Linda was in her own little world, so that when she kissed Paul, she never heard her parents van pull up the driveway. So it really surprised her to hear the front door open, and her parents walk in.

Paul had the phone in his hand when her parents saw him, so at least he felt better about not being in an awkward position when they arrived.

Her parents looked at Paul warily. Even with their daughter 8’ tall, they were very concerned about her being taken advantage of. Paul was about to introduce himself, but Linda beat him to the punch.

She told her parents that his name was Paul Barton, and that he was in her class. A look of relief came over their faces, immediately followed by a smile. This was the boy Linda described when she got home yesterday. She had told them all about how Paul stood up to a bully, only to try and resolve the situation with kind behavior later. 

That really impressed her parents, especially her father. Now that their fears about this stranger in their kitchen with their daughter were calmed, they gave Linda a hug and introduced themselves to Paul.

They were Victor and Stephanie. They told Paul that he could call them by their first names, but he felt too uncomfortable doing that. So for now, it would be Mr and Mrs Mills. 

Linda asked her mom if Paul could have dinner with them, and she said yes. So after all the introductions were completed, and Paul called his Mom to let her know where he was and that he was staying for dinner, the men retired to the living room, while the Linda and her mom talked.

Once Paul and her father were seated on the sofa, Linda started to get a worried look on her face. Her mom noticed, and asked what was wrong. Linda explained the day's events, and how Paul would try and help people being bullied, only to know find himself a target because he stood up to an Alpha. He had a big bullseye on his back, and she was worried for his safety.

Linda's mom gave her a hug and told her everything would be ok. She really didn't believe it, but she needed to reassure her daughter. Linda was her and her husband's only child. 

After Linda got her first treatment of the formula they chose, they felt pretty confident that their daughter would grow big and strong enough to take care of herself. But as she got older, she didn't grow as much as she should have. By the beginning of third grade, word came about that the variant that she took was a flop. It was projected that her size would fall in-between people who took the original formula, and those who didn't.

So rather than putting her in a position where she was bullied by the taller kids, they decided to homeschool her. It was for the best. Linda always was a gentle person, and would get easily upset if she felt she hurt someone's feelings. And it allowed mother and daughter to really get close.

But when her father lost his job in their home town, it was time to move. Her father had been an architect. But with the influx of Alphas throughout the world, firms decided that they needed the “Alpha” perspective when designing, planning, and scaling structures.

So he had to take a job as an office clerk with a small company in Rockway. Not ideal, but it was the only job he could get. 

And since they didn't take the original formula, they were forced to buy their house, unlike the families that took the original and got theirs for free. And since they had to sign a bunch of wavers when Linda first took the needle, they were unable to sue the lab to get their money back. Even with buying the house at a steep discount, it still put them in debt.

So Linda’s mom was forced to go to work, which meant an end to her homeschooling. And it appeared to her mom that fate intervened. She was forced to go to school, where she meant Paul. It had been a while since they saw her daughter smile like she did when they met him earlier. Linda may have towered over him, but her mom knew he would always treat her right.

And while the girls chatted in the kitchen, Paul and her father were talking in the living room. Sitting on the sofa made Paul think of a TV show that was on when he was a child. He couldn't remember the name, but he knew it had a big, comfy couch. That's how her father and him looked. It made him chuckle.

Her father, Victor, explained their situation, his job loss and subsequent family move, and the need for her mom to get a job, which ended her homeschooling.

He asked Paul very general questions, just trying to get a sense of who this boy was. He found out that Paul, like Linda, was an only child. He also learned that his parents couldn't afford the formula, so he was destined to be normal size. But he sensed no bitterness, which to him meant that he was very comfortable with who he was.

And talk moved to school. Paul tensed up without realizing it. Her dad asked if anything was wrong. Paul really didn't want to tell him, but felt that if he didn't, and something happened to Linda, then he would never forgive himself. 

Reluctantly, he explained the events of the last two days in detail, how a tweener boy named Todd tried to bully him, how he made him back down, how that caused an Alpha girl to start bullying Todd, and how he intervened and was manhandled by her, but ultimately wasn't hurt.

He also described the events with Alice, and that being friends with him made her a target for the Alpha and her friends. And his voice started to quake. It was one thing for him to risk himself to help someone else, it was another to have someone be put into a bad situation just for being his friend. And if anything ever happened to her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Her dad looked at Paul. He appreciated his candor, and could tell by his voice that he truly cared for his daughter. He didn't know the answers, but he knew this boy in front of him would do whatever it took to protect his daughter. And for that he was thankful. 

And when dinner was finally ready, Paul found a nice surprise. In a room off to the side of the kitchen, there was a makeshift table, which consisted of four tray tables connected by wooden slats screwed down. Three of the sections were designed for people like him, but the fourth one was raised up about 18 above the others. There were three normal sized chairs, and one that was taller. 

When they sat down for dinner, Paul could see the purpose. It allowed Linda and her family to eat in a normal setting. No giant, oversized tables and chairs. Just a little set up that was put together to help keep the family somewhat sane in a crazy world. 

After dinner, everyone hopped into the van to drive Paul home. A simple van with a raised roof and a missing middle seat, and Linda was able to get comfortable with Paul sitting next to her. 

He thanked her again for being there when he needed her to be. She smiled at him and said that she would always be there for him. And she turned her head, bent over and kissed him, which he returned with tenderness. Linda's parents made sure to keep their eyes on the road and not on the mirror facing the back.