Why didn’t he tell me?”
Charlie walked back to his truck.
When he returned, he carried something small.
A green plastic T. rex.
It was cheap.
Worn.
One plastic eye was missing and had been replaced with a crooked marker drawing.
The tail had broken off at some point and was held together with several layers of tape.
Obviously, somebody loved it.
Charlie placed it in my hand.
“The little guy told me Daddy Dinosaur forgot this.”
I stared at it.
“I can’t take this. It must belong to him.”
Charlie nodded.
“It does.”
“Then why did he give it away?”
“He said Daddy Dinosaur needs it more.”
“Why?”
Charlie smiled.
“He said heroes always forget something.”
I swallowed hard.
Then Charlie reached into his shirt pocket again.
He pulled out a folded piece of construction paper.
When he opened it, I saw a homemade crown.
