With so much going on and Noa still being in the hospital, Peter skipped his classes to be with his family.

Sunday night, Noa didn’t want to see them. He’d outright turned them away with no hesitation. They dropped off his get-well card before heading home. When they tried to visit again on Monday morning, he turned them away a second time. Deciding to visit Rion instead, they found out he was with Dr. Maes. Their only choice was to come back later.

So, they’d gone down to the main floor for coffee to wait and try to soothe their collective disappointment.

Peter could tell that both his parents were emotionally exhausted. His mom was still trying to be optimistic, saying they should keep trying until Noa was ready to see them. Peter wanted to agree, but it was hard given the circumstances.

On their way to get coffee, something occurred to Peter. The other day, what Rion said…

“Mom? Dad?” he said. “Do you remember how Noa burned his hand?”

They turned to him in unison.

“You mean, at the cabin?” his dad asked. “In the fire?”

“Yes,” Peter said. “I thought he burned it by grabbing the doorknob trying to get into the cabin. But the other day, Rion said that wasn’t true.”

“I think Noa burned himself inside the cabin,” his mom said. “If I remember… It was some kind of accident.”

They knew?

Peter looked between them. They never talked about what happened. Peter understood because even he didn’t want to think about it. It hardly ever came up. But if Rion was right…

“Rion said Noa burned his hand on the wall inside the cabin,” Peter said. “We asked him about it and he kind of told us what happened. It’s not what I remember hearing.”

His parents exchanged a glance.

“You were fourteen back then, Peter,” his dad said. “We didn’t think you needed the details. It was…”

“It was hard,” his mom said. “It was really, really hard.”

“I know,” Peter said. “I’m just trying to understand. I think I’ve mentioned the whole doorknob story before. Everyone talks about it. You… I don’t remember either of you correcting it.”

“There were so many rumours,” his mom said, shaking her head. “We didn’t want to say anything to add fuel to the fire. People were bound to gossip.”

“It doesn’t change what happened to Amber,” his dad said. “We didn’t want to talk about it. It’s not a happy subject.”

“But what really happened?” Peter said. “Rion said they went on a walk and came back. He said Amber was in the bathroom, then the fire started and they panicked. Noa burned his hand on the wall and they ran out together. He made it sound almost as if…as if they left Amber behind.”

His parents exchanged another look.

“Why don’t we get coffee before we talk about it,” his dad said.

The lineup seemed extra long while they got coffee. They picked out some comfortable seats in the corner of the main area, slightly off to the side next to some potted plants.

“Peter,” Mom said once they sat down and she’d taken a deep, calming breath. “You need to understand that…you were all kids six years ago. Noa and Rion were very young and they went through something really traumatic.”

“I know that,” Peter said. “I’m just trying to understand what happened.”

“And we’re trying to explain,” Dad said. “The thing is, it was hard for Noa and Rion to explain what happened. They were scared and devastated about Amber. And with the fire as bad as it was… It was hard to figure out exactly what happened.”

“But Noa and Rion were there,” Peter said. “I know it was hard on them, but I thought they talked to everyone and gave statements.”

“They did,” his mom said. “They told us everything they could.”

“They said that Amber was in the bathroom, right?” Peter said. “When Rion told us, Jesse got really upset. He was worried that she was trapped in there by herself. Rion didn’t give us any other details, so…”

He spread out his hands, hoping for some kind of explanation. His parents exchanged another look, but it was different from the others. It was a shared expression of pain and sadness. Peter watched them, unease settling in the pit of his stomach.

“Amber didn’t suffer,” Mom finally said, turning back to him. “She didn’t… There was nothing Rion or Noa could have done. They were smart to run away and save themselves.”

“So… What? I don’t understand,” Peter said. “What happened?”

His mom put a hand to her mouth and closed her eyes, swallowing hard. His dad put an arm around her, pulling her close. She leaned into him.

“Let’s talk about it later, okay?” Dad said.

“Okay…” Peter said.

But he didn’t understand. What did that mean? Amber didn’t suffer… That was a good thing, wasn’t it?

Why couldn’t Noa or Rion do anything for her? Had she really been trapped? Did the fire start between the bathroom and the living room? Had the smoke gotten to Amber?

That was the only way Peter could make sense of it. If Amber died because of smoke inhalation or the fire was blocking the way…

Seeing how his mother reacted, he figured it was probably best to bring it up some other time. Maybe once they got back home or something…

“Oh. Hey.”

Peter turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Mr. Blum had approached them, coffee in hand. He looked as tired and lost as Peter felt.

“Oh, Hart. Hey,” Peter’s dad said. “Waiting to see how Rion’s doing?”

“Yeah. He’s talking to that psychiatrist right now – Dr. Maes,” he said.

Peter’s mom had straightened, composing herself and sucking in a deep breath, letting it out slow. His dad kept an arm around her, giving her a comforting squeeze.

