"I wish you could tell me what you think," he admitted. "But I know it's not your choice. I'm trying not to be mad at you for being sick. Sometimes I still am."
The words surprised him. He had never admitted that feeling aloud, not even to Millie, because it seemed terrible to be angry with someone who had done nothing deliberately to hurt him. James looked toward the window, unable to answer, and Brian sat with the discomfort rather than taking the words back. He told his grandfather that he was scared and that he missed their old kitchen more than he had expected.
On the drive home he apologized to Denise for crying. She told him there was no need and that the visits could carry many feelings at once. He stared out at the road until the last fields gave way to the town's familiar streets. Near Thunderfork, he asked whether they could stop for a minute, and she pulled into the lot without asking him to explain.
Rex was closing the bay doors when they arrived. Brian told him the visit had been difficult and that he had said something angry to James. Rex listened, then asked whether it had been true. Brian said that it had, at least for a moment. Rex nodded slowly and explained that love did not require pretending grief was clean or easy.
"I was angry with your grandfather for years," he said. "I thought my anger made me right. It mostly made me lonely. You can be angry without making it your whole life."
Brian considered that as they stood beneath the fading evening light. "Did you ever tell him?"
"Not in the right way." Rex glanced toward the garage. "I got a chance to start fixing that. You're giving me another one."
By the third week, the review of Rex's home and suitability had progressed far enough for a more formal meeting. Clara spoke with Brian separately, asked him how he felt about Rex, and explained that the arrangement would depend on continued agency oversight and compliance with the approved plan. Brian said he wanted to stay with Rex but did not want to hurt Denise's feelings. Clara assured him that wanting one home did not mean rejecting the people who had helped him in another.
When the temporary placement with Rex was finally authorized, Brian was afraid to smile until Clara had explained the decision twice. Rex had provided the required documentation, completed the checks, and agreed to the supervision and follow-up that came with caring for a child. The approval was not permanent adoption, and nobody pretended otherwise. It was a lawful, monitored place for Brian to live while his grandfather's situation remained uncertain and longer-term arrangements were considered.
Denise helped him pack. Captain immediately climbed into the open suitcase, settling among Brian's folded clothes as though he had decided to move too. Brian scratched the cat behind the ears and thanked Denise for letting him stay. She told him he could visit whenever the adults agreed and that Pepper would probably miss him even if she refused to admit it.