Page 19 of Shelter for Tanna

“We can talk about all this later, but right now, let’s sit down, relax, and watch TV with the boys.” He took a seat on the sofa and pulled her down next to him, his arm behind her and over her shoulder.

“Look. I have a pumpkin head and a skeleton,” Max almost shouted as he showed the two dispensers to Braden.

“You do! Very nice. Do you want to watch some TV with us?” Braden asked. “I got a movie for us.”

“I don’t want to watch a movie!” Max yelled.

“You don’t even know what it is yet. Do you like cars?” Max nodded to Braden. “Well, it’s about really fast cars. Wouldn’t you like to see that?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s the movie we’ve got. I guess if you don’t want to watch it, you can stay in your room,” Braden offered.

“I’ll watch the stupid movie, but I won’t like it,” Max grumbled.

“That sounds fine. I think you’ll like it once it gets started. And if you don’t, please be quiet so everybody else can watch it, okay?”

“Can I have my truck in here?” Max asked.

“I don’t know. Is there a rule about that?” Braden asked and turned to Tanna.

“We don’t allow stuff in the living room, but I’ll allow it this one time,” she answered, wondering if she was making a big mistake. “And you’ll have to take it back when the movie is over.”

“Okay.” Without another word, Max headed to his room.

Tanna stared at Braden. “What just happened here?”

“Compromise. Most of us recognize it when we see it. I think he did too. Hey, Daniel! About to start the movie!”

“Coming!” the boy called back.

Twenty minutes later, they were all engrossed, and Tanna scanned the three guys in the room with her in wonder. Braden and Daniel were watching the movie, and Max was switching between watching the movie and playing with his truck. And he wasn’t being loud. That was a miracle in itself.

When it was over, Tanna told him to take the truck back to his room. “No.”

“I told you that if you brought it in here, you had to take it back after the movie, and you said okay. Do you remember saying okay?” she asked.

“No.”

“Now the interaction is becoming inappropriate,” she reminded him.

“I want some PEZ!” he shouted.

“Appropriate interaction,” she reminded him.

The ten year old rolled his eyes and sighed. “Okay. Fine. Appropriate interaction.” In seconds, he was back without the truck. “PEZ?”

Before Tanna could move, Braden hopped up. “Here ya go, buddy.”

“What do you say to Braden?” Tanna reminded her son.

“Thank you.” With candy in hand, he made his way down the hall and she heard the bedroom door close softly.

“I thought that went well,” Braden said with a grin as he reclaimed his spot on the sofa.

“It did. Sometimes I think he’s trying and other times, I don’t think he really cares.”

“He’s a kid with a disorder. I think he’s doing the best he can.”

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