He hesitated.

Then I said,

“You’ve been carrying it alone for a year.”

Julian looked away.

“You lie awake too, don’t you? On the nights Theo’s dad doesn’t arrive.”

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

“You don’t have to carry this by yourself either.”

Finally, he nodded.

“One day a week.”

“Thursday.”

“No Saturdays.”

“Okay.”

“No Tuesdays.”

“Fine.”

“No skipping lunch to buy glitter.”

I smiled.

“Absolutely no promises about glitter.”

He laughed.

The paper crown fell off his head.

The next Thursday, I went with him.

I left work early and met him outside the visitation center.

Julian stood beside his car in his tie holding a paper bag.

“What’s in there?”

“Apple juice.”

“For Theo?”

“The boxes have dinosaurs on them.”

“Of course.”

We walked toward the familiar brick building.

I hadn’t been inside for fourteen years.

My hands started shaking.

Julian noticed.

Of course he did.

“You okay?”

“No.”

“Me neither.”

I looked at him.

“Every week?”

“Every week.”

Then he took my hand.

Inside, the room had changed slightly.

Different carpet.

Different paint.

Newer books.

But the plastic chairs were still lined beneath the big window facing the parking lot.

And in the chair closest to the glass sat a little boy.

Five years old.

Messy brown hair.

Dinosaur shirt.

Shoes that flashed when he moved.

He was watching the parking lot.

Then he heard the door.

Turned around.

Saw Julian.

His entire face lit up.

“DADDY DINOSAUR!”

Theo launched himself across the room.

His shoes flashed with every step.

He crashed into Julian’s legs.

“You came back!”

Julian laughed and knelt down.

Theo immediately asked,

“Did you bring him?”

Julian reached into his jacket.

Pulled out the green T. rex.

Theo hugged it against his chest.

“I knew you’d come back.”

Then he whispered,

“Heroes always come back.”

A moment later, Theo noticed me.

He studied me very seriously.

“Who’s she?”

“That’s my wife. Dani.”

Theo considered this.

“Is she a dinosaur?”

Julian looked at me.

I knelt beside them.

“I’d like to be. What kind should I be?”

Theo tilted his head.

Then gave his decision.

“You can be Mommy Dinosaur. Daddy Dinosaur needs somebody.”

For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

Julian squeezed my hand.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Mommy Dinosaur it is.”

Theo nodded, satisfied.

“Good. We need a nest.”

He pointed across the room.

“Charlie’s the turtle. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Charlie sat surrounded by cardboard boxes.

He waved.

“I really don’t.”

At 4:34, Theo’s father came through the front door.

Four minutes late.

Out of breath.

Still wearing his car wash uniform.

“Sorry. The bus was late.”

Theo looked up.

Then dropped everything.

Crayons.

Cardboard.

Even the dinosaur.

“DADDY!”

He ran across the room.

His father dropped to his knees and caught him.

Held him tightly.

His shoulders shook.

Julian and I watched quietly.

After a while, Julian picked up the green dinosaur and placed it carefully on Theo’s chair beside the window.

Where he would find it later.

On the drive home, I cried.

Exactly as Julian predicted.

He never said I told you so.

He simply held my hand across the center console.

“Is it like that every week?”

“No.”

I looked at him.

“Sometimes his dad doesn’t come.”

He paused.

“Those weeks are harder.”

“How do you keep doing it?”

Julian thought for a moment.

Then repeated the words I had once given him.

“Nobody should have to wait for someone who might never come.”

I nodded.

“I remember.”

“I can’t fix Theo’s father.”

He squeezed my hand.

“I can’t fix transportation. Recovery. Custody. Any of it.”

Then he looked at me.

“But while Theo is waiting, I can make sure he isn’t waiting alone.”

The paper crown hangs on our refrigerator now.

Held up by a sunflower magnet.

KING DINOSAUR.

The GREAT JOB sticker is still peeling off one corner.

Julian once tried removing it.

“People are going to ask questions.”