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describe exactly what this perfectly wonderful sprite in front of me looks like, but we’re eventually interrupted.
     
    “Good morning boys. I was wondering if you were hungry?”
     
    I reply, “n-n-no.” My mom is stunned. I don’t talk and when I do it’s only when I know I won’t stutter, when I have control of the anxiety. I never speak if I’m feeling anxious. Even when I was younger at the first sigh of stuttering I’d clam up. To say she’s surprised I struggled through it would be a massive understatement. Morgan explains, “No thank you ma’am. I made French toast this morning for Haden since it’s his favorite and there are plates for both you and Mallory in the oven.”
     
    My mom beams at him, as I knew she would, “that sounds wonderful Morgan, thank you. I didn’t realize you’d already be working so soon after getting here. We usually give new hires a few days to settle in.”
     
    I felt bad. It was true, normally we did. I shouldn’t have let him cook breakfast his first morning here. To my surprise rather than reply to my mom Morgan looks at me and says with a stern expression, “no. I know exactly what you’re thinking. You don’t get to feel guilty because I offered to make breakfast.” Then he turns back to my mom and states, “thank you anyway ma’am. I’m good to go. I know you’re anxious to get me trained up so you can rest assure your son and grandson are well taken care of while you enjoy your well-earned retirement. So whenever you’re ready to show me the ropes, I’m ready to learn.”
     
    I smile at him. When he wants something he sure doesn’t hold back. He’s charmed the pants right off my mom and she’s a pretty tough old bird. Had to be with me as a son. Morgan should go into politics. Except, no, I know better. This is his armor, his cover for the hurting person underneath. He’s too good, too sweet and eager to please for politics.
     
    I tune back into the conversation and realize my mom and Morgan are making plans to go shopping later today. That way he can learn the route to town and get familiar with the city and where everything is. They agree to leave around 10am and then my mom is leaving.
     
    Morgan and I are once more left alone in the bathroom. We share a smile and then we’re getting up and he’s headed to his room and I go to my office to get some work done.
     

Chapter 6
    Thankfully the next week passes without incident. Mom has shown Morgan the ropes, he’s gotten into the swing of my routine with the small exception of having breakfast ready for me when I get up. We eat together by ourselves each morning now and it soon became one of my favorite times of day. Morgan has been back to his flirty confident self and I’ve only seen short glimpses of that other hidden vulnerable self. I think it will take time for him to trust me and that’s okay. It’s going to take me time too.
     
    He sneaks into my room every night, without fail, around 1am. Curls up at the foot of my bed and is always gone by the time I wake up at 6am, with breakfast hot and ready to eat. I want to say something to him, ask him what he’s doing, but I don’t know what to say and I don’t want to embarrass him or scare him away. I didn’t really notice it before because everything was so new and overwhelming but Morgan really doesn’t get much sleep, he’s got dark circles under his eyes. They don’t seem to be getting worse but it still bothers me.
     
    I want him to be happy here, to feel safe and secure. I already feel like he’s now a permanent part of my life and I like that just fine. Still, I know that isn’t realistic. One day he’ll leave, of course, when he’s not so scared to embrace a fuller life. No one would willingly want to live trapped in a remote cabin in Alaska with some nutty coder dude and his kid.
     
    That’s another thing. Morgan is spending a lot of time with Mallory I’ve noticed. They do a lot of crafts in the kitchen and the