Page 72 of Bad Medicine

But as I reached the top of the stairs, I heard a voice calling out in the dark.

“Mom.”

“Oh, shit,” I whispered, turning to look at the bedroom door with airplane decals all over it. I froze, hoping that maybe Jasper had gone back to sleep, but instead, the knob turned, and he stuck his tired little face out into the hallway.

For a second, we just stared at each other, both of us surprised by the other one, standing like a couple of statues there in the near dark.

Jasper broke first.

“Where’s my mom?” he asked hesitantly.

“Uh, she’s asleep, buddy. Is there something you need?”

“Thirsty.”

“Oh.” Looking around, like a juice box was just going to appear out of thin air or some shit, I shook my head and said, “You wanna come get a drink, then?”

Jasper nodded, and that, apparently, was that.

He led the way back down stairs, his little tiger clutched in one hand as they bumped along together into the kitchen. I followed, turning on the light and looking around.

“So, uh...” I scratched my chest again, this time for an entirely different reason. “Where are the glasses?”

Walking over to the sink, Jasper pointed up at the dish rack, staring at me like I was a moron, and, honestly, I’d give him that one.

Opening the fridge, I looked inside. “You want milk or juice?”

“Can’t,” he said shortly. “Den I gotta brush my teeth again.”

I blinked, accepting that logic.

“Water it is, then.”

I filled the glass, then thought better of it and dumped out half before handing it to him. Never letting go of the tiger, he gripped the glass with both hands and chugged the whole thing before handing it back to me.

“You good?” I asked, and he nodded, so I opened the dishwasher to put the glass inside, but Jasper stopped me.

“Don’t use dat,” he said, his pudgy little finger pointing at the dishwasher.

“Why not?” I asked.

“It’s broken. All da water falls out on da floor.”

I frowned, not liking that shit at all. Putting the glass back in the sink, I turned to find Jasper already making his way back upstairs. Turning off the light, I followed him, pausing when he headed for the bathroom and not his bedroom.

“Um, you good to do that on your own?”

“I’m not a baby,” he said, rolling his eyes, and I couldn’t help but laugh. The kid had his mother’s sass, that was for sure.

Waiting outside the closed door, I listened as he flushed the toiletandwashed his hands, before he exited the bathroom and made for his bedroom.

“Well, good night, buddy,” I said, standing awkwardly in the hallway.

But Jasper turned and stared at me expectantly.

“You gotta tuck me in,” he said, climbing his little self up into the bed.

“Um...” I hesitated again, looking back at Mia’s bedroom door across the hall. “Yeah. Alright.” I entered the bedroom, looking around like it was a spring-loaded trap and not the place where a child slept. In the soft glow of the nightlight, I could see the walls were decorated with more decals of airplanes, some old school bi-wings and crop duster types, mostly, with some fancy fighter jets thrown in the mix.