Matthew's Choice Read Online Free PDF

promise?”
    “Kid, if nobody comes, you call the station, and I’ll come personally and take you. Just ask for Jason.”
    Yeah, he knew those kinds of promises. His mom made them all the time. Besides, if the cop could take him Monday, he could take him right now. “Thanks.”
    The cruiser turned into a dark drive and pulled up to an equally dark house. The cop spoke to him over his shoulder. “I’m going to open the door, and if you run again, I’ll catch you, and I’ll put handcuffs on you. Understand?”
    Noah pressed his lips together to keep them from trembling. The cop’s eyes were kind, but Noah knew he was serious about what he said. “Y-yes, sir.” He’d just have to make sure the cop didn’t catch him.
    At the back of the house, a light glowed in the window, and the door opened before they reached it. A thick black woman met them at the steps in her bare feet and ushered them into the kitchen. The door clicked shut as butterflies fluttered in Noah’s stomach. The door had some kind of box beside it that the black lady punched. Had to be a lock. His breath hung in his chest. He was trapped.
    “Jason,” she said, nodding at the cop. Then she held out her hand. “I’m glad you made it, Noah.”
    She knew his name? He gazed up. And up. She must be ten feet tall. He swallowed, and she knelt in front of him, making them eye level.
    “I’m sorry, son.” She chuckled and the warm sound washed over him like a gentle rain. “Sometimes I forget that I can scare little people. My name is Miss Sarah.”
    He stood a little taller. “I wasn’t scared.”
    She still had her hand extended, and he stuck his out. Immediately it was swallowed in her dark one.
    “Are you hungry?” She widened her eyes like adults did sometimes when they talked to kids. “Could you eat some scrambled eggs and biscuits?”
    His mouth watered, but he shook his head, remembering the last time he’d been put in a shelter in another state. That lady was all nice as long as somebody was around, too. Probably as soon as the cop left, this one would do the same thing—get mad ’cause she had to clean up his mess.
    She ruffled his hair, and her knees popped as she stood. “Well, maybe you don’t want anything, but I bet Jason here does. Right, Jason?”
    “Some of your biscuits, Miss Sarah? Yes, ma’am. ” The cop took off his hat and laid it on the table. “Noah, you sit there in the middle, and I’ll just take the end chair.”
    Noah did as he was told. The kitchen was warm, and his eyelids drooped. If he weren’t so hungry...
    Something smelled so good...he woke with a start. Jason and Miss Sarah were laughing, but not in a mean way.
    “Didn’t know whether to let you sleep or wake you up.” Miss Sarah scooted him closer to the table, then slathered butter on a biscuit and put it on his plate beside a mound of scrambled eggs.
    “I thought he was going to fall out of the seat,” Jason said. He leaned back in his chair. “Thank you, Miss Sarah. That was really good.”
    The food tempted Noah. The last he’d eaten was the couple of slices of ham he’d found at the Dumpster, and before that, it’d been a bowl of ramen noodles. That’d been lunch, yesterday. Don’t be taking any handouts. We don’t ask anybody for anything. Butter oozed from the middle of the bread. Maybe just one bite...
    The cop stood and picked up his cap.
    “You gonna tell him about your phone call?” she asked.
    “Oh, yeah.” He smiled down at Noah. “I called the hospital, and they told me your mom was doing better.”
    Noah swallowed the lump that threatened to choke him. “Is she awake?”
    Jason hesitated. “Not yet.”
    “Then she’s not all right. I gotta be there when she wakes up.” His voice cracked, and he fought the tears that threatened to spill.
    “What you need to do, son—” Miss Sarah cupped his face in her huge brown hands “—is to eat so you can keep your strength up. You won’t be able to help your momma if