“You should stay here, too,” he said, with sudden certainty. “Stay here with me. It is better.” A twinge of affection in my heart. “Safer, maybe,” I said. “For a little while. But I don’t think that means it’s better.” His fingers threaded through the dog’s—Luce’s—fur, as if to hold her there. “If I leave,” the boy said carefully, “I will make many mistakes.” “Probably,” I agreed. “But you can still do a lot of good. Don’t you think?” “I thought so. A long time ago.”
