James was wearing his Gandalf robe, although it was really too warm for the day. He carried his grandmother’s walking stick, pretending it was his wizard’s staff. He shook it at the seal pup. “Begone, or I shall send fireworks at you!” he cried.

 

“Don’t do that,” said Beverly sharply.

 

James looked at her in surprise. “What’s wrong, Gran?”

 

“You’ll scare him into the water, and then his mother won’t know where to find him.” Beverly stopped, panting a little, and put her hand out for her stick. James handed it to her. He knew she needed to “get her wind.”

 

Beverly leaned on the stick, and they looked out at the seal pup, who returned their stare with his big, shiny brown eyes. “She’s left him while she forages for her lunch. She’ll come back for him soon.”

 

“How do you know?” The pup was silvery gray, with spots.

 

“She told me.” James started to laugh and then he didn’t.

 

Beverly nodded at him approvingly. “Not with words. With her eyes. I saw her one day last week. She was just about to dive into the water and leave him, and she looked at me. It was the same look I gave people when your mother was young. It is the look which says, ‘This is my child. You leave him alone or you will deal with me.’”

 

“Does my mom have that look?”

 

“Every mother does.”

 

“I’ve never seen it,” said James, a little angrily.

 

Beverly shifted position, putting more of her weight on the stick. “Of course not. The look is for other people, not your own children.  James, are you angry at your mother about something?”

 

“I have to go to daycare after school. I hate it.”

 

“Your mother can’t be home in the afternoon anymore.”

 

“The kids at the daycare laugh at me when I am Gandalf. Why doesn’t my mother give them that look?”

 

“Have you told her about it?”

 

“No.... She should just know.”

 

“She is not a wizard, James. She is only a human woman. You have to tell her things.”

 

James sighed. “It’s easy to tell you, Gran, but it’s hard to tell Mom.”

 

“Would you rather be left home alone, like the seal pup?”

 

“No.” James looked out at the pup. “He looks scared. And lonely. I’ll bet he’d rather be with other seals.”

 

“Even if they tease him?”

 

Before James could answer, a shiny, wet head broke the surface next to the dock and the mama seal threw herself up onto the dock next to her son. She looked over at Beverly and James. “She’s giving us the look, Gran!”

 

“Yes, we’d better move along.” Beverly turned around. “I think I need to go home, James.”

 

“Does your hip hurt?”

 

“Yes. It’s a battle I fight every day.”

 

“You fight battles?”

 

“Not like Gandalf,” Beverly sighed. “It’s not magic. Well, maybe it is. I hurt and I ache, but I come out for a walk anyway. I get tired, but I feel better. Inside.”

 

James thought for awhile. “I will fight to be Gandalf, Gran. Even if it hurts. Because that’s who I am -- inside.”

 

“Good. That’s very good thinking, James.”

 

“I know.”