The next morning (or afternoon, since neither Jim nor Jade got up until 2), they had lunch, and unpacked some more items from the boxes. When Jim saw the cat, he said, “Um, honey, isn’t that Mr. Moon’s cat?”
“Yeah, he snuck in my room last night.”
“He did? How? Is there a hole around here?”
George and Jade looked at each other. “Well, George?” Jade joked.
Jim just laughed. “Go return him, okay?”
“Okay.”
After she got a shower, and dressed, she headed upstairs, with George in her arms, and headed up front. When she knocked on the door, she was hoping it was Noah to answer, but it was Mr. Moon.
“Oh, what a wonderful surprise, hello Jade,” he said. He looked like he did yesterday, in professional work clothes, ready for work.
She felt herself shrink. “Hi, is Noah here?”
“Oh dear, you just missed him, actually. What was it you needed dear?” he asked.
“I just wanted to return your cat. He snuck into my room last night.”
He laughed. “I’m sorry about that.”
“No, it’s okay. I had a nightmare last night, so . . . it was nice to have him near me,” she said, remembering the dream, the feeling of fear.
Mr. Moon’s face changed, looking more serious. “Would you care to join me? I just made a fresh pot of tea, and wouldn’t mind some company.”
“Tea?” Jade asked. George hopped down from her arms, and ran into the house. “I guess he’s happy to be home.”
Mr. Moon’s head followed the cat. “Little jerk thinks everywhere is his home.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You and Noah talk about him like he’s an actual person.”
He turned around, and smiled. “That’s because he is an actual person,” he whispered.
There was no laughing, nothing to break and tell her it was just a joke. “Okay? Well, I’ll-“
“Come, Jade, join me for tea. Noah should be back soon.”
Mr. Moon widen the door, for her to come in. She hesitated, but walked through the door. Mr. Moon closed the door behind her, and told her to sit on the couch. She did what she was told, and sat awkwardly on the couch as her prepared a cup of tea.
When he came out, he had a tray, two cups and a tea pot, ready for them.
He poured the tea in front of her. When she went to reach for it, he warned her, “It’s very hot. I would wait.”
“Do you drink tea because you’re British?”
“Huh?” he was confused.
She felt red. “The accent . . . you are British aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. North of Liverpool is where I grew up in, but moved everywhere when I turned about 15, maybe 16.”
“Do you miss it?”
“We all miss where we grew up in. But, it’s a lot different than what it was as a child. I suppose I miss the childhood, not so much the place. A city is a city, and millions of people can call it home, but memories are something no one else has, but you. Speaking of, where are you from?”
Jade was a little taken back by his long and unusual answer that for a second, she forgot where she had just come from. “Kansas. I’ve been there my whole life. Never left the state till just a day ago.”
“Oh wow, really?” he said, pouring himself a cup, and sitting down. “You’ve never been anywhere else?”
She shook her head. “No. I guess that’s why I was excited to move here.”
“Don’t you miss your family?”
“Jim’s the only person I have.”
“Why do you call your father by his name?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure. It’s something he doesn’t mind.”
“Do you see him as a father?”
“Of course, I’ve never had anyone else to call my dad.”
The tea was still hot, steaming. “I’m sorry if I scared you yesterday.”
Jade was so lost in thought. “What?”
He smiled, putting a hand on his chin and leaning his arm on the handle. “You looked terrified of me. I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Oh, well . . .” she stared to rub her neck. “It’s not that.”
He stared at her for a few too many seconds. “This nightmare of yours, did you want to talk about it?”
“No,” she shook her head. “It was . . . a little too vivid.”
“How so?”
She sighed. She did want to talk about it, just not to him. “Well, there was a forest, and these eyes were following me. When I looked back, there were these shadow hands chasing me. Then, this figure came out of nowhere, and it looked creepy. It grabbed my wrist.”
She didn’t realize she was holding her wrist the whole time. She looked down, and could feel the little pains from last night. “What did the figure look like?”
“Tall . . . creepy . . . skinny. Very boney, something ripped from a horror scene. Like a monster,” Jade said, remembering his face. “He had black solid eyes.”
Mr. Moon perked up. “He did?”
“Yeah, and he kept calling me by my name.”
“He kept saying Jade?” Mr. Moon asked.
She shook her head. “No, he kept saying my first name, Allisilon.”
His face turned pale. “That’s your first name?”
“Yeah, Allisilon is such a dumb name, don’t you think? I can’t even tell you what country it came from. I hate it. No one can spell it. So that’s why I go with my middle name. No one can say it right, or spell it for that matter.”
When Jade looked to his face, she could have sworn tears were swelling in his eyes. She wasn’t sure why he was reacting so heavy to her name. “It’s . . . I like it though. Your bio parents, do you know their names?”
“My bio mom was best friends with my adopted mom. Pricilla was her name. I don’t know much about my bio dad. My dad thinks his name was like John or something. I just know my bio mom needed to get rid of me and disappear, so my mom took me in. She was just eighteen though. Freshly married, out of high school, just starting her nursing program. Jim tells me I was an extra surprise because he didn’t know she was bringing me home till she did. She said they were keeping me, no if, ands, or butts about it. She was really strong.”
Mr. Moon was leading a little too close, listening a little too hard. “What happened to your adopted mom?”
“She died of cancer when I was five, almost six. The same year she finished school. Then, it was just me and Jim.”
“Oh wow, well, it explains a lot.”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “What does?”
“Why you’re so mature.”
She shrugged her shoulders. It wasn’t the first time she was told that. “I guess.”
“And, I don’t think your bio mother wanted to get rid of you. I think she might have been going through a lot, and couldn’t care for you the way you needed as a baby.”
“Yeah,” Jade said looking to her wrist. “I suppose. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t think about it that much anyways.”
“Do you want to hear a story?”
“A story? About what?”
“It’s the story how Life and Death met.”
ns 15.158.61.17da2
