Page 141 of When Ben Loved Jace

The rest of us are also laughing, me with an edge of panic.

“They had to leave the house with bath towels around their waists!” Jason howls. He sobers up suddenly. “You know, that might be my biggest regret in life. Not thinking of the towels."

“I would have made a toga out of a bed sheet and told people I was from Greece.”

“Good call!” Michelle says. “Sounds like you’ve got your workcut outfor you this time, Jason.”

He splutters laughter. “I’ll think of something. I always do.”

“How come?” Jace asks. “Seventeen foster families is a lot. None of them were better than your current situation?”

Jason’s eyes flit to Michelle and away again. “I like the way things are now.” He considers us briefly. “Nothing personal.”

“We want you to be happy,” Jace assures him. “Even if living with us doesn’t do the trick.”

“It might,” Jason says hurriedly.

He glances at Michelle again, but I don’t think he’s seeking her approval. Jason seems to really like her. I’m guessing she’s been the most stable presence in his life for a very long time. Ever since… Well, we don’t really know yet.

“If youdon’tlike staying at our place,” I say, “please let us know instead of doing something crazy, like rolling the trailer into a lake.”

Jason perks up. “Hey, that’s not a bad idea!”

“Doesn’t he get a say?” Jace asks, looking to his sister in confusion. “He should be able to choose when he wants to leave a family without having to go to such lengths to escape them.”

“Thereisa way,” Michelle responds. “Formal requests and group conferences. We try to make the current situation work before attempting to find a different placement. His method expedites the process, to say the least.”

Jason shakes his head. “It’s not just that. I uh…” He swallows. “I’ve always done this. Since the beginning. I figured if I was bad enough, and no one could handle me, they would let me go home. To my mom.”

I finally ask the question that has repeatedly come to mind. “How come you couldn’t?”

Jason presses his lips together and begins to glower. “I’ll tell you. But only if you promise not to judge her, because she was a great mom.”

“I’m sure she was,” Jace says. “She must have been because you’re a great guy.”

Jason studies him a moment. Then he looks at me. I don’t make any promises. I want to be real with him. My instinct tells me that’s what he needs.

“She was a single mom,” Jason says at last. “Got pregnant at sixteen. My dad enlisted in the army after he found out, and not because he was worried about supporting a family. I never saw him. My grandma helped raise me. Everything was fine until she died of a heart attack. My mom started drinking after that so…” He turns his attention to the nearest wall, as if more interested in the memorabilia there, but his head whips back toward us suddenly. “It wasn’therfault! My mom started dating this guy and some bad stuff happened. She never hurt me. The bruises came from him. Yeah, she drank a lot, but so what?” He gestures around the restaurant. Most of the patrons are indulging in beers or cocktails. “Are you gonna take their kids away too?” Jason snaps, rounding on Michelle.

Who thankfully shares her brother’s unshakeable patience. “I’m not the one who makes those decisions,” she says softly. “Only a judge can.”

“I know,” Jason grumps, crossing his arms while glaring at his half-empty plate. “I really loved her. She was a good mom. The best.”

“Is there any possibility—” I begin.

Jason cuts me off. “No.”

Michelle delicately shakes her head. Which considering how tight-lipped she’s been, really underscores the severity of the situation. A stifling silence falls over the table.

Jace clears his throat. “You know what?” he says. “If youdowant to roll the trailer into a lake, that’s fine with me. Sounds like you’ve earned it. We’ll even drive the thing there for you. Just give us a chance first, because they don’t make Airstreams like that anymore. It really is a classic.”

Jason snorts. The constricted arms loosen again.

“I don’t know about you,” I say, pushing my plate away, “but I plan on dancing my ass off tonight, and that means I can get away with having dessert. Maybe two or three.”

“We could order one of each kind so we can try them all,” Jace suggests. “We’ll share.”

“Great idea!” Michelle enthuses. “This is the best part of my job. Helping kids is nice, I suppose, but I’m only really in it for the free meals.”