When the clock is half past ten in the morning and I haven’t heard any sound from the music room, I leave my office to see what’s going on. Jenna was supposed to start playing at nine. I check the bedroom, bathroom, and music room. No sign of her. I must say, I’m a little worried. Killian and I pushed her hard last night. Too hard. I’m almost sure I’ll find her curled up in some corner, crying and shaking, hiding and drawing in on herself.
My worry only grows when I go into the living room and still don’t find any signs of her.Where the hell is she?The concern that she has run off starts building, and I mentally prepare to go out and search for her. I have no idea where to look. She doesn’t have her own place, and she doesn’t have any close friends nearby—or at all.
Just to be sure, I go to the kitchen to check behind the island, and there she is. But the relief is small. Jenna is sitting very still, hugging her knees, staring off into space.
“Jenna, sweetheart, are you okay?” I approach her the same way I would a scared kitten.
“W-what?” She lifts her gaze, eyes swimming with dazed confusion. That’s when I notice the fresh black letters scrawled across her forehead.
Anger surges through me, and my voice comes out way too harsh. “What did he do?”
“I’m sorry,” she blurts, hugging her knees tighter, not hearing my words, only my tone.
I sink to the floor before her. “Sweetheart, you’ve done nothing wrong. Are you okay?”
“Um. Yeah.” She swallows. “I think so.”
I glance down and find an empty glass of orange juice and four empty chocolate wrappers beside her.Strange.It’s the ones that I keep in a jar at the back of the fridge for aftercare. Jenna wouldn’t go digging in hidden places like that, much less eat sweets without permission.
I lift a golden wrapper. “Did Killian give you these?”
Her cheeks heat with uncertainty, and her gaze drops. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to eat chocolate during the week.”
“Did Killian give it to you?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Jenna.” I cut off her spiraling nervousness and place my hand on her arm. “Jenna, it’s all good.”
I look down at the chocolate paper for a moment. I often remind Killian there’s chocolate in the jar at the back of the fridge for aftercare situations, but I don’t think he’s ever taken any. Until now.
I return my attention to Jenna when I feel her eyes glancing up and down. “It’s okay,” I say to put her uncertainty to rest. “You got permission.”
“But… It was Killian…”
“You’re his as well.” Something shifts inside me as I say those words. I’ve been telling myself we’d share on equal terms, but inreality, I’ve held tightly on to the reins. I don’t want to do that anymore.
I turn my attention to the bold black letters on her forehead.Ours.I’m not sure if the word is for me or for Jenna—a reminder or simply a statement. But it’s right. I thought what I wrote yesterday was perfect, but this is much better.
“Ours,” I mutter, lifting my finger to trace the letters.
“What?”
“Ours,” I repeat, dropping my hand to my thigh.
“He wrote that?” she asks, as surprised as me.
“He did. And that’s what you are. Ours.” Not just mine or his.Ours.I stroke her cheek for a moment before saying, “Are you ready to go practice? Or do you need a while longer? You can come lie on the couch in my office if you’d like.”
A shy smile spreads across her lips. “I think I’m ready to go play, but maybe later. If that’s okay?”
“Of course.” I love having Jenna in my office—just having her close. I help her off the floor and take her hand to guide her to the music room.
Just as we leave, I throw another glance at the letters across her forehead, then down at the empty glass of orange juice and the chocolate wrappers. I have no idea what Killian just did to her, but it’s not what I expected. Something’s happening. A change I’ve long been hoping for. First, the instinctive protectiveness when Jenna panicked on the new piano bench, and now this. Small steps in the right direction.
***
When I ask Jenna about what happened in the kitchen later in the day, she gets embarrassed and starts drawing in on herself, so I end up dropping it. It’s tempting to demand that she tellme, but she’s sensitive today, and I don’t want to risk triggering a drop by demanding information she’s not comfortable sharing, so if I’m going to find out, it will be from Killian.
