Chapter 24 - Noah’s Name
Noah graduated high school.
Sarah cried through ceremony.
I cried during art awards.
He had been accepted to Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.
Scholarship plus independent victim compensation trust covered most costs.
He planned illustration.
No medical career.
Thank God.
At graduation dinner he raised soda.
“I have announcement.”
Sarah looked worried.
“I’m not changing my name.”
We stared.
“What?”
He laughed.
“Everyone keeps asking if I want Hayes removed from old records or middle name or whatever.”
His legal name had been restored years ago:
Noah James Reed.
Hayes gone.
“Oh.”
“I’m Noah Reed.”
“Yes.”
“That’s announcement.”
Sarah threw napkin at him.
He laughed.
Then became serious.
“I used to think Michael stole my name.”
“He tried.”
“But he didn’t.”
“No.”
“Because I remembered.”
Sarah took his hand.
“So did I.”
He looked at me.
“You remembered Ethan.”
“Yes.”
“Does that hurt less?”
I thought.
“No.”
He nodded.
“Different?”
“Yes.”
That was honest.
Grief did not shrink.
Life grew around it.
After dinner, Noah gave me drawing.
Two boys sitting on classroom rug with dinosaurs between them.
One had red shoes.
One yellow coat.
At bottom:
ETHAN AND NOAH, BEFORE ANYONE STOLE ANYTHING.
I cried until mascara ran.
He said:
“Aunt Amelia, you are ruining print.”
May you like
“Then don’t make me cry.”
“Impossible.”
