Her eyes sweep Miguel. “You have a sibling, right?” she asks after a moment.
“A sister,” he says cautiously. “Miriam. She still lives in Puerto Rico.”
“Are you close?”
Now he doesn’t hesitate. “Very.”
“Then I assume you know and care more about your sister than almost anyone else,” she says, then lifts her glass to her lips and takes a sip.
“Well, yes,” he admits.
“Same with me and Jon. As you know, we lost our parents when he was young, and I helped raise him. I still feel the need to protect him all these years later.”
Miguel nods. “We did, too. Miriam and I, we lost our mother when I was twelve and she was nine, and our dad had already been in the wind for a while at that point. We felt…” He glances away for a moment before looking at her again. “Well, like we weren’t enough for him to stay. But after our mother passed, then it was like we were truly alone in the world and had only each other to rely on. I think that’s why your brother’s work has always resonated so much with me. Orphan as origin is a story I know a little too well, and the way he described your relationship—it’s a lot like how I feel about Miriam.”
“I’m glad it resonated, but I’m also so sorry for your loss,” she says quietly.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for yours, too.”
Neither of them says anything more for a while. It’s a comfortable silence, though. So comfortable that I startle when I feel a hand on my back.
It’s Amelia Mae, who has snuck over to the study and is beside me on the floor. She holds a finger to her lips toindicate I’m not to announce her presence. We both lean silently toward the screen door.
“I promise I’d share more if I could, but I honestly don’t know what’s happening with Jon,” Fiona says quietly.
“You could at least tell me how to reach him. You must have his number.”
“Of course I do, but if he won’t pick up for me, he’s definitely not going to answer for you.”
“Are you sure he’s all right?”
“Sure? No. He and Vik got in a fight a month ago, and he hasn’t been the same since. But I’m not worried he’s going to hurt himself, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“So, he and Vik are together?”
“They were.”
“I had no idea.”
“It’s not because he’s trying to conceal their relationship. He just doesn’t want people to knowanythingabout him, including who he dates. And I have to respect that.”
“Right,” Miguel agrees. “All the same, I would like the chance to speak with him.”
I jump up suddenly, like a flea bit me, but it’s not bugs that have me bothered. Amelia Mae isn’t here anymore. Where’d shego?
“Harold,” says Miguel, spinning around. “What’s wrong?”
Fiona’s eyes flash with fear. “Amelia Mae?” she yells. “Where are you?”
Sixteen
She isn’t in her bedroom or Fiona’s. She’s not in the kitchen, either. I dart from one place to the next as fast as I can—which is admittedly not very—because if I slow down, Miguel might catch me. Unfortunately, Fiona seems to be under the impression I’m the reason Amelia Mae’s missing and is scrambling behind us. Did she have to run past a pack of hyenas to get to school when she was a child? Granted, I’ve been threatened by some naughty dogs in my day. But it was really their owners who were the issue, and she can clearly see that Miguel—well, he may not be dog dad of the year, but he cares entirely too much about me and would never let me hurt anyone. Especially her daughter.
“Harold!” he calls as I slip around another corner and out of his sight. To Fiona, I hear him add, “Don’t worry, he has a great sense of smell. He’s just trying to find her like we are.”
This is true, but as much as I’d love to relish his compliment, I have more pressing matters to attend to. As it happens, I’ve just discovered a fresh trail of apple shampoo, and it’s leading me straight to the front closet.
“Shhh!Get down, Harry!” exclaims Amelia Mae when I stick my snout inside. She pulls me into the small room and closes the door behind me. “I don’t want Fiona to realize I took her phone.” She flips the shiny plastic device open and hits a bunch of buttons. I hear faint ringing, then some sort of robotic voice. She presses another button, then repeats the process a few more times. Finally, a real man’s voice comeson.
