At first, constantly.
He worried Cole might leave.
Every time Noah turned around, he checked.
Cole was still there.
During the classroom activity, students introduced their guests.
Tyler went first.
“This is my dad. He's a firefighter.”
Everyone clapped.
Another girl introduced her grandmother.
A boy introduced his older sister.
Then Mrs. Harper called Noah.
Noah stood.
Cole sat beside his desk.
Mason occupied the chair behind them because the classroom furniture was too small for him.
Three other bikers stood near the wall.
The remaining riders were distributed among other classes and outside activity areas.
Noah walked to the front.
“This is Cole.”
Cole raised one hand.
“And Mason.”
Mason saluted.
Noah looked around.
“And… some of their friends.”
Mrs. Harper smiled.
“What do they mean to you?”
Noah had not expected that question.
He looked at Cole.
Yesterday, Cole had been a stranger drinking coffee.
Today, forty-seven people had come because Noah asked one person to stand beside him.
“I don't know yet.”
The class went quiet.
Noah continued.
“But they showed up.”
Cole looked down.
Mrs. Harper nodded.
“Sometimes that’s a pretty good beginning.”
Tyler said nothing.
Later, during the outdoor relay races, Cole stood beside Noah near the track.
Noah watched families cheering.
He asked:
“Do you have kids?”
Cole’s expression changed.
“Had one.”
Noah looked up.
“What do you mean?”
Cole watched the runners.
“My son would be twenty-six.”
Noah knew the tense.
Would be.
“Oh.”
Cole nodded.
“Motorcycle accident?”
Noah asked carefully.
“No.”
“What happened?”
Cole remained silent long enough that Noah regretted asking.
Then:
“Cancer.”
Noah looked at the ground.
“I'm sorry.”
“Me too.”
“How old?”
“Eleven.”
Noah stared.
Almost his age.
Cole continued before the boy could ask anything else.
“His school used to do Family Day.”
Noah looked up.
Cole smiled faintly.
“He hated it.”
“Why?”
“Because I embarrassed him.”
Noah smiled.
“How?”
“I once brought baby pictures.”
Noah laughed.
Cole pointed at him.
“Not funny.”
“It is.”
“I had one where he was wearing a cowboy hat and nothing else.”
Noah laughed harder.
Cole’s smile widened.
For several seconds the old biker looked younger.
Then Noah asked:
“Is that why you came?”
Cole looked toward the rest of the riders.
“Partly.”
“What’s the other part?”
Cole’s expression hardened slightly, not from anger.
Memory.
“My dad never showed up.”
Noah became quiet.
“Ever?”
“Not once.”
“Was he dead?”
“No.”
That answer was somehow sadder.
Cole continued:
“He just had other priorities.”
Noah knew what adults meant when they said things like that.
“You hated Family Day too?”
“Different name back then.”
“But yeah.”
Cole looked at him.
“I know what it feels like to watch the door.”
Noah swallowed.