I gently rubbed Lucas’s back, soothingly saying, “Don’t get mad. It’s all in the past now. Trey is just young and reckless.”

Once he calmed down, my thoughts spiraled.

We were adults, after all. We couldn’t just solve everything with force. Trey was still too young and immature, and it was better not to get too involved with someone who acted without boundaries. It was best to part ways sooner rather than later.

I cupped Lucas’s cheek and ...