Cade took pleasure in every leaf crunch beneath his beat-up Converse shoes, the faded Fall Out Boy lyrics etched across the toes in EJ’s slanted print. “Sorry, dude,” EJ said. “I can’t believe my dad’s making us babysit. For free, too.”

Lily shot him a look. “Don’t be mean,” she said. “Or I’ll tell Dad.” In her little eight-year-old hands, she clutched her Lizzie McGuire lunchbox that rattled with leftovers.

Aiden tagged along beside Cade to distance himself from Lily as much as possible. In his last year of elementary school, he was desperate to be seen as one of the middle school kids like Cade and EJ. “So,” Aiden said. “How are the girls at Walker? Hot?”

“What do you know about hot?” EJ asked his little brother. “But actually, Cade thinks there are some hotties,” EJ said as he elbowed Cade in the ribs. “Right?”

“Shut up,” Cade said. He kept his eyes on the ground, an explosion of gold and orange under his feet.

“What? I saw you staring at that redheaded girl in homeroom.” Cade could feel EJ’s eyes as they bored into him, but he refused to look up. “C’mon, we’ve been best friends since we were in diapers. You think I can’t tell?”

“Not in front of the kids,” Cade said in the most adult voice he could muster. Thankfully, this time it didn’t crack, he thought.

“I’m not a little kid!” Aiden piped up. “It’s my last year—”

“You’re still in elementary school,” EJ reminded him. “And need us to escort you home!”

“Whatever,” Aiden muttered under his breath.

“Well, if you’re not going to talk about your future wife, what about the field trip Mr. Stroh was talking about? You think you’re gonna go?”

Cade sighed. “I dunno. I’m not sure if my foster parents will sign off on it.”

“What? Why wouldn’t they?” EJ asked. “It’s gonna be awesome. Like, they let you feed bears! And since it’s a drive-through safari, rhinos could totally charge the bus—”

“You know how they are,” Cade said. He rolled his eyes. “They think they can turn every kid they take in into Jehovah’s Witnesses. I’ll probably be knocking door-to-door while you all are getting impaled by wild animals or something.”

“That sounds like child abuse, dude,” EJ said as he made a face. “You should call CPS on their ass.”

Cade shook his head. “The Parkers are alright, they’re just strict. After the Carters, I can’t complain.”

“Yeah, they were crazy,” EJ said. “I can’t believe they freaking locked you in the bedroom every night! Thinking you were going to steal their crappy china or whatever.”

“The getting locked in part wasn’t so bad. It was the totally forgetting to have any food in the morning for any of us part that sucked. Not that it happened all the time, but still …”

“I don’t know, dude, going door-to-door doesn’t sound much better. Hopefully you get a decent family soon.”

“I’d just be happy staying somewhere longer than a year, honestly. So, I gotta be on my best behavior. Make sure the Parkers think I’m a ‘good kid’ and all.”

EJ laughed. “Good luck with that.”

The group turned onto Fairgrounds Road and Lily squealed as the firehouse came into view. “Are we going to get to ride the truck?” she asked.

“Don’t be stupid,” EJ said. “You know what Dad says.”

“It’s not a toy,” Lily said with a sigh.

“Yeah. But guess what? Dad told me he has a surprise for all of us.” EJ shot Lily a smile Cade knew he thought nobody noticed. EJ always acted like his little sister annoyed him, but the love he had for her always snuck in.

“Really?”

“Yeah. But only if I tell him you both were good on the walk home.”

Cade watched the towering man appear from behind the glistening red truck. “Mr. Hammond,” he said with a nod. “Thanks for letting me come by, too.”

“Of course, Cade. You know you’re like another son to me.” Mr. Hammond pulled off a pair of gloves and shoved them into a cargo pocket. He ruffled Cade’s hair. Cade felt himself bristle unintentionally. It had taken him years to stop flinching every time Mr. Hammond did that.

“This your whole brood, Hammond?” one of the newer firefighters asked. “Been busy at home, huh?”

Mr. Hammond laughed. “Something like that.”

Cade nodded hello to the crew that had watched him grow up over the years. They were like a little family of their own, even though they weren’t related by blood. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to feel in foster care, he thought. But so far that hadn’t been his experience.

“How’s third grade treating you, Flower?” Mr. Hammond asked as Lily hugged her dad’s leg tight.

“It’s exhausting,” she said. “We’re supposed to memorize a new times table every week. Like, what’s the point? When are we going to use that?”

