#I've been sooo tempted to write a story about Shaun's childhood with Glassman and I've almost caved a couple times before stopping myself

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So if Jessica & Glassmans relationship is pretty solid do you think that she was around when Shaun entered the picture of Glassmans life. One day she comes to see Glassman and when she walks into the house she sees this little boy sitting at the table doing homework & eating pancakes. At first she was shocked that Glassman let someone into his life. Idk whta are you thoughts?

She let herself in. It was alittle rude, maybe, and presumptuous too, but it was a force of habit. She’dalways burst inside uninvited when she was younger, and even though things weredifferent now — irreversibly so — …well, she just would feel wrong stoppingto knock on a door that belonged to him. Besides, he knew she was coming tovisit. She’d told him just the other day. Sure, it was a plane ride…but itwasn’t every day you were accepted into law school. And given that she didn’treally have anybody to celebrate with but the man that had moved all the wayfrom California to Wyoming…the money would be a later focus.

She let herself in andcouldn’t help but feel a little sad at the house that greeted her. It wasAaron’s house…but it wasn’t. It was his new one. It wasn’t the house thatMaddie had grown up in. It wasn’t the house that Jessica had routinely flown towhen she was lost or confused or alone— the house that practically became herown. There wasn’t any wear and tear on the wood floors from them wearing rollerskates indoors, even though they’d been explicitly told not to. There wasn’t acrack in the plaster where Maddie had smacked her shoulder when they’d beenplaying tag. The walls were painted green, and not the light blue that Maddiealways loved.

This house wasn’t anythinglike the one Aaron had left behind. There wasn’t anything here to signifyMaddie, or hint that she’d even existed. Standing in the doorway in silence andregarding this change, Jessica wondered if maybe that was exactly what he hadwanted when he’d decided to move in the first place. It was devoid ofmemories…but perhaps that was for the best.

For him, at least.

To her, it just felt empty.Sad.

She stomached it all as bestshe could and shut the door behind her. The tiny slam seemed to echo, and shewas frowning when she looked back front. Where was he? His car was in thedriveway, and the door had (obviously) been unlocked. But the house was silent.“Hello?” she called out. Nothing came back. Her frown deepened, and shereluctantly set her bag on the floor and began to creep more into the house.

She passed the living roomand the stairs, seeing nobody. She couldn’t even hear anything. She would beconcerned she got the wrong house and was currently just bargaining into somerandom person’s, but she’d taken care to double-check the address on the wayin. Unless she’d written it down wrong – and she really thought she didn’t –she had the right place. It was just—

Her thoughts were cut shortwhen she came to a sudden and abrupt halt. Her eyes went wide, and her heartpractically stopped. It was like a jump-scare in a horror movie. Becausesitting at the dining table, with no explanation whatsoever, was a little boyshe’d never seen before in her entire life. With a book propped up in front ofhim. And a plate of pancakes.

The instant she walked inand saw him, he looked up at her too. The pair froze in immediate and synced panicat the sight of each other. Apparently, she was just as unexpected to him as hewas to her. She started to say something, but stopped short when the boy lookedquickly away from her, to the wall off to the side. He made no move to sayanything at all— not even to ask her what heck she was doing here, like shefigured a kid would probably do. His shoulders just tightened and curled up,and her fright began to melt into concern instead. He was practically coweringaway from her.

“H-Hey.” It wasn’t the best thing she couldcome up with, she was going to be honest. But it was what ended up being there.The boy didn’t react. In fact, he only seemed to get tenser when she actually spoke.Uncertain, Jessica kept trying. “Uh…who are you?” She tried to laugh off thequestion, but it kind of just made it even more awkward. “I’m looking for AaronGlassman, is he…your neighbor?” No response. She shifted. “Do you live nextdoor?” she redefined. “Are you friends with him?”

She trailed off, juststaring worriedly at the kid, whose unease seemed to only be mounting.

He was still looking awayfrom her, to practically anywhere else. She took a small step towards him, and heimmediately met the effort by getting up to his feet and stumbling backwards. Withouta word, he tried to right their distance. His hands were clenched tightly. His expressioncrumbled as he stared at the floor. It was more than clear he was upset by her.The fact came as a bit of a shock, and she had to shake her head fast to gatherherself enough to say anything.

“I’m sorry,” she rushed.“I’m— but…this is his address, right?” She pulled the slip of paper she’dwritten it down on and tried to step towards him again, so he could read it.But she froze when he edged even further away from her, his back about three millimetersfrom hitting the wall. He still looked away, and his lips were pressed tight.Her forehead creased, and this time she backed up; hopefully it would help. Inher puzzlement on what to do in this situation, it was silent for a long time. Shejust stared at him, and he just stared everywhere else. Eventually, she was toobemused, and started to feel way too awkward. She struggled to press: “Areyou—?”

“Shaun, I found the—” Jessicaturned immediately at the familiar voice and felt a rush of relief when she sawAaron coming down the stairs. When he looked up and saw the two of them, hiseyes flew wide. “Jessica!” He rushed the rest of the way down. “I…Icompletely forgot you were coming,” he confessed, weakening with a bit of guiltonce he came to a stop.

