An Unfinished Story(91)
“How many kids are living here?” Claire asked, taking her time to look at the photographs, her heart heavy and hopeful at the same time.
“We have five at the moment. One boy was just adopted, so we have an empty bed waiting for someone.”
Claire turned away from a photo. “How long will that take to fill?”
“We’re putting our feelers out. Not long.”
Whitaker shook his head. “How do you do it? I can barely take care of myself.”
“Never a dull moment,” she drew out.
They entered an enormous kitchen with three circular dining room tables, two built-in large refrigerators, and a giant island. They’d clearly remodeled to cater to these boys, their loves.
Kari, Oliver’s case manager, was sitting in a chair in the corner by the window. She looked up from her computer. “Hi, guys.”
Claire and Whitaker said their hellos.
“I’ll be here if you need me. Just hammering out some emails.”
Jacky took a plate of cookies off the granite island and held it toward them. “We bake a lot around here.”
Claire and Whitaker each reached for one.
“How could I resist?” Claire took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie, which was still warm and gooey in the middle.
Whitaker moaned with delight.
“I’ve had three already,” Kari admitted from her chair. “It’s dangerous coming over here.”
Jacky set the plate back on the counter and looked at Claire. “They’re made with coconut sugar. And they’re vegan. I’m trying to teach them about eating healthier without cramming it down their throats. These boys have eaten a lot of fast food in their lives.”
“How can you possibly cook for so many?” Claire followed her question with another bite, tasting the coconut this time.
“You’re running a restaurant,” Whitaker added, catching a crumb falling from his mouth.
“Oh, they help,” Jacky assured them. “A couple of them have a real talent in the kitchen. Oliver’s one of them.”
An idea came to Claire. She brought up Leo’s South, and though Jacky had never eaten there, she’d heard of it. “Well, I’d love to host all of you for breakfast or lunch sometime. On me, of course. And I could give them a tour of the kitchen, introduce them to my chefs.”
“Oh, they’d love that! Would you like to meet everyone?”
Claire and Whitaker nodded eagerly.
Walking into the living room, they found four happy young boys of various skin colors sitting on beanbags playing UNO. Her nerves toyed with her as she took in the scene. Two guitars rested on stands next to an amplifier. There was a keyboard near the window, which looked out back toward the pool. Board games filled the built-in bookshelves. And she noticed an Xbox set up under the television.
“Everyone,” Jacky said, “meet Claire and Whitaker.”
A collective chorus of “Hi” greeted them.
Claire waved and met eyes with each of them. “Nice to meet you.” She couldn’t have imagined navigating the world without stable biological parents at such a young age. And yet here they were, more than dealing with it.
“Who wants to tell Claire and Whitaker what we did today?”
They all seemed eager to speak, but one young man beat the others to the punch. He had big blue eyes and flashy silver braces. “We went to a nursing home.”
“Yeah, and what did you do?” Jacky asked.
The other boys were giving her their full attention.
“We helped them out with their phones and tablets.”
“That’s incredible,” Claire said, looking at the boy with braces and then the others.
“You wouldn’t believe how helpful they were.”
“Oh, I can believe it.” Whitaker turned to the boys. “My mom has no idea what she’s doing with technology. Just entering the right password is an accomplishment. And she’s only just learned how to use emojis. Let me tell you something, gentlemen. Baby boomers should not be allowed to use emojis.”
“Jacky never knows her password,” one boy said.
Everyone smiled.
“It’s true,” Jacky admitted. “I don’t.”
Jacky poked each of them about their favorite subjects in school and then said to Claire and Whitaker, “They all have As and Bs. Not one C in the bunch right now.”
As Claire and Whitaker made a show of being impressed, Jacky looked back at her children. “But I want to see even more As. Because you know why?”
The boys looked at her, waiting for an answer.
“Because I know you have it in you.”
Once the children had returned to their activities, Jacky gave them a tour. Though she should have been surprised after seeing what Jacky was capable of, Claire was still taken aback when she saw how clean the boys’ rooms were. The beds with Tampa Bay Lightning comforters were made with military precision. The carpet stood tall from a recent vacuum.
“My father would salute these boys,” Whitaker said. “I can’t even make a bed so well.”
“It’s the first thing we do when we wake up,” Jacky said.
Back in the kitchen, Jacky offered them a glass of ice water, which they happily accepted. Kari was still working away. Jacky invited them to the large backyard, which was lined by a tall white vinyl fence. They sat by the well-maintained pool under the shade of an umbrella. A basket overflowed with footballs, Frisbees, soccer balls, and other activities. Beyond the pool, a tall oak tree with a long branch running along the ground stood alone in the Bermuda grass.