“Ready to go?” I asked, watching him stare out the window, unsure what to do next.
“I’m alive!”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“See?Facing our fears is good.One day, you won’t be afraid to be in a car anymore.”
Joshua looked straight into my eyes for a few seconds, then threw his arms around me in a tight hug. I hadn’t expected it—but I hugged him back.
He’d been through so much, but I knew that with every small step like this, I was helping him move forward.
I can hardly put into words how happy I felt working that morning.
Being the one who helped Joshua take a real step toward facing his fears left me euphoric. Still, I knew I had to be careful—there were more stages ahead, and each one would take time.
Now I was standing by the school gate again, waiting for him to come out. When I finally spotted him, I noticed something different—he was smiling more than usual, even chatting with another boy. It might not sound like much, but I’d never seen him leave school talking to anyone before. This was a first.
“Hey, Isabelle.”
“Hey there. How was school today?”
“Really good.”
“How do you want to go home?By car or on foot?”
Joshua seemed to think about it for a moment before quickly answering, “By car.”
“All right.”
“I want to go with my eyes open this time.”
I froze, a bit worried. That was a big step, and I wasn’t sure he was ready for it.
“Joshua, you don’t have to rush things. Wouldn’t it be better to take it slow?”
“I… just want to try once.”
I thought about his words. This time, I was the one hesitating—but my heart overruled my fear. Deep down, I believed he was strong enough for this.
“Okay.”
We got in the car, and right away, he reached for my hand.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said softly, signaling Tito to start the car and drive toward the mansion.
As soon as the car began moving, just like the first time, Joshua squeezed my hand a little tighter. I could feel him trembling again, and I was about to stop the ride when I heard him whisper:
“I’m okay. I can do this.”He said it quickly, staring straight ahead.
I smiled, trying to encourage him in silence.
The drive continued slowly. I could see his eyes darting around, scanning every corner of the car. He was still scared, that much was obvious—but he was fighting through it, and I couldn’t have been prouder.
It didn’t take long before we pulled up in front of the mansion. When the car came to a stop, the happiness radiating from his face was indescribable.
“I did it, Isabelle! I did it!”
Joshua was ecstatic. He threw his arms around me, hugging me tight, clearly unsure what to do next—whether to get out of the car or stay there forever.