“I told you last week,” shereminded, pointlessly. It wasn’t like saying that would do much of anything, atthis point. But still, she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel thesmallest bit hurt she’d slipped his mind. “You said I could come up.”

“I know, I know,it’s…completely my fault, I…I’ve been…” His eyes flickered over to theboy still standing defensively a few feet away. They flashed, once they settledon him, but before Jessica could call him out on it, he was looking back toher. “I’ve been busy, but it’s alright! It’s— it’s fine, you can still stayhere! We still have to celebrate you getting into law school.”

But she wasn’t swayed. Shelooked over at the boy, who was still studying his feet. “Who’s he?” she askedinstead, her confusion making her a bit blunt. Aaron’s eyes flashed yet again,and he gave her a look that begged ‘Please don’t make me do this now.’ Sheignored it. The young girl just raised her eyebrows.

He sighed. There was briefhesitation, before he turned and offered the child a soft smile. “Shaun, whydon’t you go to your room? I’m sure—” He couldn’t even finish. The second thesuggestion started to leave his mouth, the boy was ducking out of the room andrushing away. Jessica watched with open puzzlement. Aaron just looked a little sad.

He was silent for aheartbeat, so Jessica repeated her question. “Who was that?”

He looked back, and suddenlyhe seemed very tired. Like all his energy had left with the boy. “That’s…ShaunMurphy,” he began, slowly. “He’s…a young boy that came to my office a littlewhile ago. He and his brother ran away from home, but his brother fell andhe…well, he called me for help. Help that came too late…” Jessica’s eyesflickered back to the stairs as she listened. “The police tried to take himback home, but…his father was abusive. He was panicking just at the thoughtof it. I offered to take him in for a while…just until something more permanentcomes up. He’s been here for a couple days, now.” A tiny pause, before: “He hasautism.”

Jessica’s expression beganto weaken into a frown. Her heart tugged in sympathy. “His brother died?” sherasped. “That’s…so sad. How long is he going to stay here?”

Aaron hesitated for a littletoo long. She was staring at him oddly by the time he finally managedsomething. “Oh, I don’t…I don’t know…not long. Just until…you know, justuntil they find a home he can go to that’s not…well, it might take a while.There are a lot of things to consider. He’s very…scared at the moment, any kidwould be, and it might not…be smart, to…it might just be easier, to…” Hereyebrows slowly began to pull together as he started over. “In themeantime…he’s not a bad kid at all, he’s very smart— he’s brilliant, actually…he’s…he’squiet, and…skittish, but I imagine that’s because of his father…”

“You ramble when you don’tknow what to say,” Jessica remarked, cutting though his words.

He blanched. He looked ather like he wanted to come back with a retort, but apparently, he couldn’t findone.

She looked back towards thestairs. “He called you?” she asked. Aaron nodded. “You gave him your number,”she deduced. This nod came slower. “And…now you want him to stay?”

“I never said that,” Aaronsnapped. He practically tripped over himself to say it, and that’s how she knewhe was trying to hide something.

“But you do? Want him to stay?”she pressed.

Aaron stared at her, and shealmost had to take a page from Shaun’s book and look away. The expression onhis face was a difficult one to meet. It reminded her of Maddie’s funeral, andhow he looked then. Sad, and confused, and at a loss of what to do. His voicewas fragile when he finally replied. “Maybe.” A lengthy gap put worlds betweenthis statement and his next one. “I don’t know.”

Her heart ached even more.She wasn’t even sure why at first, until it fell out of her mouth without her consciouswill. “After Maddie?” It was only a croak. But it was enough.

She felt horrible at thetears she immediately saw spring into his eyes. She waited for him to yell ather, or even for him to tell her to leave. They never talked about Maddie,ever. Even though she was the only thing linking them together. He almostdeserved to yell at her, for such a callous question. However, despite the wayhis eyes glistened over with tears, and despite the small hitch in his breath, whenhe could speak, it wasn’t in anger. But she almost rather would have had himscream. It would have been easier to listen to than the tiny croak that did manageto come out.

“I…have been alone…forquite some time.” Her heart spasmed in pain at the yawning loneliness thatplagued his voice. That was creeping over his entire face. Like it had been bottledback, and at the slightest chance, it was taking hold of him again. “And it’snothing you…contributed to, I’m very proud of you…for going off to college,” herushed to add. He was looking through her now, rather than at her. He tended todo that when he was particularly upset. Nearly everything about this man, sheknew, and yet she could hardly believe what she was hearing now. “But…I have justbeen…going through motions…for the longest time. And…and waiting all day…tojust go to sleep at night, because sleeping is just…easier than everythingelse.” The words fell between them like rocks. “For years, I’ve only…had mythoughts to keep me company, and that’s…” He didn’t finish. He tried to smile,but it died before it could even begin to live.

