5
Kire woke up earlier than usual the next morning and Emma was pleasantly surprised to see him awake.
“What’s up this morning?” she asked.
Kire shrugged. “I want to try out for the soccer team, see what happens.”
Emma walked up to her son and caressed his cheek. “You don’t have to, you know?” she said. “If this is because of what your dad said last night, he didn’t mean any of it.”
Kire rolled his eyes. “He meant what he said, Mom. You keep trying to defend him.”
“Kire,” Emma started, “the things that people go through, what your father went through when he was growing up, change the way they see the world.”
“We can all choose how we want to live and treat others, Mom,” he said firmly, “and clearly dad made his decision.”
Emma frowned a bit and fiddled with Kire’s hair.
“What is
