He wasn't like a father--that entailed guidance, suggested discipline
and the burden of expectations. No, he was a buddy, the uncle who treats you like a confidant rather than a charge. Hell, he was just a big kid himself, a bachelor with no responsibilities and no direction, and that
meant he preferred the company of children to adults--there was no judgment, only bright eyes and wonderment, the blessed feeling of being looked up to.

That made it all the more painful to watch him wear out his welcome, playing the likable ruffian in order to eek out another night, another meal. You'd seen his pride bruise when the routine failed, wringing his hat in his hands as he was forced to beg to keep a roof over your heads, food in your stomachs. His shoulders dropped in defeat, his eyes pleading, he was suddenly a child amidst a merciless world, vulnerable
to you for the first time. As you walked back towards the uncertainty of the woods, he put a big arm around your shoulder, pulled you close.

"Whaddya say we head out in the mornin'? This town's no durn fun..."

You sniffed, wiped away a tear, and leaned your head against him.

"Yeah...Let's get out of here..."

The two of you walked on into the night, each other's shelter...