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When the meeting was over, David took Jacob to dinner at Cracker Barrel, and while he seemed happy to be there, he was still fairly quiet.
It wasn’t until after Jacob was in bed and David was getting ready to read a bedtime story, that Jacob opened up.
“Is Liam going to jail?” he asked.
David didn’t want to tell the truth, but he also didn’t want to lie to his son, so he sort of split the difference by not really answering the question at all. “I hope so,” he said.
“I hope so, too. I don’t ever want to see him again.”
“And you won’t, no matter what. I promise.”
After finishing two stories, David tucked Jacob in, knowing that in a matter of an hour, he’d have destroyed his bedding and would likely be sleeping sideways. Still, David did this every night, mostly out of habit. However, tonight, as he was straightening Jacob’s pillowcase, David’s fingers brushed against something underneath the pillow. When he pulled it out and saw it was a strip of four black and white pictures of Paige and Jacob, he knew immediately they were the ones she’d told him Jacob had accidentally lost.
They apparently weren’t lost, though, and if Jacob’s now worried (and guilty) expression was any clue, he hadn’t meant for them to be ‘found’… despite the fact he hadn’t put them in a very good hiding spot.
David held the strip up. “Are these the pictures Paige said got lost?”
Looking miserable, Jacob nodded.
“Did you find them?” David asked.
Jacob shook his head and looked away. His gaze landed on Marshmallow, who was curled up next to his side, and he began petting her, as if it was the most important thing in the world and required all of his concentration.
“So, they really didn’t get lost?” David prodded.
Jacob shook his head again.
“Look at me,” David said.
Slowly, reluctantly, Jacob met David’s eyes.
“Did you … take these?” David asked, holding the pictures up again.
After a long pause, Jacob replied, “Yes.”
“Why?”
When Jacob looked like he’d rather flee the country than answer, David told him gently, “You’re not in trouble, Little Man. I just want to know the truth.”
“I wanted them.”
“Why?”
“She’s nice. I like her.”
“Then why didn’t you just ask Paige if you could have them?”
“Because they were for you.”
“I’m sure she would’ve let you have them,” David said. “Or, taken more pictures and let you have those.”
“She didn’t have any more dollars.”
“Oh. Well, then I’m sure she would’ve given you these, if you’d asked her.” David glanced down at the pictures, one of which was a gem with Paige pretend-picking her nose. “I think she’d have liked you having them.”
“Really?”
“Definitely. She cares about you. A lot. And I’m sure it would’ve made her happy to know you wanted these pictures, especially this one,” he said, pointing to the one with her finger up her nose. “That’s a good one, right there.”
