Loving Cara(13)

I follow Cara to the car and climb in. “Where to now?”

“Just one more stop.” She checks the mirrors as she pulls into traffic. “How was that?”

“Ty’s an ass,” Seth says.

“Watch your damn mouth!” I yell before I can stop myself. “Ty is my best friend, and an adult, and you will respect that.”

Seth crosses his arms defiantly and I sigh. “I’m sorry I yelled, but, Seth, you’ve got to stop with this disrespectful attitude.”

“We’re here.” Cara pulls the car to the stop and I gape at her.

“The jail?”

She turns her amber eyes to me and nods solemnly, and I think I’m going to throw up. There is no way in hell I want my nephew in the jail. He’s only twelve years old!

“Come on.” Cara climbs out of the car and we follow behind her.

“Hey, Cara, Josh.” Brad Hull, one of the police detectives, meets us and greets us warmly.

“Hey, Brad.”

“You must be Seth,” Brad greets Seth, and shakes his hand. “I’ve heard a bit about you.”

“Yeah, I suck.”

I gasp and stare at Seth in shock. He does not suck. Sure, he’s a pain in the ass, but what kid isn’t?

“Actually, that’s not what I was told.” Brad frowns down at Seth. “I’ve heard that you’re a really good kid.”

“You did?” Seth asks skeptically. “Then why am I here?”

“Because even good people screw up.” Brad sighs and leans against the wall, crosses his arms and ankles as he looks down at Seth. Seth’s eyes are glued to Brad’s gun. “You interested in firearms?”

“Having a gun and a badge doesn’t make you cool,” Seth sputters, then frowns as if he’s not sure why he said that.

“You’re right.” Brad nods thoughtfully. “They don’t make me cool. They help me to keep people like Cara safe from people like you.” The last part of the sentence is said quietly, but Seth’s face pales and tears fill his eyes, and I want to hug him tight and tell him that he’s going to be okay.

But I wait to see where Brad’s going with this.

“I would never hurt Cara!” Seth exclaims, and turns his sad gaze to the woman next to me. “Cara’s great.”

“Do you think your words don’t hurt her? Or your grandparents? Or even Josh?” Brad changes his stance and tucks his hands in his pockets. “What if you get really, really mad at them?”

“I don’t start fights,” Seth argues. “I’ve never hit anybody. I just keep to myself.”

“But, Seth, not everybody goes to jail just because of their fists. You don’t treat anyone with respect and you are thoughtless with your words. Who’s to say that one day you won’t decide you can hurt someone physically too? Or take something that doesn’t belong to you?”

Seth is shaking his head, processing what Brad is saying. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“I’m going to show you something, Seth.” Brad doesn’t touch Seth, he just motions for him to follow and leads him through a heavy metal door and down a long line of jail cells. He walks into one, but Seth stops at the door. “Come inside.”

Seth does as he’s told and stands in front of Brad.

“I believe Cara when she said that you’re a good kid, Seth. I don’t ever want to see you in here after today. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.” Seth’s voice is nothing but a whisper. It’s tearing me apart.

“Okay.” Brad shakes his hand and leaves us alone, waiting for us by the main door. Cara steps inside the cell with Seth, and it takes everything in me to not follow her in and hold her close, to yank both of them out of this godforsaken place and make sure they’re safe for the rest of their lives.

They shouldn’t be here.

“Seth.” Cara takes his shoulders in her hands and looks him dead in the eye. “Everything you do matters. Your classwork, your chores, your family. It all matters. How you talk to others and treat them matters too. If you don’t change your attitude, bad things are in store for you, and I know that you don’t want that. You are such a bright kid, and you, my friend, are going to be an amazing adult. But you have to change your attitude.”

Seth’s lips quiver as he watches Cara’s face while she talks to him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“I know. Come on, let’s go home.” She hugs him close for a minute.

He actually hugs her back before walking over to me and looking up at me. “Can we go home now?”

“Yep. Let’s go home.”