being a big boy and talking to the nurse alone, which was the opposite of what he had wanted since being admitted. I knew the tough act was to impress Ethan, but I stood anyways. On the way out the nurse smiled. “We’re just redressing his bandages and checking for infection. If we need you, we’ll come out and get you.”
I nodded and followed Ethan into the hallway. I looked back at Derrick, but he was chatting up the nurse like a professional. I smiled and followed Ethan. It was the first moment we had been entirely alone, and I didn’t know what to say. “You know, he got that burn because he covered the little girl with his body,” Ethan said immediately.
It came as no surprise that he was injured trying to protect someone else. How did a five-year-old make such a selfless decision? I leaned against the wall beside his door. “That doesn’t surprise me.” We were both silent for a second before I pushed myself to speak. “I’m sorry for what I said.”
He cut me off. “I’m the one who should be sorry. You were right. Everything you said was right, and I need to work on it.”
I shook my head and stepped toward him, grabbing his hand and clutching it between mine. “No, you are working on it in your own time. Today made me realize that letting you go again—over something so ridiculous—is not an option. You ran into that fire without hesitating.”
He furrowed his brows. “I would never hesitate to rush into a fire for your son.”
“That’s the point. I don’t know why I ever tried to convince myself that loving you was a bad decision. I’m done pretending. I love you, even with everything that you need to work on. I’ve loved you for years, and that’s why I had to stay away. But I’m done running from it.” My voice was hoarse. I opened my mouth to continue rambling when a mass filled the entirety of the hallway behind Ethan. “What the heck,” I whispered, looking over his shoulder.
Standing behind Ethan stood Garrett and Scott carrying dozens of helium infused balloons in our direction. As the balloons parted, Nehemiah and Benji stood behind, carrying a few stuffed cars and miniature car toys. Once they reached us, they stopped. “The nurse is in with him. He’ll be fine,” I told the small crowd.
“Sorry we’re not here sooner,” Garrett said. “We had to finish putting out the fire.”
Behind me, the nurse exited the room and looked first at me, then at the five men surrounding me with balloons and toys. He smiled and made eye contact with me once again. “His burns are enflamed a bit more than expected, and because they cover so much of his arm, we’re going to need to keep him here and monitored for a few days. With kids this age, we want to make sure the smoke inhalation won’t cause any issues, either.”
The firefighters all rushed into the room, and Garrett winked before entering. I heard a squeal from Derrick as they entered, followed by an excited “tall man” greeting.
“Whatever you need to do,” I told him. Ethan’s hand rested on my lower back, and relief surged through me as I realized that everything was finally okay.
Chapter Fifteen
Garrett and Sylvia had no issue staying with Derrick while Ethan and I made a run to my house to grab fresh clothes, toothbrushes, and Derrick’s favorite stuffed car. Ethan and I split tasks to make it quicker, so he gathered everything for Ethan while I packed a bag for me. I included two pillows and a fuzzy travel blanket. I was still in the process of stuffing my clothes into the bag when Ethan came into my room. “Derrick’s packed,” he told me, setting the small bag, pillow, and blanket on my desk.
“I’m almost done. Did you let out Derrick Junior?” I asked.
He nodded. “I fed him and gave him some water for
