gave him a nod before he followed the older man. He walked to a desk and picked up a photograph, handing it to Jak. The picture was of a man about his age, he thought, standing in front of a car and smiling.
Jak looked at it, trying to figure out what the older man was showing him. “That’s Halston Junior. Your father.” Jak’s eyes widened and he brought the picture closer, looking at the face of the man who had fathered him. “You look like him,” the older man said. “Just like him. There are more family albums in the drawer if you want to look through them later.” Jak stared at the photograph again, bringing his hand to his bearded jaw, his eyes moving back to the man in the picture, curious. Jak wasn’t sure if he looked like his father. He still pictured his own face looking back at him from the wavy water. He couldn’t remember what he’d looked like in the pictures he’d found at Driscoll’s house, and he didn’t like to think about that anyway. He’d only glanced at himself in the mirror in Harper’s bathroom. He hadn’t taken the time to study himself—he’d wanted to, but he wanted to get back to bed more. To her. He handed the photograph back.
“I’m your grandfather, son. Call me Hal. Welcome. Welcome to the family.” His voice made a weird crack and then he stepped forward, surprising Jak by wrapping his arms around him. Jak remained stiff for a second, but then let the man hug him quickly before he stepped back again. “Well, I’m sure you have hundreds of questions and we can sit down and talk after I’ve shown you around your new home. How’s that?” He thought of his real home—his old home, he kept having to remind himself. Right now, the forest would be filled with the noise of the hunters and gatherers going about their work. The sun would be at its warmest. If he closed his eyes, he could feel it, smell it, remember the times of peace when his mind was quiet and his heart was calm. There, he felt connected to all living things, when the whispers weaved through him, wrapped around him, and he became part of it all. No end. No beginning. He’d drawn the feeling on Harper’s mother’s notes. He wondered if he’d ever have that feeling again. This new place felt like the opposite of that.
The grandfather—Hal—smiled at Agent Gallagher and Harper, who was standing next to him with her hands together in front of her. “Thank you for everything,” he said. “Nigel will show you to the door.” The man named Nigel in the black and white uniform stepped forward from the doorway like he was a shadow who had just come to life.
“Thank you. Jak, give me a call if you need anything,” Agent Gallagher said, giving him a nod and starting to turn away.
Jak’s heart leaped and he stepped toward Harper. “Do you want me to stay?” she asked softly, leaning in to him.
Yes. He did. But he remembered she had gifts for the kids at the group home. Gifts in shiny green paper with red and white bows. She’d put them behind the seat in her truck and said she’d been away from them too long. He wanted those kids with no parents—like him and Harper—to have those gifts. To know she hadn’t forgotten about them.
But he didn’t want to be alone with these strangers in this big castle that felt cold and lifeless. He felt . . . stuck. He stared at Harper. It’d only be for a little while . . . “Will you come back?”
Harper smiled, but it looked like she was making herself do it. “Yes, of course I will. I’ll call you.”
Call him? He felt panicked. He didn’t even know how phones worked, didn’t know what phone, or where . . .
“Agent Gallagher gave me the number here,” she said, as if she could read his mind. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay, then, it’s all settled,” the grandfather said. “Nigel.”
He held out his hand to Harper, feeling unsure, wanting to kiss her. She looked unsure too but she moved forward, hugging him quickly, squeezing, and then she was turning. Walking away. Gone. Harper. I should have asked her to stay.
“Follow me,” the grandfather said. “I’ll give you a short tour and then we can sit down and talk before my one o’clock appointment.” Tour. Appointment. So many words