“Wow. That must have been really hard for you with your mom. And then your dad.”
There’s that soft expression that I finally recognize as understanding, again. “It was really hard. It still is with Dad. He’s…” He looks over my shoulder but doesn’t focus on anything. “You know how you said your mom has never taken care of you?”
I nod.
“Well, let’s just say, I completely understand that.”
The hall is almost empty, and I know the bell is going to ring, but I don’t want to stop talking to Dylan.
He must see me looking around because he says, “We’d better get to class.”
I want to ask him if we can talk later, but I’m afraid. Instead, I nod shyly and wave as I walk away, thinking about all the different ways I could have asked if we could talk later and regretting that I didn’t have the nerve.