Chapter Forty-Three

Basil swiped at his eyes with the heel of his hand and sniffled. “Why wasn’t I important, Jax? Why…” He sniffled and laughed a dry, humorless laugh as his pain marked its way down his face. “Why wasn’t I good enough for him? H-how could I mean so little to him that-that-that h-he would just leave me?”

Jaxsen shrugged, wishing there was something he could do. “I don’t know, Basil. I can’t justify the motives of an act such as that. I can’t pretend to know what he was thinking to cause him to leave you. I’m sorry he did ‘cause he’s missing out on a wonderful son.” Jaxsen faintly blushed at making the comment and looked down.

Basil smiled, his cheeks instantly flushing at the compliment. “Hey, Basil?” Jaxsen broke the silence that momentarily lapsed.

“Yeah?”

“You don’t ever have to worry about me, okay? I won’t ever leave you.”

Basil smiled softly. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jax.”