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"It's time to go, Blair." Naomi grabbed her backpack and her son's small hand and headed out the door. At the street, she tossed a mental coin and turned right.
A short bus ride brought them to a new town. Big buildings, smoky factories, and lots of people.
Naomi didn't find a job right away, but she made some friends, so they had a place to stay. The old house was crowded, and Blair had to sleep on the floor. There was food to eat, but it wasn't the kind of food Blair was used to. He looked forward to the times when he was in school and away from the crowded house. He counted the days, knowing that it wouldn't be long before he would hear the anticipated words.
"It's time to go, Blair." Naomi grabbed her backpack and her son's small hand and headed out the door. At the street, she tossed a mental coin and turned left.
Two days of hitching and walking brought them to a new town. A new school. New friends. A new start.
Blair fit in quickly. He always did. He'd had lots of practice.
And for a while, everything was good. Blair liked his new school. He made friends. Naomi got a job in a diner. She made friends. And before long, they moved from their small hotel room into a big house with one of Naomi's new friends. Blair liked it there. There was a huge backyard with the perfect climbing tree and a small space between the hedges and the fence that was just right for building a secret fortress. Blair was happy there and prayed he wouldn't hear the dreaded words for a very long time. But it wasn't to be.
"It's time to go, Blair." Naomi grabbed her backpack and her son's small hand and headed out the door. At the street, she tossed a mental coin and turned left.
The new town was bigger than any Blair had seen before, and he loved the excitement. The streets were thrumming with life day and night. Naomi found a job right away, and they moved into a room in a boarding house. The room was small, and Blair had to share the bed with his mother, but he didn't mind. Naomi didn't get home until almost time for Blair to leave for school. By the time he got home in the afternoons, Naomi was just getting up. An hour or two together, then she was off to work. Blair loved the city, and he loved his school, but he hated the nights alone. He was not disappointed when the familiar words came again.
"It's time to go, Blair." Naomi grabbed her backpack and her son's small hand and headed out the door. At the street, she tossed a mental coin and turned right.
It wasn't the biggest city they'd been to, but it was the one which would change their lives forever. Naomi didn't look for a job. There was no need. Her time there would be short.
The days passed quickly, filled with endless excitement. There were people to meet, decisions to be made, supplies to buy. Mother and son shared each day, filling every minute to capacity, each knowing their time here together was limited. Blair's days were as happy as any he'd ever lived, but a quiet sadness stole through the nights. He knew it would end. Soon the day came, and he heard the expected words.
"It's time to go, Blair." Naomi grabbed her backpack and her son's not-so-small hand and headed out the door. At the street, she turned back, pulling him into a hug. "I'll miss you," she said with tears in her eyes. A quick kiss, and she was gone.
Blair turned back to his dorm, unable to watch her disappear without him. Today his world had changed forever, and he was both thrilled and terrified. Today his mother had resumed her travels, but he would be taking his own journeys now, traveling alone.
Today, for him, it was time to stay.