Page 95 of Kaine

“Come on! If I know them, I bet they’ve been up since dawn!”

She shoves on the car door, which swings on its hinges all the way open, then pushes herself out of the car. Without looking back she runs up the driveway and up the two stairs to the porch. I follow close behind, carrying a bag of gifts for her grandparents.

“Grammy! GRAMPY! GUESS WHOOOOOOOOOO?” she yells as she jumps up and down, peering through the small screen compartment of the door.

“My, my, what is this neighborhood coming to, all this riff raff making noise,” a voice speaks up from inside.

“Grampy, it’s me!”

“Oh, it’s a girl scout coming to try to sell me cookies!”

“It’s not a girl scout. It’s Jade!” she squeals.

“Jade? No, my Jade is a quiet, mousey type who never makes a sound. You look like a bad influence,” he winks at me conspiratorially and I know immediately who Jade takes after.

“Let me in! I’m hungry,” she begs.

“Carol! There’s a beggar out here! They must’ve smelled your macadamia cookies, should we tell them we’re saving them for our granddaughter and her friend?”

“Nah, just tell them we ate them all,” comes the quick reply.

“Grammy! That’s not even funny! Now let me in.” She stomps her foot, sulkily.

“Let me go grab my glasses to make sure I’m not accidentally letting in an encyclopedia salesman.”

“Grammy, you’ve never needed glasses a day in your life, don’t pretend now. You see everything.”

Jade’s grandmother grins at us and reaches for the door. She barely has time to unlock it before Jade pulls on the handle, throws it open, and runs into the arms of her grandparents.

There’s squealing and laughing and crying and more.

I wasn’t always rich.

In fact, there have been days I’ve gone to bed hungry. Consecutive days.

And when I started finally earning the kind of money other people can only dream of. I never really knew why. I didn’t crave money like some of my counterparts do. It’s not like I was afraid of going hungry again. There was a reason, I just didn’t know it.

Now I do.

So that I could make this moment happen.

“Grammy and Grampy, this is Kaine. Kaine Ashley.”

I reach out to offer my hand and the three of them gasp, clutching each other while looking at me in horror.

“Why are you being so insulting to my grandparents, Kaine? What did they ever do to you?” Jade yells at me, her eyes growing wide with shock.

I pull my hand back immediately, trying to understand what I’ve done that’s offended them so much. I’m trying so hard, in fact, I miss them share a quick glance, before resuming their looks of absolute shock

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I don’t...” I look at Jade, imploring her to help me out but she just stares at me, her eyes wide with horror.

Jade’s grandfather breaks away from the pack and comes up to me, staring me down.

“Son, that’s not going to do. We don’t shake her. We hug.”

And he pulls me into the longest, tightest hug I’ve ever gotten from a stranger, or even loved one, in my life.

Jade smiles at me as I look over her shoulder, her grandmother beaming at us both.