Finding Jaime

Chapter 7

I finished my breakfast while Jaime stayed slumped in his seat.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" I asked. "It's no problem."

He mumbled something I didn't quite catch.

"Sorry? What's that?"

"I said, I want my mom back and to go home."

"Home I can do," I said, paying the check.

"I meant my house. With my mom," Jaime said.

"Jaime, you know that isn't possible," I said, sympathetically.

"No shit, Sherlock," he spat at me. "I'm not stupid."

He got into the car as I unlocked it and slumped in his seat.

"Jaime, I can't tell you it's going to be okay, because, well, it's not. You lost your mom, and I get that you're hurting."

He rolled his eyes and looked away from me.

"Jaime," I said.

He wouldn't answer.

I drove home with the radio playing music as the only sound in the car.

His eyes widened when I turned into Beverley Hills. But he stayed silent. I smiled a little bit. He was about to see how much his life was about to change.

We pulled up to the house and got out of the car. Jaime had gone back to looking unimpressed.

I opened the trunk and pulled out his duffles.

"Those are mine," he said. "I can carry my own stuff."

"Jaime. Come on. Give me a break. Let me help you."

He grabbed his duffel bags from me. He was determined, that's for sure. And stubborn. That he might get from me.

Meagan opened the door as we walked up to it.

"You're home! Welcome home, Jaime," she hugged him. He stiffened and didn't return the hug. Marvel came running out the door and jumped into my arms.

"Hi, daddy!" She cried.

"Hello my girl," I smiled, picking up my daughter.

"Who's dat?" She asked pointing at Jaime.

"Do you remember yesterday when I told you about the boy that was going to come to live with us?  This is Jaime. He's your big brother."

Marvel looked at Jaime who glared back at me.

"Hi," she said to him.

Jaime looked at her and turned away. 

"Let me show you to your room," Meagan said to Jaime. He rolled his eyes and followed her inside.

I followed them into the house. I put Marvel down and she ran up to Jaime and took his hand.

"Can I show him his room?" Marvel asked.

"We all can," I smiled.

Jaime pulled his hand away from Marvel. I watched her face fall. She came up to me with a dejected look on her face.

Meagan was halfway up the stairs and hadn't noticed. Jaime followed her while Marvel came back to me. I hung back a little.

"He doesn't like me," she whispered to me.

"Oh. That's not true honey," I said. "He doesn't know you yet. And Jaime is very sad right now."

"Because his momma died?" She asked.

"Exactly. And he's in a new house with new people. He's going to need some time, honey."

Marvel put her head on my shoulder and nodded.

We followed Meagan upstairs and down the hallway to the spare room that was now Jaime's.

"We haven't had a chance to really do much to this room, but we thought you'd like it. You have your own bathroom," Meagan said showing Jaime the room. "We can paint it any colour you want, and we have bedding but we can take you to get more. We want you to be comfortable. We can do what ever you want to make this your space. Just let us know."

"Whatever," Jaime said.

"Well," Meagan said looking at me. "We'll let you get settled in, okay? Then you can come down to the kitchen and we can have lunch."

Jaime didn't answer. He just looked around the room.

"We'll leave you to it," Meagan said and we left the room.

The three of us went downstairs and into the kitchen.

"He's so sad," Meagan said as we sat down in the kitchen.

I nodded.

"I don't know what to say to him," I said. "I took him to IHOP and tried talking to him. I couldn't connect with him on anything."

Meagan signed.

"I can't imagine what he's thinking. What he's going through. His entire world has been turned completely upside down. He loses his mom and finds out about his dad in one day. How did he take the news about the band?"

"I haven't told him yet," I said.

"Pete!" Meagan said. "You have to tell him."

"I will.  I just think he needs some time to adjust to having a dad first," I said. "I mean, he already hates me so..."

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Meagan said. "He just doesn't know you."

I shrugged.

"I just wish Tanya had told me she was pregnant. Or that I had a son. I would have helped them. I could have been there for them."

"Pete. Were you in any place to take on extra responsibilities 16, 17 years ago?"

"No, not really. But that doesn't matter. She could have reached out later."

"And would you have believed her when Fall Out Boy took off?  That she suddenly came out of the woodwork and claimed you have a kid?"

"I believed her now. She had the proof. And my god, Meagan.  He looks just like I remember her."

Meagan smiled at me.

"Then she was clearly a beautiful woman," she said.

I smiled.

"Did you invite the guys to the funeral?" She asked?

"Yeah. I mean, I told them they don't have to come. They barely knew Tanya. We hardly dated."

"Well, maybe tomorrow you can introduce Jaime to them, and tell him who you are."

"Maybe," I said.