If Jason offered to stay with her while I ran errands, Tyler suddenly stopped wanting to come with me.
At first, I thought he was simply being possessive.
Then one Saturday, Jason started upstairs carrying a cup of Mom’s tea.
Tyler immediately stood up.
Jason stopped halfway up the stairs.
“You coming too?”
Tyler nodded.
Jason laughed.
“What’s with you, little bodyguard?”
He reached over and ruffled Tyler’s hair.
Tyler didn’t smile.
That bothered me.
But instead of stopping to ask myself why, I got irritated.
Later that day, I pulled Tyler aside.
“Uncle Jason is trying to help Grandma.”
“I know.”
“You don’t have to follow him everywhere.”
Tyler stared down at the carpet.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
He didn’t say anything.
I crouched down in front of him.
“If Grandma needs something, she can call me. Uncle Jason isn’t bothering her.”
Tyler finally lifted his eyes toward me.
“Okay, Mom.”
That night, he slept outside her bedroom door again.
I carried him back to his own bed sometime around midnight.
At two in the morning, he was back in the hallway.
I started wondering whether his fear about Grandma’s health had become serious enough that I should find him a counselor.
Then last Thursday happened.
A little after four in the morning, I woke because I thought I could hear someone talking.
