HIM

The ride from the airport is almost as fun as the plane ride to Harrisonburg, albeit less private in nature.

Henry had organised for a car service to pick us up; it is waiting for us when we land. We have no plans until midday, so Jade asks the driver to take us on a tour of the city.

“A great way to kill two minutes,” she giggles, as she swings her legs into my lap and stretches out in the back of the limo. “Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!” she cries out every few minutes as she points out special landmarks on our ride.

“Stop it!” I tease her, tickling her bare feet. “Harrisonburg’s not that small. I think it’s actually quite picturesque.”

A loud roar catches our attention and we look out the window to see a young guy being carried by a large group in basketball jerseys into a nearby bar.

“What do you think is going on?” Jade wonders.

“James Madison University just made the national basketball tournament, miss. It’s been a big celebration all week,” our driver, Robert, tells us.

“Oh, that’s great!” Jade says enthusiastically.

“My son, he’s on the team.”

“Well, congratulations. You must be proud as punch.”

“And then some, miss, he looks good enough to be selected in the NBA draft.”

“Really! Well, remember us when we come hit you up for some courtside tickets some time.” Jade’s words make Robert beam and I’m suddenly the one proud, proud to be with such a sweet warm soul, spreading joy to everyone she’s around.

“You will be more than welcome, miss.”

We watch as the rest of the crowd crams into the bar and the door closes behind them.

Jade turns to me, her face open and excited. “Where to now?”

I check my watch, it’s time.

***

It’s not until she reaches over and takes my hand in hers, squeezing it as she whispers gently, “Don’t worry, they’re going to adore you,” that I realize I’m nervous.

I can’t remember the last time I was nervous.

No, that’s not true.

The last time was when I came home to find a fiery siren sleeping in my bed.

But the time before that, I can’t conjure for the life of me.

“I’m not nervous,” I say, for no reason other than to try to convince myself of the lie.

“It’s okay if you are. They’re really nice. Just don’t mention sex or politics.”

“Why would I do that?” I frown.

“Because you might not know better, but let’s just leave that to the second meeting of the grandparents, okay?”

The car stops in front of a small sky blue painted house. It’s small, but the front yard is tidy, with a lawn and some fruit trees. Bird feeders swing on the low branches and lace curtains frame the window inside. There’s a rocking chair on the porch and I can’t help but let out a little laugh.

It’s everything I never had.

“Come on! If I know them, I bet they’ve been up since dawn!”

She shoves on the car door, which swings on its hinges all the way open, then pushes herself out of the car. Without looking back she runs up the driveway and up the two stairs to the porch. I follow close behind, carrying a bag of gifts for her grandparents.

“Grammy! GRAMPY! GUESS WHOOOOOOOOOO?” she yells as she jumps up and down, peering through the small screen compartment of the door.

“My, my, what is this neighborhood coming to, all this riff raff making noise,” a voice speaks up from inside.

“Grampy, it’s me!”

“Oh, it’s a girl scout coming to try to sell me cookies!”

“It’s not a girl scout. It’s Jade!” she squeals.

“Jade? No, my Jade is a quiet, mousey type who never makes a sound. You look like a bad influence,” he winks at me conspiratorially and I know immediately who Jade takes after.

“Let me in! I’m hungry,” she begs.

“Carol! There’s a beggar out here! They must’ve smelled your macadamia cookies, should we tell them we’re saving them for our granddaughter and her friend?”

“Nah, just tell them we ate them all,” comes the quick reply.

“Grammy! That’s not even funny! Now let me in.” She stomps her foot, sulkily.

“Let me go grab my glasses to make sure I’m not accidentally letting in an encyclopedia salesman.”

“Grammy, you’ve never needed glasses a day in your life, don’t pretend now. You see everything.”

Jade’s grandmother grins at us and reaches for the door. She barely has time to unlock it before Jade pulls on the handle, throws it open, and runs into the arms of her grandparents.

There’s squealing and laughing and crying and more.

I wasn’t always rich.

In fact, there have been days I’ve gone to bed hungry. Consecutive days.

And when I started finally earning the kind of money other people can only dream of. I never really knew why. I didn’t crave money like some of my counterparts do. It’s not like I was afraid of going hungry again. There was a reason, I just didn’t know it.

Now I do.

So that I could make this moment happen.

“Grammy and Grampy, this is Kaine. Kaine Ashley.”

I reach out to offer my hand and the three of them gasp, clutching each other while looking at me in horror.

“Why are you being so insulting to my grandparents, Kaine? What did they ever do to you?” Jade yells at me, her eyes growing wide with shock.

I pull my hand back immediately, trying to understand what I’ve done that’s offended them so much. I’m trying so hard, in fact, I miss them share a quick glance, before resuming their looks of absolute shock

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t...” I look at Jade, imploring her to help me out but she just stares at me, her eyes wide with horror.

Jade’s grandfather breaks away from the pack and comes up to me, staring me down.

“Son, that’s not going to do. We don’t shake her. We hug.”

And he pulls me into the longest, tightest hug I’ve ever gotten from a stranger, or even loved one, in my life.

Jade smiles at me as I look over her shoulder, her grandmother beaming at us both.

When the embrace is finally over, I straighten my clothes and tell them, “For nice folk, you sure are mean to this city boy. You scared me half to death.”

The burst into laughter at my expense, and I shrug in defeat.

