33. Bailey #2
“I missed you. It’s been forever,” Javi says, and Henry kneels down to be eye level with him.
A surge of protectiveness rises in me. I don’t think he’d say anything to upset Javi, but it doesn’t make me worry less.
He’s such a vastly different kid than when we first got here.
He’s still had too many broken promises made to him for a five-year-old, but it’s clear how much Henry cares about him.
“I missed you too, squirt. I know it’s been a couple of days. Sometimes I have to go to work, but I promise I’ll always come back,” he says, softly, and I bite my tongue. “When you’re feeling a little bit better, I’ll take you with me so you can see where I go.”
The room falls quiet, and I freeze as Javi reaches out to hold Henry’s cheek. “My mommy and daddy promised to come home too, but then they didn’t. What if you don’t come back?”
“I hope I never have to break this promise because I know they didn’t want to either.
I got these for you, though, because in this family, we give the people we love flowers,” Henry says, offering the second bouquet of flowers to Javi, casting a look in my direction as if to show me how serious he is.
He brought flowers for Javi. I don’t think it gets much more serious than that.
Everyone in the room is staring at us, and I remember vividly the conversation we had where Henry threatened to hurt me if I hurt Mira. When it comes to Javi, I’ll go down swinging if Henry ever does anything to hurt him.
Mom clears her throat, pulling everyone’s attention to her.
“So dinner is going to be ready soon, but if you guys were still wanting to do that thing we talked about, we’ll wait to eat,” Mom says, and now I’m lost. Based on the confusion on JJ and Marley’s faces, they’re in the dark too.
Could she have been a little more specific?
Mirabelle exhales a shaky breath, wiping at her cheeks as Henry stands up.
“Where are you guys going?” Javi asks, looking up at them from the flowers he was distracted by.
“We just want to talk to Bailey about something, but we’ll all be right back,” Mirabelle says, and my heart stutters in my chest.
“Um, okay,” I say, unsure if this is something I’m ready for. Dad gives me a reassuring smile as I follow them through the patio doors to the deck, and I’m still reeling from what just happened inside.
I never set out ground rules for things they should say or do with Javi, but maybe I should have. I want him to get to be a kid, but I didn’t bring him here to set him up for disappointment.
They take a seat at the table, and it dawns on me that maybe this is what Mirabelle’s been so antsy about. She’s crying, twisting her hands in front of her, and Henry reaches over to hold them.
“Sorry,” Mirabelle says, sniffling. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, but then he said the thing about his parents not coming back, and it really got to me. Please just ignore the fact I’m crying because I can’t make it stop.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, trying not to jump to conclusions.
“I meant everything I said in there to Javi, and I hope I never have to break that promise. Mira and I have been talking a lot about the futur—” Henry pauses when Mirabelle hiccups.
“No, keep going, I’m sorry, ignore me,” she stammers, laughing as more tears fall.
“Do you need a tissue?” I ask, trying not to laugh because I think it might be impossible to ignore her blubbering.
“No, I’m fine,” she says, smiling.
At this rate, I think it might be in everyone’s best interest to start carrying a travel pack of tissues with them everywhere for her.
“Look guys, I know you didn’t make that promise easily, but I don’t want to see him hurt.
I have to protect him because I’m all he has,” I say, tapping my fingers on the table.
“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about because we don’t want you to be the only person he has,” Mirabelle says, and I’m not sure I’m following.
Henry’s gaze is unwavering as he looks at me. “I went with Bash and Thalia today to Nora’s office to get their thoughts on it, but before we took any more steps, we wanted to talk to you first. It’s entirely up to you, but all I ask is you hear us out before making a decision.”
“You don’t have to decide now either. Take all the time you need,” Mirabelle blurts out, and I bounce my leg, waiting for them to continue. “We want to adopt Javi.”
“But we won’t do it without your permission.
You’ve done an incredible job loving Javi and keeping him safe.
You brought Javi here to help him, and I’m sure that was hard for you to do,” he continues, and I wasn’t expecting this, but maybe I should have.
All the days they spent at the hospital with him, and Henry trading nights off with me.
“He’s an amazing kid, and we want to give him a safe, loving home to grow up in. We’re not trying to take him away from you, so please don’t think that. We wanted to give you a room at our house that way you know you’re always welcome.”
