7. Bailey
CHAPTER SEVEN
Bailey
NOW
Javi is playing with bubbles on the deck with JJ and Marley, but I can see him looking back every couple of minutes to make sure I’m in his line of sight.
My palms won’t stop sweating as I try to keep my back straight under the scrutiny of my parents’ lawyer, Nora. My parents let me know last night they’d called her while Javi and I were on the beach with Kaitlyn, but the way she’s here first thing this morning makes me nervous.
Mom has a pen in her hand ready to take notes on the pad in front of her. She gives me a reassuring smile, but I don’t miss the look she shares with my dad. They’re nervous too, and it doesn’t make me feel any better.
“Why don’t you start from the beginning, Bailey? How did you meet Javi?” Nora asks, and I guess I should be grateful she’s here, but I’m terrified this conversation will end with Javi being taken back to people who don’t love him. No child deserves to grow up feeling unwanted.
I hesitate, trying to figure out how honest I should be right now. “It’s okay,” Dad says, keeping his tone soft. “You can tell us. ”
“He tried to steal from me,” I admit, looking down at my hands. “I had a spot on the edge of a camp, and I woke up to him trying to unzip my backpack.”
“Camp?” she prods, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat as a layer of shame and guilt coats my skin. I don’t want to hurt my parents any more than I already have, but if this is how I get Javi help, so be it.
“A homeless camp in New York City.”
No one says anything, but I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin.
“Where is Javi’s family?”
I shift in my seat. “His parents died in a car accident, and he was living with his aunt and uncle. He ran away because they were hurting him.”
The chair Dad’s sitting in creaks next to me as he shifts, and I notice the subtle breath he inhales. His parents died the same way when he was a kid, but my great grandparents took him in, showing him love and kindness that weren’t offered to Javi.
“Did you see them hurting him?” she asks, and I lift my head, raising my guard.
“Javi had a black eye and fresh burns on his back and shoulders when I met him. He didn’t give them to himself,” I say, getting defensive.
Is she implying I kidnapped him? His family told me to my face they didn’t want him.
He was an inconvenience they never asked for.
“I’ve never laid a finger on him. I kept Javi safe. ”
“Bailey, no one’s saying you did,” Dad says, and I look out the glass doors to see Javi waving his arms excitedly while he tells JJ something.
“It’s what it feels like.”
Nora shakes her head, her hard exterior softening.
“We need to keep going through everything to give us the best chance of explaining to a judge how he ended up here. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important, but the reality of the situation is Javi is a minor who was transported across state lines.
We have a short window before it becomes a crime to have him here, and I need to make sure we have a case to make a plea for emergency placement. ”
She’s here to help , I remind myself, trying to keep a grip on my temper.
“I went by his home to confront them, and they told me they were relieved he ran away. Said he wasn’t worth the trouble and if I wanted to keep him, I could.
He’s been with me ever since.” Anger surges through my veins at the reminder of the conversation with them.
I don’t think there was anything that could have convinced me to leave him with them again.
Not after seeing the marks on his frail body.
“His aunt gave me a bag of his things, including his birth certificate and social security card. They’re in a sealed bag at the bottom of my backpack with a signed letter they’re giving up their rights to him. ”
It was Luna’s idea for me to have something in writing, so I told them if they didn’t write it, I’d call the police on them for child abuse. It’s brief and to the point, with their signatures underneath. It was the first time I had said my full name to anyone in longer than I could remember.
Mary Torres and Miguel Torres grant all rights concerning Javier Torres to Bailey Walker.
“Can I see them?” she asks, and I nod, welcoming the reprieve from the line of questioning.
It gives me a chance to breathe and collect myself further.
They’re right where I said they were, and my hands are shaking when I walk back down the stairs and into the dining room.
“It was smart to keep this in a sealed bag,” she says, giving me a nod of approval as she flips through the documents.
“Your parents mentioned Javi needs to see a doctor?”
I explain how we went to a free clinic and the doctor there said Javi needed to see a specialist for his heart.
I felt guilty admitting the reason I came back was because I knew my parents had the resources to help him, but it’s not fair to admit I wanted a reason to come home when I’m not planning on staying.
“Is it enough?” Mom asks, setting her pen down.
Nora seals the bag and sets it down in front of her.
“There’s a process that has to be followed when it comes to giving up your rights, and I’ll need to consult with a colleague who specializes in family law.
I think it’s safe to say, even though they’re not on official documents, this letter should be enough to keep any charges from being filed against Bailey.
No judge will want a case like this to come across the docket, and any prosecutor worth their salt will see the only person acting in the best interest of Javi was Bailey. ”
I don’t care what happens to me. “Will he be able to stay here?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“With your parents having maintained the requirements for their foster license, this letter, and the extenuating concerns about Javi’s health, I think an emergency placement would be approved. You said he was hurt when you met?” she asks, and I look over my shoulder at Javi.
“They were smokers. He has scars on his back and arms from cigarette burns. You can check if you don’t believe me.”
“We believe you,” Mom says, reaching to squeeze my hand for a moment. “We’ll do everything we can to keep you and Javi together, I promise.”
I know I haven’t done anything to earn their help, but I care too much about helping him get better to even pretend to protest.
“Thank you,” I say, giving her a soft smile .
“Is there anything else we need to do on our end?” Dad asks, his voice hoarse, and I’m surprised to see his eyes shining while he watches Javi interact with JJ and Marley.
“Call around and see if you can get him an appointment with a doctor to be seen. Make sure he has all the necessities, and you’d be able to pass an inspection if the emergency placement is approved.
