All I've Ever Wanted (Rough Draft)

Chapter 9 (Kyle)

I wanted to rip Charlotte’s boss a new asshole and dare him to raise his voice at her or Auggie again.

“Everyone is being so mean to Mommy,” his small voice pulled me out of my violent thoughts. His eyes peered up at me and suddenly my chest warmed and I melted into a puddle of nothing. It was still looking like looking at a child version of my little brother, Aaron.

“You’re mom doesn’t deserve that,” I said, “Neither one of you do.” If I had it may way, I would have when back and made him apologize, I wanted to add. The best thing was getting Auggie out of the situation and letting Charlotte do her job. If I had it my way, I’d send her money so she didn’t have to work. “Okay, little buddy, what do you want to do?” I said, “We can do anything you want.”

Auggie put his index finger in his mouth and shugged. His cheeks and nose tinged an agitated red. I knew I needed to get him out of the cold.

“Are you hungry?”

He shook his head.

“Are there any good toy stores around here?”

He smiled and pointed his little finger still wet with his saliva in a direction, my eyed followed.

“Toy store it is.” I chuckled.

The small toy store was nothing like I would have expected. It was like going back in time into the 50s. There was mostly wooden toys, wagons, bikes, a baby dolls. I was prepared to get him the latest Xbox, a Nintendo Switch, maybe even a computer. That would probably come later when I got back home.

When we walked in, the door dinged and Auggie shot out of my arms like a bolt of lightning.

“Well, good morning.” The man behind the counter with a thick pair of glasses said, “Not used to customers this early but welcome and let me know if there is thing I can help you with.”

I gave him a nod and searched the isles looking for Auggie, “Auggie,” I called out, “Augman? Where are you, little buddy?”

I heard a giggle from the back of the store and then, “Choo! Choo!”

I laughed to myself making my way to the area toward the back, where there were three tables with wooden train tracks and there was Auggie kneeling down my one of him playing with a small train toy.

I squatted down near him as he continued playing crashing two trains into each other.

“Having fun?”

He smiled at me, and pushed a small box car in my direction, “Come on, let’s play.”

I grabbed an engine off the track and connected it to the boxcar on the side of the track in front of me. I pulled it around the track slowly.

“You have to make the sound,” Auggie instructed.

“The sound?”

“Like this. Choo! Chooooo!” He pulled his line of train cars over the track.

I laughed, “Okay. Let me try. Choo! Choooo! Chooo!”

Auggie giggled.

“You like trains?”

Auggie nodded quickly.

“You ever been on a train?”

He shook his head bringing his train across a bridge. “Have you been on a train?” He asked.

I smiled thinking back, “Once or twice. Once with my little brother.” The memories flooded back and I felt a weight on my chest, “Once we hopped on a boxcar and rode two states away.” I almost regretted it when I said it. I hoped I wasn’t giving him ideas.