Finding Jaime

Chapter 100

Jaime was quiet and sullen for the next couple of days. He wasn't snarky or mean to anyone, but he was quieter than previously. He often stayed in his room, and I didn't like that. I didn't want him to be isolating himself when he was coming to terms with so much with regard to the fragility of life

Friday morning, I got up and checked in with Jaime. He was lying in bed, hands behind his head, earbuds in, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey," I said, sitting beside him on his bed. He took out his earbud.

"Hey," he said.

"What time should we leave? Quarter to eleven?"

"Never," he said. "I'm not going."

"Wait, why?" I asked. Jaime said he'd go to Emmanuel's funeral. For Mrs. Lopez. I couldn't fathom why he'd changed his mind.

"Frank and Justin will be there and I can't trust myself not to beat the shit out of Frank."

Ah. There was a reason.

"Jaime, I understand your sentiment and frustration, but don't you want the chance to say goodbye to your friend? To offer your condolences to Mrs. Lopez?  She's been good to you, and I know this is going to sound like I'm trying to guilt you, but don't you think you owe her?"

Jaime sighed.

"Yeah. I guess,"

"So let's get up, get some breakfast, take your meds and we'll leave around ten forty-five."

He sighed again but didn't say anything. He sat up, put his earbuds away and got out of bed.

"Dad?" He said from his bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"Can you, I dunno, I guess, can you make sure I don't lose my cool on Frank?  You know what I mean?"

"I think so. Yeah. I've got you."

Jaime wouldn't want to fight at Emmanuel's funeral, but I couldn't be so sure this Frank character could be trusted to leave Jaime alone.

"I'm going to go downstairs and get something for breakfast. Do you want anything specific?"

"Is Marvel awake?" He asked. I heard her giggling in her room as Meagan helped her get dressed.

"I would say that yes, she is," I smiled.

"Can we have pancakes?" He asked.

"With chocolate chips?"

"Obviously," he smiled a little as he poked his head out of his bathroom, a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Alright. See you in a few," I said. He nodded and went downstairs to start pancakes. I was just going to use a mix. It was faster.

"Daddy!" Marvel said as she bounced into the kitchen. "You makin' pamcakes?"

"Yes, yes I am," I grinned at her.

"Wif choko chips?"

"Of course. Your brother requested them special for you, I think."

"Why? Jaime has a sad?"

"He is sad, yes. He lost a friend."

"Why he no find his friend?"

"Because his friend got very hurt and isn't with us anymore."

"Oh," Marvel said. I wasn't sure she understood entirely, but I didn't want to explain it to her now.

She climbed onto a kitchen stool and watched me mix the pancake batter. I let her put some chocolate chips in.