20

For what feels like hours, that's how you stay. You don't talk; you don't move, except to teeter slightly where you're standing.

Then, finally, Tobias pulls gently away—and you can see that he's smiling even though his eyes are slightly damp.

"So last night…sucked," he says, sniffing as he laughs. "I talked to my parents, and…I think they kind of understood. They were still kind of mad at me for running away, which—you know, that's fair. But it was okay, I think. And, actually, they asked if I wanted to go away for a while—you know, stay at my grandparents' or something, so I could kind of have some space. But I said I didn't want to. Mostly because I didn't want to leave you behind."

He gives you a slightly watery smile. Somehow, you can tell that he really means it.

He doesn't stay outside much longer, telling you that he has some chores to do. But before he goes, he cocks his head towards his house.

"You should—if you want to, I mean—you should come over for dinner tonight. My parents said I should invite you—to be honest, I think they were pretty excited about me having a friend over. I mean, obviously I want you to come too. You know, if—anyway. Just come over around six if you want to. I think we're having spaghetti."

He grins, and with that, he turns to go back over the road—and just from the way he walks, you think it seems as if he's had an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders.

As you watch him go, you think: