Chapter Text
Intersections
by Never
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man jogged up and grabbed the little boy reaching for the woman's purse.
She turned to see the boy, no more than four years old; his head covered in wild, dark hair and big hazel eyes. Smiling, she replied, "It's okay, he wasn't hurting anything; I didn't even notice he was there."
The man took the boy's hand and pulled him closer. "All the same, I'm sorry. He likes anything shiny, and I'm afraid the buckle on your purse caught his attention."
"Really, it's fine. I know how boys can be at that age," she gestured to another boy standing just a few feet from her. The boy's face was buried in a book that looked a bit too advanced for a child his age, but no one mentioned it. With her attention now on her own son, she tried to take his book, but he moved away just as she reached forward. "Rodney, put your book down."
A half smile on his face, the man glanced down to his boy, "John, say `hi' to Rodney."
The boy's face transformed into an enormous grin as he spoke, "Hi, Wodney."
"We're still working on our `R's, aren't we, John?" the man reddened slightly, picking up his son.
Giving the two strangers another grin, she turned back to Rodney and nudged him, "Rodney, what do you say?"
Rodney barely acknowledged her request with a grunt, and continued to read his book, never looking up.
"I swear," she forced a laugh, "he never puts down his books. Actually, he's very shy...Rodney doesn't like talking to strangers."
"Oh, that's okay, isn't it, John?" the man tickled his son's stomach, eliciting a squeal of delight.
"Wodney!"
Sighing, Rodney finally looked up from his book and focused on the boy in his father's arms. John called his name again and waved. Rodney closed his book as he watched the little fingers curl in his direction. A smile on his own lips, he waved back, "Hi, John."
"Well, we'd better be going. Say `bye', John," the man told his son.
The bright smile dimmed, "Bye, Wodney."
"Bye, John," Rodney waved.
As the man turned to walk away, John hugged his father, watching the mother and son in the growing distance. He kept waving back at Rodney, whose grin had disappeared, but who had yet to reopen his book.
-tbc-