“What do you think, Aiden? You agree?” Mr. Hammond asked as he squeezed Aiden’s thin shoulders.

Aiden sniffed. “It’s not exhausting, it’s too easy. I shoulda skipped a grade.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Mr. Hammond said. “Middle school’s no picnic. Right, EJ? No more recess, no playground—”

“Yeah, but the food’s a lot better. And there are vending machines.”

“Well, if there are vending machines …” Mr. Hammond laughed and gave EJ a hug.

Cade felt the familiar tug of jealousy as he watched his friend embrace his dad. Things are so easy for him, and he doesn’t even realize it, Cade thought. EJ has it all, the whole all-American family and everything.

“So, what’s the surprise?” Aiden asked.

“Eager, huh? Come around front with me and I’ll show you.”

They raced behind him as Mr. Hammond turned the corner to the small patch of perfectly landscaped greenery outside.

“Kites!” Lily exclaimed. On the lawn were four colorful triangles of fabric. “This one’s mine,” she said, and stood triumphantly beside the My Little Pony pink one.

“You bet it is,” Aiden said. “This one’s mine.” He knelt down beside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fabric.

“Spider-Man?” EJ asked Cade. Cade nodded immediately. Be grateful for what you get, he thought. But he felt another tug of envy as he watched EJ pick up the Batman kite and admired it. Shouldn’t my best friend know Batman’s my favorite?

“You okay, Cade? That one’s for you,” Mr. Hammond said. Cade realized he hadn’t rushed to claim his kite like the others.

“Are you … are you sure?” he asked. Obviously, idiot. Why else would there be four kites?

“Of course I’m serious! Go on,” Mr. Hammond said.

A grin spread across Cade’s face and he raced for the kite. It is pretty cool, he thought as he admired it.

“Damn, yours is actually shaped like a bat—” EJ started.

“EJ, language.”

“Sorry. Dang.”

“Thanks, Mr.—” Cade started, but his mouth clamped shut when he saw his biological dad across the street. His excitement over the kite was momentarily forgotten.

Maybe I can finally go home.

“Dad! Hey, Dad! Look what Mr. Hammond—”

His dad reached the group before Cade could finish, but Mr. Hammond stood between them.

“Bill, you need to go,” Mr. Hammond said, his voice low. “You know you’re not allowed to see Cade, and I don’t want any trouble. Especially here.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” he slurred. Cade could smell the whiskey from five feet away. His heart sunk. “You can’t tell me I can’t see my own son! Cade, c’mere—”

“Stay there, Cade,” Mr. Hammond said. Cade couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. “Bill, you need to go home and sober up. Do you need me to call a ride for you?”

“I don’t need any goddamned charity from you. Cade’s, his—his whore of a mother up and left in the middle of the night again. Fucking bitch—”

“You need to go right now.”

“Hammond? You need some help?” one of the crew called from the sidewalk.

“Do I?” Mr. Hammond asked Cade’s dad.

“Ah, forget it,” Cade’s dad said. “You all go on playing Captain America or whatever the hell you do.”

He began to stagger off, but Cade was stunned. Mom is gone?

“Cade, come on,” his dad said, as he turned again.

“Kids, you all go inside,” Mr. Hammond said. EJ, Aiden, and Lily raced for the firehouse, but Cade was torn.

I need to help find Mom …

His dad lurched toward him, but Mr. Hammond held him firm. “I’m going to have to call the police if you don’t—”

Suddenly, Cade’s dad lunged forward and broke free of the grip. He snatched Cade up, and the kite ripped apart between them. The stench of alcohol overpowered him. “It’s okay, son. I’m here,” his dad mumbled. “We’re gonna go to Santa Monica. The… the beach. Sounds nice, right?”

California? A shot of panic raced through him. There was no way he could leave the Hammonds. Never see EJ again—

“No!” Cade screamed. His cry came from the deepest part of him.

He felt his father’s fist against his jaw, but the shock dulled any pain. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear and see Mr. Hammond and the other firefighters as they pulled his father away.

Cade turned toward the firehouse. His head rang with yells and his father’s drunken threats.

“You’re bleeding!” Lily said as he tore into the firehouse.

Cade couldn’t speak. The tears that ran down his face blinded him, and the sobs inside filled his throat.

“Don’t cry,” Lily said. He felt her warm hand wrap around his.

Shame filled him, though he couldn’t have said why. He held her hand and cried.