“Owen?”

He stared toward the exit.

“Did you see how his dad grabbed him?”

“Yes.”

Several seconds passed.

Then Owen stood.

“I’ll be back.”

This time, I followed.

We stepped into the bright lobby.

Before I saw the family, I heard the father’s voice.

“You embarrassed me in front of everybody.”

Near the box office, Ethan stood in front of his dad.

His mother was several feet away, speaking on her phone.

Ethan was crying.

“I’m sorry.”

His father still had hold of his arm.

“You never think.”

“Dad, that hurts.”

Several people nearby were watching.

Nobody intervened.

Owen stopped about fifteen feet away.

His face changed.

For a moment, I wasn’t looking at my thirty-eight-year-old husband anymore.

I was looking at the nine-year-old boy he had once been.

Then he stepped forward.

“Hey.”

The father turned.

“Oh, come on. What do you want now?”

Owen remained calm.