“Not to be too blunt, but what happened?” Derek asked. “We thought you were dead.”
Jaden shook his head and tried to find his voice. “It’s a long story,” he said. “Very long.”
Jenny handed them their waters.
“We were so worried about you,” Jenny said, sitting next to her husband. “We told the police that someone must have taken you, but they insisted you’d run.”
“No,” Jaden said, shaking his head. “No, I didn’t run away. That’s what I came here to tell you, I didn’t run away.” There was pressure behind his eyes, but he stuffed it down. His voice was thick when he spoke next. “I wanted to live here.” There was burning now and he took a few deep breaths. “I’m sorry I couldn’t.”
“We were supposed to talk about it, remember?” he asked them, but stared at the leg of the coffee table. “I said I didn’t want to, and I swore you both to secrecy.”
Jenny sniffed, and Jaden saw she cried a little, wiping at her eyes.
“That’s why they took me,” he said. “They told me they’d made it look like I ran away so you wouldn’t try and find me,” Jaden said. After seeing all the photos of them with their little girl, Jaden decided to omit what Dalton had also told him, that they would get a baby. It didn’t matter, not anymore.
Derek and Jenny exchanged a glance and held each other’s hands. “We wondered about that,” Derek said. “We weren’t sure how to convince the police without solid proof. They insisted you’d gone on your own.”
“But you knew he didn’t run away?” Libby asked.
“We knew he didn’t,” Jenny confirmed.
“Wasn’t my backpack gone?” he asked, pretending his eyes itched so he could rub them.
“Yes,” Jenny said slowly. “But,” she paused. “Wait one second.” She shuffled out of the living room and marched upstairs. The three of them watched her go. It was quiet again.
Derek spoke first. “You still follow the Kings?”
Jaden chuckled under his breath and gave him a half-smile. “No, I can’t say I do.”
“Probably a good thing,” Derek said, leaning back in the couch. “They got it handed to them last game. The Lakers, on the other hand, are still going strong.” He grinned.
“Don’t get cocky,” Jaden replied. “You didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Derek laughed. “Ah, you’ve still got it.” He drummed his hands on his knees. “So. What happened after you got, you know...”
Jaden was spared answering right away as Jenny came back, holding an old grocery bag. She beamed a smile at him, her eyes watery. She set it on the coffee table next to him.
“It’s yours,” she said.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well open it and see,” Libby said, picking up the bag and setting it in his lap.
It had a musty smell, like it had been under a bed, or in the back of a closet for years. It probably had been. Jaden pealed the bag away to reveal another bag, this one black. A plastic garbage bag. He unwound it, the plastic sticking to itself, making a tacky sound when it pulled apart. It finally came open, and Jaden put his hand into it.
Jaden’s knobby fingers held onto something squashy. He pulled it out of the bag.
There, in both his hands, looking at him with two marble eyes, was Bear. Seventeen years hadn’t changed Bear at all. He looked up at Jaden as he always had, not with judgment, not in cruelty nor jealousy. Bear, always his steady and reliable friend, stared at him with admiration, his threaded little bear smile an affirmation of his loyal affection.
Through watery eyes, no longer able to hold back, Jaden rubbed his teddy’s ears, glad to see his very first friend again. And as Libby put her gentle arm around his shoulder, her affirmation of affection and love, Jaden smiled.
author’s note
For those who do not have Jaden’s linguistic abilities, below is the English translation of the ferry boat conversation.
“How can you speak French? You said you never finished fourth grade.”
“No, I never made it to fourth grade. The library has language books and CDs. So I learned French.”
She had that humorous smirk on her face, like she didn’t quite believe him. “Let’s hear it,” she said.
“Okay,” he said, and faced the couple in front of them, feeling brave, eager to impress her. “Excuse me, I don’t want to bother you, but my friend doesn’t believe I speak French. Could you please talk with me a little while so I can impress her with my language skills?”
The French couple turned their attention to him and smiled. The man replied: “Oh of course, we would be happy to. She is a beautiful girl, such lovely blue eyes. Where did you learn French? You speak quite well.”
Jaden answered: “Thank you. I actually learned from the public library, there are great resources there. Yes, she is very beautiful, I can’t believe I found her. I’ve been searching for her my whole life. She’s too good for me, so kind and caring. Are you visiting from France or Canada?”
This time it was the wife who responded. “My husband and I are visiting from France. But we are not from Paris like everyone assumes. We’ve come from Marseilles. We’re visiting friends and seeing the sights. Do you live in Seattle?”
Libby had a face of stunned surprise, she watched them speak with delight. That must have been good enough. He was happy to impress her.
“I have heard Marseilles is wonderful. I’ve lived in Seattle for ten years now, but this is only my second ride on the ferry. From the look in her eyes, I see Libby is impressed with my French. Thank you for talking with me.”
Both of them grinned and looked at Libby. The French woman replied: “No problem. It’s nice to see her smile.” Then she turned to Libby and spoke in a heavy accent. “Ee speeks well. Varee handsome,” she added. The two nodded again and waved as they left for the front deck. Jaden thought it was to give them privacy.
Libby blushed on his account and beamed. “Wow,” she said. “That’s...” she blushed more, then turned away, her heart beating fast. “What did you say?” she asked, disregarding her flushed face.
“I asked them to talk to me, where they were from, that sort of thing. Nothing too complicated.”
“How would you say my name in French? Ah-LEEZ-eh-beth Zhames?”
He laughed. “Close. Zham.”
“ZHA-don BACH-air?”
He nodded. “Well, wrong emphasis. But close enough. Still sounds better than the English version. You try so hard, Elizabeth. You’re funny and beautiful...”
acknowledgements
It took many years to write this book, because stories are not forced, stories are given. So I’d first like to thank God for giving me a story to tell.
Thank you to Magda Krall, who translated Jaden’s conversation with the French couple into actual French. I think Libby was impressed. Thank you to my beta readers: Dara Stepanek, Krystal Wright and Abby Olp. Thank you Dara, who gave some great initial insight into chapters one through three. A ginormous thanks to Krystal for constantly asking if I was finished with the book, who made me really believe this story was something, and who is probably Libby and Jaden’s biggest fan.
It wouldn’t be an acknowledgement section without thanking my wonderful parents, Paul and Kim (who I had to format the book for the Kindle, so they could read it in proper comfort). Thank you for your love, support, help, and unyielding belief in me. I’m so lucky to have the both of you, and am glad you’re nothing like the Daltons. I love you both so much.
Lastly, thank you to Jaden, for choosing me to tell his story. I loved the time I had with him, and felt privileged to be with him through the good and the very bad, listening to his deepest thoughts and feelings. I’m glad he finally found the happiness he truly deserves. Good luck out there, buddy.
Table of Contents
ŠJADEN BAKER
part one
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
part two
nine
ten
eleven
twelve
thirteen
fourteen
fifteen
sixteen
seventeen
eighteen
nineteen
twenty
twenty-one
twenty-two
part three
twenty-three
twenty-four
twenty-five
twenty-six
twenty-seven
twenty-eight
twenty-nine
thirty
thirty-one
thirty-two
thirty-three
thirty-four
thirty-five
thirty-six
thirty-seven
epilogue
author’s note
acknowledgements
Jaden Baker Page 59
