January drabbles - 10

Mom thought he was with Dad; twelve years old, too big to sit and listen to women’s chat.

Dad thought he was still with Mom; pretended he was all grown up, but too young for serious matters and fatherly talk about death and taxes.

The boy’s young friends knew he’d gone away to hang with the teenagers now. And the teens didn’t care; not their job to look after kids.

When they met for dinner and he wasn’t there, they sent search parties out to find him; all because he’d decided to stay behind; all because no-one listened; no-one knew.

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