Me and Winder had fun, Mama! I know how to kill a pig…

““Me and Winder had fun, Mama! I know how to kill a pig, boil a pig, and scrape the hair off a pig.” Aletta winced, grateful she’d missed those particular lessons. She reached for a brush and began running it through his dark hair, making a mental note to give him a haircut soon. “Jake taught me,” he continued. “But we held the knife together because it was my first time. He says next time maybe I can do it by myself.” “Jake?” She paused, her grip tightening on the brush. Had Andrew overheard them downstairs just now? He nodded. “You know . . . the soldier.” “Andrew, you’re to call him Captain Winston. Either that or ‘sir.’ You know children aren’t to address adults by their Christian names.” “But he said I could. Today when we were eatin’ lunch.” “And I’m saying that you can’t. Is that understood?” He looked at her for a moment then gave a begrudging nod. “He showed me how to build a fire too. And how to sharpen a knife. He knows how to do lots of fun stuff.” Grateful for the Captain’s attentiveness to her son, Aletta also felt a possessiveness rising inside her. Warren should still be here. Should be the one teaching him all those things. Not a total stranger. And yet Captain Winston was hardly a total stranger.””

— Tamera Alexander