I blink, trying to wrap my head around this. “You guys really want to adopt Javi? What about when the twins come?”
“We really do, but only if it’s okay with you, and only if he wants to be a part of our family. The twins aren’t going to change how much we already love Javi. We just want to give him a chance to be a kid,” Henry says, giving me a rare smile while Mirabelle hiccups again.
It’s the fact he said the same thing I’ve been thinking all along.
They want to give him the opportunity to be a kid.
I don’t need to think about it because it’s a no-brainer.
Javi adores them, and I have no doubt they’re sincere about having a room for me at their house.
I respect them more for asking me first, and for taking the twins into consideration.
“If Javi wants you guys to adopt him, then I’m okay with it. Thank you for asking me,” I say, smiling at them.
The joy on their faces is bright and only confirms it’s the right decision. Mirabelle pushes her chair back to get up, throwing her arms around my shoulders to hug me tightly. “Thank you, Bailey.”
“Just please love him the best you can. It’s what he deserves.”
“We will,” she says, releasing me, then Henry surprises me and pulls me into another hug.
“Thank you,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. When he pulls back, there’s tears in his eyes, and it’s such a difference from how he looked at me three years ago in this same spot.
“Take care of them.”
“I always will.” Henry nods, and I don’t doubt he will.
“Look at how fucking gross he is. Do you smell that?”
I stir at the sound of an unfamiliar voice near me, and I’m not sure I’ll ever forget the cold that’s seeped into my bones.
My jacket is still damp from the rain I got caught in last night, and I need to get moving if I want a chance of getting into a shelter tonight.
The straps of my backpack are looped over my shoulders, and my arms ache from how tight I was holding the bag to my front even while I slept.
I learned quickly if you don’t hold onto your shit, people have no problem taking it from you.
I blink, forcing myself to wake up. Everything hurts after sleeping against a brick wall of the stairwell I’m in, but it had an awning to keep me out of the rain.
“Do you think he’s dead?” someone asks, and my foot being nudged causes me to snap wide awake. I focus on the teenagers in front of me, and I’m on edge, ready for however this is about to go.
“I’m not dead,” I snap, not in the mood to be poked and prodded like a circus animal. Maybe they’ll leave me alone now that I’m up.
Unfortunately, I’ve given them the reaction they must have been hoping for. “Well you look like it.” One of the guys laughs. “When’s the last time you showered?”
“The other night at your sister’s place,” I say, my voice thick with sarcasm. Honestly, it’s been almost a week since I showered, but I’m also trying not to get arrested.
He glares at me, and I guess he does have a sister. “As if my sister would spend time with scum like you.”
I stand up to look around them to see if there’s anyone who might see if this escalates, giving them the perfect opportunity to grab for my bag when I’m moving it to my back.
“What’s in here? Drugs?” The one grabbing it sneers, and I tighten my grip.
I can’t lose my bag. It’s all I have left from home, and I’m not giving it to these assholes.
“Fuck off. That’s mine,” I say, trying to pull it from his grip.
His mouth curls upward in a cruel smile. “Oh, so there’s something important in here?”
“Leave me alone.” I’m so focused on not letting go of the bag, I miss his buddy coming up to shove me from behind.
I lose my balance, falling forward down the steps.
I’m forced to let go of my grip on the bag to catch myself, but there’s not enough time for me to protect my head.
There’s a sickening crack as the side of my face catches the edge of the last concrete stair, and everything goes dark.
I’m pulled from my dream with a sharp gasp. My heart races in my chest, and fear has me gripped tight in its claws as I try to remember where I am.
There’s moonlight coming through the curtains, enough to cast a glow across my room for me to know I’m home.
Subconsciously, my hand drifts up to gingerly touch the scar left behind. When I woke up after cracking my head open, it looked like they’d dropped my bag after I fell and ran. I was lucky they missed my actual eye, even if it didn’t feel like that way at the time.
I spent weeks waiting for them to come back.
Forget about them, Bailey. You’re home. No one can reach you here.
I drag my hands over my face, groaning before I shove the covers off me. They can’t reach me here, but the nightmares can still haunt me.