Ladybug on skid row

I was talking with Latonya when I first saw him. She was still getting over the cold she had the week before. We were on the corner of 6th and San Julian. He passed by, not noticing me, his eyes unable to fix on one thing. He had on jeans, a dirty t-shirt, and well-worn tennis shoes. He paused and turned around looking and watching everyone and every little thing that moved. His long, golden curls bounced with every turn of his head. Finally, his eyes fixed on mine, but only for a second then were distracted by something else. They were like two blue stars, captivating everyone that looked into them. Even in that brief moment they locked with mine, I had already fallen deep under their spell. I had forgotten about my conversation and could not keep my eyes off him. His sweet face, curious of the world around him. He ran up a ways and lifted his little hand up to place it in one much bigger.

"Daddy!" he said in his wobbly voice. He turned around, tugging on the big hand and pointing at something near me. They turned around to come back and look at a ladybug that was crawling up the lamp post. By then it was much too high up for the little hand to grab, so the big hand reached out and coaxed the little bug to crawl on. I looked up and smiled.
"What is his name?" I asked.
"Eddie"
"Hi, Eddie." He looked up at me and curiously studied my face and then reached out to hold the ladybug. I crouched down to be level with his eyes. "What do you have there?" I said. He looked up and stared at me for a second.
"Daddy's the only word he knows yet." The big man grunted with a raspy chuckle to follow. He then turned to talk with a friend sitting on some cardboard on the sidewalk.

I reached out and touched Eddie's head. His hair was soft and the only part of him that was clean. His face had dirt all over it and crumbs lined his mouth.
"What are you doing out here Eddie?" I whispered. "An angel like you does not belong in a place like this." I turned and glanced at the big hands, which were now holding a lighter and a small glass pipe. He was still talking with his friend. I looked back at the little body in front of me. He was engrossed watching the little bug crawl up his arm. A tear slowly lingered down my cheek.

Eddie jumped and giggled when the ladybug finally took flight. He watched it fly away until he could no longer see it. He looked back at me and suddenly gasped. His eyes widened and eyebrows rose with concern. "Owee!" he said. He took a dirty little finger and roughly wiped the tear off my face and then kissed the spot where it had been. He stood back and smiled. I smiled back.

"C'mon Eddie." The big voice startled me. Eddie jumped up and skipped past his dad down the sidewalk, exploring and studying everything he passed, sometimes lingering behind until the big voice called out.
I still see him occasionally. I gave him a stuffed bear last week. He now has a red wagon that the big man pulls him in behind him. I want to take him home with me. I could be a mom…maybe one day I will be brave enough to ask.

-Jess