We want to be able to argue that Javi is being taken care of and he’s safe here,” Nora continues, and Mom jots something down on her paper.
“We can do that,” she says, tucking her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ears. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. We really appreciate your help.”
The doors open behind me, and Javi’s footsteps are quick. “B, are you done? Can we hunt for shark teeth again?” he asks, appearing next to me, and JJ pops up behind him.
“Shit, ah, I mean, shoot? Sorry,” JJ says, cringing, and I chuckle under my breath. “He’s fast.”
“I think we’re done,” I say, glancing at my parents for confirmation, and they nod. “Let’s go look for shark teeth.” I ruffle his dark brown hair, causing a happy laugh to sound from him.
“I bet I can find more than you and JJ!” Javi takes off through the doors again.
He makes everything a little easier.
I can feel everyone watching me at all times.
It wouldn’t shock me if my family were taking turns sitting outside my bedroom door at night to make sure I don’t run away or requesting I wear an ankle monitor with GPS tracking.
I didn’t do myself any favors by disappearing up the beach with Kaitlyn the day I came back.
It’s only been a few days, but Javi’s moved past his initial wariness of my family to the point where he’ll now respond if they talk to him.
He’s careful to stay in the same room as me, and I feel a little guilty for using him as a shield to avoid the conversations that need to be had, especially after what I had to reveal during the meeting with their lawyer.
The emergency placement was approved by some miracle, and my parents were able to get him an appointment with a pediatrician first thing tomorrow morning.
When Mirabelle walked in a little bit ago, I couldn’t help staring at her visible baby bump. I don’t know if I should ask questions, but Henry has me on edge after the warning he gave when my sister ran into the bathroom.
I guess he has some ad campaign filming on a beach in the area, and Mirabelle wanted to spend the day here instead.
He wanted to make sure I knew if I hurt her, he’d hurt me.
I don’t think anyone besides Javi would try to stop him.
Currently, Mira’s silently watching me eat from across the table, and it has me sitting on the edge of my seat. I’ve never known my sister to have nothing to say.
I swear she never used to stop talking, so the silence is unnerving.
She picks up her glass of orange juice to take a sip, and Javi wiggles in his chair. “You’re not going to drop that, are you?”
Mira pauses and looks at him with curiosity. “Why do you think I’m going to drop it?”
“When you were here before, you dropped a glass.”
Jesus, Javi. Blunt much?
“I was surprised to see you, and it slipped.” Mirabelle’s brown eyes shift to meet mine before looking at Javi.
He’s had a lot of questions since we arrived, but they’re questions I don’t have all the answers to.
“Are you surprised this morning?”
A quiet laugh slips from her, and she smiles. “No, I’m not surprised today. ”
Clearing my throat, I hope this doesn’t backfire on me. “When are you due?” My gaze drops to her bump for a moment, and her face softens.
“October, but I’m not looking forward to being pregnant during the summer. The morning sickness is brutal, but my doctor said it’s to be expected with twins.”
“Twins?” My mouth falls open, and Mirabelle blinks.
“Yeah. I guess they don’t always skip a generation,” she jokes, rubbing her bump. “All we want are healthy babies, so we’re not finding out the genders until they’re born.”
I tap my fingers on my thigh underneath the table. “I’m happy for you. There’s nothing like having a built-in best friend.”
It’s exactly what Hunter and I used to be for each other.
I’m not sure we’ll ever get back to the relationship we once had, but I hope we can eventually land somewhere in between.
The front door creaks open, and I’m grateful for a distraction from the emotions crackling inside me.
“B, can I shower?” Javi asks, yanking on the sleeve of my shirt, grabbing my attention.
“Didn’t you shower last night?” I tease, and Javi starts to shake his head before his face twists and his shoulders slump.
“Yeah,” he admits. I can’t help reaching to ruffle his hair. I’m not going to tell him no. I am a little worried about my parents’ water bill, but they can afford it.
“Ten minutes. I’ll come get you and throw you in the ocean if you go a second over,” I say, causing him to beam like I just gave him a million dollars.
Javi jumps from his chair quickly, but Mirabelle’s voice stops him before he can run upstairs. “You want to shower?” she asks, confused, and he grins.
“I love showers. It’s so much better than using sinks or wipes.”
I resist the urge to drag my hands over my face. Javi and I had multiple conversations about what we can and cannot say, but apparently, he forgets every time someone asks him something.
She looks at me in shock after Javi takes off up the stairs.
“Woah, slow down, buddy,” Kaitlyn’s melodic voice sounds from the hallway.
Javi laughs, and I commit the simple, joyful sound to memory. “You’re back!”
“I promised you I would. We don’t break promises,” she says, and Mirabelle clears her throat.
“Bailey.”
“Mirabelle.” I’m taken aback by the surprising amount of pain showing in her expression.
“Where were you before coming back?” she asks the question everyone thinks they want the answer to.
It’s not much of a secret since I already told my parents, but I haven’t said anything to anyone else because I don’t want to hurt them. I’m honestly surprised JJ never said anything.
I wanted to come back, only I knew I didn’t deserve to. Javi’s an innocent who deserves the kind of family I know my parents can offer him. He deserves the chance to be a kid.
I never realized the burden I put on JJ’s shoulders by calling him. Finding out I contributed to his need to take pills only strengthened my belief I hurt my family more than I help them.
Kaitlyn walks into the kitchen before Mirabelle can ask again, and I ignore the way my heart beats faster at the sight of her. She’s Hunter’s girlfriend. It doesn’t matter I had her first. I’m not going to stand in the way of my twin’s happiness.
Not like he stood in the way of mine.