Jessica felt her own eyesbegin to burn. The young girl glanced down at her feet and pressed her lipstight. Aaron had to stop and stare off into space for a moment before he couldrecollect himself enough to go on. His voice was just a little brighter. Only asmidge, but she noticed it. “But…now, I hear…someone else walking around thehouse other than me, and I…have someone to talk to— when he does want to talk.I’m not…I’m not alone,” he ended tearfully. “And if I can help him, if I cangive him a better life than what he’s known so far…then maybe that’s what I’mmeant to do.” She rose her eyes to meet his again, and she tried not to let herlips tremble too noticeably at the hope she could see there. The tiny gleam ofthe man she thought had been put in the ground right alongside Maddie. Itnearly took her breath away, to see. Even this tiniest of flashes. “Maybe thereason I did stay…is because that little boy needs me.”

He let out a slow breath,and smiled a little sadly. “Or…maybe I need him.”

…

“Five days a week for sixweeks of radiation, ten more weeks of chemotherapy.”

“And then?”

Jessica glanced at Shaun,her stomach in knots at the expression that was on his face. She turned andlooked at Aaron, waiting for his reply. Her hands were clasped nervously in herlap. “And then…with a little luck…” The old man was staring at Shaun steadily,silently begging him to understand that nothing was fool-proof. That this toocould be ripped away, even still. But when he went on to say his next fewwords, he couldn’t keep that sober expression in place. Jessica watched with apainful sear in her chest as his face broke out into a watery grin. As his voiceturned affectionate, and near breathless with relief. “You and I can go to the SuperBowl next season,” he managed.

Shaun took in the news, standingstill for only the tiniest of seconds. Jessica waited to see his reaction. Waitedfor an ‘I Told You So’ or a ‘You Should Have Listened To Me To Begin With.’ Bothof which were prime suspects when it came to Shaun Murphy. But nothing likethat happened. What did happen, after the pause, was he rushed forward. His armsreached out at his sides and he ducked forward to run at Aaron and hug himtightly. Jessica straightened where she was sitting, her eyes going a little wideat the embrace. The embrace that Shaun was staying in willingly. That he had initiatedwithout hesitation. Aaron was just as surprised. His arms went up around Shauninstinctively, and after the tiniest of hesitations, she saw his expression meltas he ducked down more into the younger’s shoulder.

Jessica smiled as she lookedbetween them. Then she looked away, taking in a quick breath that was releasedjust as fast. Her chest ached, in a bittersweet kind of way. She remembered ascrystal clear as if it had happened a day ago, the look of sorrow and remorseand depression that had been on Aaron’s face after Maddie had died. That stayedlike that for years, never changing or lessening in its severity. Sheremembered the fake smiles he always gave, and how he tried to pass off asreal. She could never forget that.

And she could remember thelook that had been on his face that first day she’d spoken to him about Shaun.That sorrow ever-lingering, and yet somehow…lessening. It had just been the tiniestof fractions, but it was able to be seen at once. It was like it had beenstorming for ages, and the sun had finally started to poke its way around theclouds again. She’d seen the tiniest sense of his old self back, that day she’dwalked into his house without knocking, and found herself staring awkwardly atan unfamiliar kid that appeared to have sauntered into his life just as she hadsauntered into his house. Without invitation, yet remaining all the same. She’dseen the small hint, standing in that dining room as he spoke about Shaun.Slowly but surely coming back to life.

Now, that life was back entirely.It practically lit up his face as he pulled Shaun closer. All the love andhappiness and relief and excitement had somehow been brought back, when, for along while, she had wondered if such a thing was even possible. When Jessicalooked at him now, she could see the same look he used to give Maddie whenevershe hugged him. She could see that same love there…but it was different, becausenow it was for Shaun. Only Shaun’s— none of it belonged to her, and that wasplain on Glassman’s face. Somehow it hurt to acknowledge, but Jessica knew itto be true. And at Shaun’s words, soft and fervent, she knew something else,too.

“You’re going to live.”

This wasn’t the first time Shaunhad saved Aaron’s life. Whether he knew that or not, it didn’t make it any lesstrue. Aaron had continued living after Maddie because of Shaun. And now,because of him again, he was going to keep on doing so. Because, somehow, Shaunhad given him the one thing he’d needed that nobody else had been able to…

“There’s hope.”

#Listen...this isn't at all what you wanted probably but it just kind of happened I apologize from the bottom of my heart #I am a die-hard believer in the fact that before Shaun Glassman was suffering from depression and Shaun's being there helped him #The Good Doctor #Shaun Murphy #Aaron Glassman #Jessica Preston #Fic #Tiny fic look at me having restraint for once #Look I always put read-mores and for some reason they never work on mobile so I'm sorry to all my mobile followers #I'm usually on mobile too so I'll suffer with you we're all in this together #I've been sooo tempted to write a story about Shaun's childhood with Glassman and I've almost caved a couple times before stopping myself #I wrote all this today: if I ever go silent here on my blog just know it's most likely because I'm writing a longer piece #Tbh