07-13-2012, 01:42 PM
The boy was confused initially. He was only asking for more food, why was everyone suddenly calling him "can"? He opened his mouth to explain, but paused. What was he going to say? That he didn't know what his name was, but "Can" was most certainly not it? No, that wasn't going to fly. But then the boy realized something else. He had a name. For the first time in his life, he had a name. He was important. The boy's dirty face broke into a smile then, and he grinned almost foolishly as he ate his next three cookies. He watched Sophy's family laugh and fool around, and for some reason he found himself smiling along with them. Not to the extent of Sophy's obvious energy and happiness, but there was a certain uplifting quality to their laughter that made the boy feel light for a moment. A feeling he had never experienced before.
Suddenly a cup of lemonade was thrust in one hand, the other being wretched away by Sophy. He tried drinking his cup, but the swing of Sophy's excitement caught on and had him fumble a bit, spilling some juice on his already dirty shirt. His face screwed up as he tasted the drink; it was sour and tangy at first, but then surprisingly sweet, to his amazement. This drink was refreshing! It was good!
"Papa!" yelled the other girl, Blaire, as she ran off to meet her father. The boy, whose name was now Ken, stared wistfully at the happy reunion. Everyone else had a family who loved them. Where was his?
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