An apartment hallway | Source: Midjourney
“It’s safe, Caitlin,” she’d tell me. “And anyway, it’s our version of playing outside.”
And she would close the door on Nate. Usually, I would hear giggling on the other side, making it known that Stacy had company.
“I just need some alone time,” she said one day when we were downstairs in the laundry room. “I’m a grown woman who has needs. I’m sure you understand. You’re a single mother, too.”
I did understand. But I would never let my little boy wander around the hallways unattended. As much as we all vaguely knew each other, there was still that element of unsafety.
A little boy standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney
My son, Jackson, was a little older than Nate, but we felt bad watching him wander around by himself. He would always be walking around aimlessly, clutching a worn-out teddy bear.
“Mom,” Jackson said while playing with his train set. “Let’s just invite him to play.”
I was glad my son suggested it because I was thinking the same thing. I just wanted to keep Jackson safe, and watching Nate run around made me feel uneasy.
A toy train set | Source: Midjourney
