“Jada?” Stacia steps forward, extending her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I was one of Jules’s closest friends. I knew her as Bonnie.”
Jada’s brow furrows, and her eyes scan Stacia up and down before seeming to relax. “She thought that sounded more like a cheerleader’s name.”
“Right!” Stacia smiles bigger. “She was such a fun person. We went to cheer camp together every summer, and she was with me when I made the New Orleans Saints’ Cheer Krewe.”
Stacia looks over at Spencer, then her eyes land on mine.
“You…” She takes a step back. “You’re one of those fake journalists.”
“I’m so sorry, Jada,” I say quickly, holding up my hand. “I had no idea Chet and Susan were going to do that. I was as surprised by the whole thing as you were.”
“You’re bad people, and my baby cousin shouldn’t be in that kind of environment. Jules wouldn’t want it.” She steps to the side as if she’ll close the door in our faces.
But Stacia steps forward before she can. “I know what your cousin wanted for Cricket.”
Jada’s eyes narrow. “How? You’re with them, which means this is probably another trick.”
A cry sounds in the room behind her, and my heart hurts. It’s Cricket. I recognize her voice.
“We can prove to you Stacia was friends with your cousin,” I say, stepping forward as well. “Would you let us do it inside? I’d really like to see Cricket. I’ve missed her so much.”
“I’m not calling her that.” Jada jerks her chin. “Her name is Christine after Jules’s mom.”
“It’s a nice name.” Spencer speaks calmly from behind me. “Would you mind if I see her? I’ve never met the little girl.”
Jada doesn’t move at first. She studies the three of us again as if weighing her options. Another cry sounds from behind her, and I force a desperate smile.
“Please?” My tone seems to soften her, or the noise of a fussy baby.
Jada steps back, opening the door wider. “I guess y’all can come in.” She walks ahead of us, picking up discarded socks, a T-shirt, and a plastic bag. “It’s kind of a mess in here. I never had a baby before.”
“It’s okay…” I follow her carefully, doing my best not to shove past her. “Babies can be overwhelming at first.”
The room is small, but a lamp is lit on a small, doily-covered table, and lace curtains are pulled back to allow light through the windows. Several area rugs cover the dull wooden floors, and it’s cluttered but appears clean. A faint scent of poop lingers in the air, and I imagine she doesn’t know about Stan the Manny’s Diaper-Genie trick.
My chest tightens at the sound of a baby girl humming in a fretful way from the floor across the room, then Cricket’s little head peeks out from behind a plush armchair.
She’s dressed in a long-sleeved beige shirt and soft knit pants, and she’s looking down at the floor as she rocks back and forth on her hands and knees.
Every muscle in my body tenses, and I hold myself backfrom racing across the small space to scoop her into my arms.
“I think she’s trying to crawl or something,” Jada explains. “She makes a lot of sounds, and she says ‘Ba’ a lot.”
“Can I hold her? Please?” I don’t wait for an answer. I go to her before Jada replies, bending down to sweep her onto my hip. “Cricket?” My voice is soft and high. “Hey, baby! You okay?”
Her little eyes widen, and she pats my face, squealing and then leaning forward to put her forehead against my jaw as she chants, “Ba ba ba.”
“I know, baby girl. I missed you, too.” I close my heated eyes, swallowing the ache in my throat as I rub her back. “I’m here…”
I stop myself from finishing that sentence. I want to tell her I’m here to take her to her daddy, but I don’t want Jada throwing up walls and kicking us out.
“It looks like you’ve been busy,” Spencer notes in a neutral tone. “Do you live alone?”
“Yeah.” Jada picks up a pair of shoes off the floor. “My boyfriend comes over a lot, but he doesn’t spend the night now that the baby’s here. She cries too much for him.”
“That must be difficult.” Spencer takes a turn around the living room before coming to a stop.
“He don’t bother me none. I’m taking care of my family, and he can deal with it.”