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, boy,” Jade’s grandfather says, ruffling my hair.

Jade’s grandmother pats me on the arm as she walks past me, “Now come, I need to feed my girl here as much as I can in the few hours you’ll be here.”

Jade squeals and grabs my hand and leads me into their small but homey kitchen.

***

I don’t say much over the new few hours. Not on purpose, just because it’s hard to get a word in edgewise.

But it works out great. I don’t have much to say, other than the odd leading question now and then to find out more about Jade and her past. Otherwise, I’m content to sit back, enjoying the happy banter between her and her grandparents, listening to them catching her up on family and friends, and her telling them about Gabriel and his progress.

The hours pass quickly, and soon, there’s a beeping on my phone to remind me of our schedule.

“Jade, it’s almost 5 p.m.,” I gently tell her, as soon as there’s a moment I can interject.

“Oh my gosh! Already? When do we have to leave?”

“Probably in about an hour or so at the latest.”

“Do you really have to go?” her grandmother asks, her bright, happy face falling, and my hearts twists at the idea of taking their granddaughter away.

“I’m so sorry, I do. My company has a big project on and I have to get back to my office tomorrow. Playing hooky today was worth it though, to get to meet you,” I tell them, meaning every single word.

“Well, I guess I should just throw out the cake I have then...”

“Cake?” Jade perks up.

“It’s in the fridge, I was saving it for my granddaughter’s dinner, but I guess she won’t be needing it.”

Jade giggles and jumps up running around the table to her grandmother’s chair, hugging her from behind.

“You’re the best at guilt, Grammy. I can’t wait to try it on my own kids.”

“Oh, don’t even mention my non-existent great grandkids. My heart, my heart!” she clutches at it dramatically, though her grin somewhat dulls any fear of real drama. “Okay, how ‘bout I cut you a BIG piece now, and wrap the rest up for you to take home?”

“YAY! I’m going to take Kaine up to see our old rooms, is that okay?”

“Oh no. I’ve already turned your room into a sauna. And your grandfather is using Gabriel’s to practise taxidermy on roadkill to sell at the fair. We could use the extra money.”

“GRAMMY!” Jade yells over her laughter. She cocks her head at me and I get up obediently, following her through the house and up the stairs. “Guess what?” she whispers to me as she turns into a small bedroom.

“What?”

“I never had any boys over when I was living here.”

“Well, I never, Jade Sinclair. I thought a girl like you would’ve had them lining up to hold boomboxes over their head to declare love for you.”

“No, I was waiting for your boombox, Kaine.”

“It’s all yours, sweetness.”

I look around the room. I imagine it still looks exactly as it did when Jade lived here. There are school awards and yearbooks and high school memorabilia on a small shelf on one side, and pictures of her growing up on another.

Next to her bedside is a single photo frame of a pretty woman, with a striking resemblance to the woman standing next to me.

I sit down on the bed and motion for her to join me. She nudges my legs apart and settles on my lap.

“Is this your mother?” I ask her, gesturing to the photo.

“Yep. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Yes. You two look so alike.”

“No, she was really pretty,” her voice is wistful as her eyes soften, resting on the smiling face in the picture.

“And you are simple stunning. You look just like her, Jade.”

She reaches over and traces the edge of the photo frame with her finger.

“Do you, do you think the reason I became a genealogist is because in some way I’m looking for my own lost family?”

I look at her, and I know my answer is important, not just off the top of my head. So, I give her the question the time it deserves. And then I tell her what the answer was always going to be anyway.

“No, sweetness, I don’t.”

“No?”

“I think you know exactly where family is, every moment of every day.”

“Where?”

“There,” I point at her chest.

“Not my tit, again,” she jokes, and playfully nudged me with her elbow.

“Close. But, no. These people, your grandparents, your brother, your mother. They’re not just in pictures frames, in Harrisonburg, in rehab clinics. They’re there, in your heart, always. Just remember that when you miss them. And you know what?”

“What?”

“You’re in theirs.”

She sighs and rests her head against my shoulder.

“So, no. I don’t think that’s why you chose to follow a career in genealogy. I think it’s because you treasure your experiences with family so much, that you want to help others find theirs.”

“You know, when I first met you, your first words to me were, ‘you’re going to be okay.’”

“Yeah?”

“But then after, your words were mainly made up of variations of ‘go away, Jade.’”

“I’m not sure where this is going is going to be a good place for me.”

“I just thought you should know, you’re much better with words now,” she grins at me.

“I’m learning! How’s this - wanna fuck?” I lean over and kiss her neck.

“Sure,” she purrs.

“Why, Miss Sinclair, I do believe we’re about to take the virginity of this bedroom.”

“On second thought, maybe not,” she pulls away.

“Why?”

“Because I’m guessing, if I could hear my grandparents in their bedroom, they’ll probably be able to hear us in mine,” she says, screwing up her face.

“Oh my God, I’m never going to be able to look Grampy in the eye again.”

“Well, you better, I doubt they’d appreciate you staring elsewhere.”

“Ruined. You’ve ruined the Gramps for me, forever,” I shake my head.

“Hey, don’t scoff, if they weren’t so randy, there wouldn’t be me.”

“Okay. You’re right. But let’s get out of here before we give Gramps a reason to not look me in the eye.”

She pulls me to my feet and I wait at the door as she takes one last look around.