Even if heâd been told to shut up too many times in his young life.
âMy mother,â I told him, rolling my eyes for effect. âShe needed me to go buy her some groceries.â
Jayden looked offended on my behalf. âWhat, she got a broken leg or somethinâ?â
I shrugged. âOr something.â
He let out a puff of disgust. âYour mom sounds like mine.â
I stopped eating, setting down my fork.
And here we go.
âI heard she called,â I said quietly.
He stared down at his hands, his face twisting. For a moment I thought I might have pushed too far too fast and he wasnât going to answer me. But at last he spoke.
âYeah. She called this morning.â He paused then added, âTold me she was moving.â
âMoving?â
âI donât know. I guess sheâs got some new boyfriend. And sheâs pregnant. Theyâre going to move to Vegas. His brother has a place there or something.â
My heart squeezed at the anguish I saw on his face. Anguish he was clearly trying to hide. âLet me guess,â I said, keeping my voice soft and nonjudgmental, âshe wouldnât take you with them.â
âNo . . . yeah . . . I mean, I didnât want to go anyway,â Jayden protested, rising back to his feet. âHer new boyfriendâs stupid. And I bet the place theyâre going to sucks.â
I gave him a rueful smile. âI know. But sheâs your mom. Itâs understandable that you want to be with her.â
He shook his head, pacing the room like a caged tiger, his steps eating up the distance between the walls. âI just thought she might need my help, you know? With the new baby,â he added, now seeming unable to stop the words from tumbling from his mouth. âI know how to change diapers from being here. And I could, like, watch him while she wasat work or whatever. I donât know. Heâs my brother, right? My baby brother.â
His voice broke and he trailed off. I rose from my seat and walked over to him. I held out my arms and he fell into them, burying his face in my chest.
âShe said I couldnât come,â he said mournfully. âShe said thereâs no room. That his brotherâs place is small. Just one room for the two of them. The three of them once my brother comes. But no room for me.â
âIâm so sorry, Jayden,â I whispered, stroking his hair. âI know how much that must hurt.â
âIt doesnât hurt,â he cried, jerking away. âLike I said, I didnât want to go anyway.â
âI know,â I assured him, giving him his space. âTrust me, I understand.â
He shot me a scowl, as if saying that couldnât possibly be true. But it was true. Truer than he could ever imagine.
I stared down at my hands. I didnât like talking about my past. It still hurt, even so many years later. But Jayden was hurting, too. And he needed to understand he wasnât alone.
âOne day, when I was about your age, my mom came to me,â I began, feeling the all-too-familiar ache rise to my throat at the memory. âSheâd just been released from prison a few months before and we had finally been reunited. I was so happy, let me tell you, to be a family again.â
I looked up to make sure Jayden was listening. He was watching me with a cautious expression on his face. I drew in a breath and continued.
âAnyway, she says, âPiper, weâre going to your grandmotherâs house for the weekend.â Told me to pack a bag, bring a couple of toys,â I told him. âBut,â I added, âI didnât pack any toys. I packed my best pajamas. The ones Grandma had given me two years before, the last time I had seen her.â I paused, then added, âThey didnât really fit so well anymore. But I wanted Grandma to see how well Iâd taken care of them. I thought maybe if she saw