Theodore woke up early the next morning and noticed that something smelled wonderful from the kitchen. The smell of broth crawled to his nose while his mouth watered, and his stomach growled. He immediately got out of the bed with the thought that what happened last night was all a dream. His mother is still okay, and his father is already preparing himself to go to work like any ordinary day in their family.
As he rushes down the stairs, he stops to see someone else is cooking the meal. It was not his mother until the cook turned around and saw him standing there.
"Oh, you're up already?" James said. "I have prepared breakfast for the both of us. I'm sorry that this is the only food that I can cook."
Theodore's smile faded as he walked to the dining table, sat on the chair, and waited to be served by James. Reality hits him. Both of his parents are no longer going to come home. He is now alone in the cruel world. The important thing that he can think of is how to survive. Luckily, James showed him to take care of himself while they were in the streets.
"Come on now," James interrupted. "Your soup is about to get cold, and we have to hurry. Dr. Wright will open his clinic soon."
"Oh, right," Theodore replied and started to eat the soup that James made. He loved the food so much that he hoped there would be more.
"My cooking is not that good, Theodore. Stop joking!"
"I am not! I loved it. Now, I want more, please!"
The boys giggled while they finished their dishes. Theodore did his task of cleaning the dishes while James began to clean the floor. After doing their chores, they went out of the house and began their day in front of Dr. Wright's office.
While they start their work in front of Dr. Wright, Theodore can't stop thinking about what happened last night when his mother was taken away by the police. He wondered what his mother said while being dragged to the carriage. Dr. Wright went out of the clinic and told them that it is time for lunch.
James started to chomp his food while Theodore was staring at his food, not touching his food. Dr. Wright noticed Theodore's mood. He paused while he's concerned about the young boy.
"Is there anything wrong, Theodore?" Dr. Wright asked. Theodore looked at him and immediately looked away. He was embarrassed to tell the doctor. "Theodore, tell me. What happened to your mother last night?"
"His mother was taken away by the police," James interfered and continued to eat. Theodore can no longer hold back his tears and cried loudly. The pain that he no longer has a family is too much to bear. Dr. Wright immediately got up from his seat and hugged him.
"Everything will be alright," Dr. Wright said. "James and I are here. We are your family now."
Theodore continued to cry while Dr. Wright comforted him. He wiped his tears as he tried to finish his meal and get back to work until the day ended. Theodore was quiet while he was doing his job and would only speak when customers would approach them for their service.
"James," Theodore said. "Can you stay with me? I need someone to accompany me if that is okay with you. I would understand if you don't want to."
"Of course," James said. "It's been a long time since I have a roof on top of my head."
"Thank you."
As soon as they arrived home, it was dark as the moon served as the only light. They went inside and turned on the oil lamp. James started cooking with the remaining vegetables that they have in stock, while Theodore started to prepare the table.
"I cooked your favorite," James said as he went to the table with a bowl of soup. Theodore immediately sat down on the table and shared the loaf of bread that they bought on their way home. He remembered having dinner with his family. Now having James in his home, he already treated him as a brother.
After they've eaten dinner, Theodore proceeds to do his daily task of cleaning the dishes, while James took his time to look around his new home. He noticed that there were bookshelves filled with books.
"You have a lot of books," James said. Theodore turned his head as he watched James grab a book from the shelf. He took a brown book and started to flip the pages. "Funny that you are not able to go to school yet you have a lot of books."
"Reading makes me happy," Theodore replied. "Besides, my parents told me that going to school is expensive so they taught me instead, and I am okay with it."
"What is your favorite topic then?"
"Chemistry and Biology."
James's eyes widened. It's the first time that he heard such subject. Theodore explained the meaning of the two subjects, and it inspired him to become a doctor. He admitted that meeting Dr. Wright is a gift sent from heaven. It amazes him when he watches Dr. Wright do his job, and he still dreams of becoming one someday. However, the topic made James bored, and decided to get to bed earlier than Theodore, leaving him by the bookshelves.
Theodore took a book out and flipped open to read the first few chapters of the book. He decided to bring it upstairs and continued to read until he fell asleep. Suddenly, a vision of his parents appeared in front of him, standing as white light showed behind them, and smiled at him.
"Where are you now, mother and father?" Theodore asked. His parents stared at him as they smiled. They turned around and started walking towards the light in front of them. Theodore immediately ran after them, but he was unable to reach them. He kept on chasing until he tripped and fell to the ground. Theodore felt that his legs were hurt and unable to move. He called out to them. However, they never looked back until his vision darkened. He got up from his bed, panting as he looked around to find himself in his room. It was all a dream.