The heat had intensified, even on the short train ride home. As Wren headed down Catalpa Avenue with Rufus, he couldn’t wait to get inside his air-conditioned apartment. Maybe once out of the heat and away from the stress of going to Kenilworth, Rufus would finally listen to reason. He had promised to call the cops, and Wren intended to make sure the promise wasn’t an empty one.
Once inside, Wren took Rufus in his arms. He kissed him gently. Rufus pulled away, smiling at him.
“What was that for?”
“Because you did the right thing. Because you came back here.” Wren knew not to force the issue. He realized from watching his mother’s wise parenting over the years that the best way to get a person to do something you wanted was to give them a choice. Although Wren realized that, if they want