“Noa started seeing Dr. Maes not too long ago,” Mom said and offered Mr. Blum a weak smile. “She’s amazing.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mr. Blum said. “They think Rion needs to see someone. I’m not sure if they mean just while he’s in the hospital or long term. I’ve been talking to the doctors. They’re worried about him being underweight too and apparently he’s getting into fights at school. It’s…really overwhelming.”

As he spoke, Peter realized that unlike his family, Rion’s dad was alone.

When it came to Noa, both his parents talked and made decisions together. Peter tried to help where he could. Because he cared. Because he was worried. And between Peter and his parents, they managed Noa’s situation as a team.

Rion and his dad didn’t have that. It was eye opening. Because Peter struggled to imagine how different this would be without any kind of support or discussion – just a doctor telling the facts and passing along information.

That had to be really, really hard…

“Why don’t you pull up a seat,” his dad said. “We wanted to visit Rion, since Noa doesn’t want to see us. Rion’s busy so we figured we’d get coffee and wait. Why don’t we all go back up together once he’s free.”

“Sure,” Mr. Blum said. He pulled up a seat and joined them. “To be honest, sometimes I don’t know what to say to Rion. He’s pretty quiet. He spends a lot of his time at home playing games or downloading things on the computer.”

“That sounds a lot like Peter,” his mom said.

“I guess Rion and I have similar taste,” Peter said.

“You’ve really sprouted up,” Mr. Blum commented. “I remember when you used to come over as a kid. Glad to leave those teenage years behind?”

Peter sat a little straighter. He couldn’t help it. He had gotten tall over the years and while it had its inconveniences, he couldn’t deny that he liked towering over people and standing out in a crowd.

It worked to his advantage when Eric and Kyle ganged up on Rion.

“More than happy,” Peter said. “I’m in college now, doing a computer systems technology course. I’m learning a bit of everything – even programming. It can be hard but I’m enjoying it.”

“That’s good,” Mr. Blum said. “Programming is getting big. Lots of people are getting into all that Internet stuff and setting up websites… I hear the pay is pretty good too.”

“That’s right,” Peter said. “There’s lots of job opportunities. There are already companies trying to steal us right out of school before we’ve even finished.”

“Peter wants to make video games,” his dad added with a smile.

Peter could feel his face heating up.

“Well… Yes,” he confessed. “But it’s also the kind of education that opens a lot of doors. So even if I can’t make games, I’ll still be able to get a job.”

“That’s a smart way of doing it,” Mr. Blum said. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

“Thanks.”

Peter was flattered by the praise. He hadn’t spoken to Mr. Blum in a long time, but he was a lot like Peter remembered; warm, friendly, and encouraging.

If he was around for Rion more often, Peter would say he was a great dad. Unfortunately, Peter knew how often he was away, busy working. Rion spent way too much time at home by himself…

But it didn’t feel appropriate to bring it up.

They chatted a little longer, finishing off their coffees. As they talked, something occurred to Peter. He wanted to let the idea sit but the more he rolled it around his head, the more he realized he should say something.

“Um… Mr. Blum?” Peter said. “I was wondering if you could do me a favour.”

“Oh, sure. What is it?” he asked.

“When we were kids, Amber made us friendship bracelets,” Peter said, rolling back his sleeve to show Rion’s dad his bracelet. “Rion has one but he hasn’t been wearing it.”

“Oh, I remember those,” Mr. Blum said. “Yeah. Rion’s and Noa’s used to match, right?”

Peter blinked. He was taken aback for a moment. He didn’t expect Mr. Blum to remember.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, they used to match. A lot has been going on, and… I think it might help him to have his old friendship bracelet while he’s in the hospital. I think he had it in his bedroom, underneath his pillow. Do you think you could bring it back for him?”

Maybe the bracelet would remind Rion that they were in this together and that everyone was here to support him and Noa. Maybe it would remind him that they were still friends after everything that happened. That Amber loved him… It helped tie all of them together as friends.

It seemed like the perfect idea. Rion could wear his bracelet again. He probably wanted to anyway. Especially now that Sarina knew the truth, and everything was out in the open. He didn’t have a reason to hide it.

“I can do that,” Mr. Blum said. “I’ll grab it next time I head home. I was going to get some more of his things anyway, since we don’t know when he’ll be out of the hospital.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Thanks,” Peter said. “I think it would help. Rion seems lonely sometimes. I worry about him.”

Mr. Blum’s expression fell. Peter worried he’d said too much.

“Thanks. I feel like I’ve gotten into the rhythm of going to work, coming home late, and… I should be there for Rion a lot more than I am,” he said. “He became independent so fast, and… I don’t know. Maybe that’s an excuse.”

“He needs you now and you’re here,” Peter’s dad said.

“Maybe,” Mr. Blum said. “I feel like I need to do better…”

“It’s hard to say what’s right as a parent,” his mom added. “There are no rules to parenting. Each relationship between parent and child is different. And if you feel like there’s something that needs to be fixed, maybe you should have a conversation with Rion about it. Ask him how he feels.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I think I will,” Mr. Blum said. “Thank you.”