"a 4-foot-8 lanky boy who was independent, sometimes sly, but never an attention-seeker."
Roman took his pole and threw it in the water to “wash it,” his father said. Then, when he caught his first fish, “he just stared at it, he didn’t know what to do with it,” and ran over to his dad to show him, dragging the fishing pole and his fish through the dirt.
“He always wanted to be helping,” Sanders said. “He always wanted to be included.”
“I think he felt good because we had such a big family,” Lindsay Piper said. “You’re not ever alone . . . He wanted to belong.”
these are the stories his dad and step mother related to the reporter.... ????
every single one makes me so sad.
nothing is actually positive,
they call him sly(liar/sneaky?)
his dad's retelling of the fishing story makes poor Roman sound like he is not very bright, at no point is that a sweet anecdote of time spent with his son.
"he wanted to belong"
why did an 11yr old who had been a part of this family for most of his life crave acceptance and approval???
imo because he wasn't given it freely.
link to full article
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article239365078.html#storylink=cpy