Jubilee's Journey (Wyattsville #2)(72)

Olivia gave a long heartfelt sigh. “That might be what you think right now, Jubilee, but try to be patient. Let’s just wait and see what God has in mind.”

“I know what He’s got in mind,” Ethan argued. “He don’t want Jubie to go nowhere, He wants her to stay here!”

“You’re sure of that?” Olivia shook her head with a sense of weariness, then turned, picked up the breakfast dishes, and set them in the sink. “This extra-special knowledge of yours, is that something you’ve come by recently?”

“You know what I mean,” Ethan grumbled.

Still sobbing, Jubilee again wailed, “I don’t wanna live with Aunt Anita!”

If not for fear that emotional children could inadvertently throw a monkey wrench into a person’s plans without realizing what they’d done, Olivia might have told them what she was thinking. But given the mood of the moment, she decided it was better if they didn’t know. This was something she had to feel her way around. It was only the start of a plan; the remainder she’d figure out as she went along.

Pretending to be coerced into allowing it, Olivia finally agreed to let Ethan skip school and go with them. “But bear in mind,” she said, “you will have to wait in the car with me.”

A less-knowing person might not have noticed how Olivia’s words were not laced with rigidity, nor was she wearing the stern look that generally accompanied such a command. Ethan Allen noticed.

As she turned and left the kitchen, she heard him tell Jubilee, “Don’t worry. I’ll be sticking right by you.”





When Mahoney arrived at twelve-thirty, he was greeted by a red-eyed girl and an angry-faced boy. Before he had both feet inside the apartment, Ethan Allen announced, “Grandma said I’m going with you.”

“I think it’s better if you don’t,” Mahoney answered. Before he could say anything more, Jubilee began wailing again. It wasn’t something easily ignored, because along with the shuddering sobs came a high-pitched keening that scraped across his ears like nails on a chalkboard.

“Enough,” he finally said. “Ethan can come with you, but he has to wait in the car.”

It took almost twenty minutes for Olivia to calm everyone down. First she had to change Jubilee’s dress because she’d wiped her nose on the one she was wearing. Then there was the challenge of finding the left shoe Ethan was missing. Once everyone was put together, they climbed into Mahoney’s car and started out.

Mahoney drove, Olivia sat in the front passenger seat, and the two kids squeezed together on the left side of the back seat. From the corner of her eye, Olivia watched them whispering back and forth. It was precisely what she expected. The trip took thirty-five minutes, and as Mahoney drove Olivia made note of each turn off and street sign. She also noted the town limits sign for Harrison. When Mahoney pulled up in front of Anita’s building, Olivia had already fixed the route for returning in her mind.

Mahoney climbed out of the car and opened the back door. He extended his hand and smiled, “Come on, Jubilee. It’s time to meet your Aunt Anita.”

“No,” she answered and slid closer to Ethan. “I don’t wanna go.” She latched onto Ethan’s arm.

“Now, Jubilee,” Mahoney cajoled, “we’ve already talked about this. Your Aunt Anita is anxious to meet you.”

A flood of tears started again. “I don’t wanna live with Aunt Anita.” Her tight grip on Ethan’s arm made her knuckles turn white.

“You don’t have to live here if you don’t want to. This is just a visit.”

“I don’t wanna visit.”

“Do you want your aunt to feel bad because you won’t even come to visit her?”

Jubilee shook her head but held tight to Ethan’s arm.

“I promised her you’d come visit.” Mahoney again reached for Jubilee, but she scooted toward the center of the seat. Ethan moved with her. The truth was that Mahoney had made no such promise. In fact, Anita didn’t know they were coming. Had he informed her ahead of time, chances were she’d be long gone.

“Please,” he begged, “just a short visit. Fifteen minutes, then we’ll all go out for ice cream.”

“I don’t want ice cream,” Jubilee answered. “I want Paul to come with me.”

At the mention of Paul’s name, Olivia gave Mahoney an apprehensive shake of the head and signaled that Paul’s circumstances were not something to be spoken of.

He nodded and said only that Jubilee’s brother couldn’t come right now. “Maybe next time,” he suggested, figuring he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

Ethan Allen, who had positioned himself between Jubilee and the open car door, had said nothing until now. “Since Paul ain’t here,” he suggested, “how about I go with Jubie?”

Jubilee nodded.

Mahoney frowned. “I don’t think that’s—”

Before Mahoney could finish the thought, Jubilee said, “I ain’t going ‘less Ethan comes.”

After he’d given six different explanations for why Ethan coming along was not a good idea and suffered through another round of Jubilee’s tearful hysteria, Mahoney agreed.

“You can come to keep her company, but you are not to get involved in the conversation with her aunt. Understood?”