Page 23 of Echoes of a Southern Song

Jinnie’s shoulders tense slightly. “No trial date yet. His lawyer’s dragging things out.” She scrubs a pot harder than necessary. “Looks like he wants money.”

“Which you don’t have.”

“Which I don’t have,” she agrees.

I set the plate down, turning to face her. “The judge will see that. He’s just trying to scare you.”

“I know.” She sighs, drying her hands on a towel. “Can we not talk about him tonight?”

“Sure.” I bump her shoulder. “Movie?”

Her face lights up. “Yes. Please.”

The only comfortable place to watch in the tiny home is Jinnie’s bed. We pile into it, her laptop balanced on our knees, her legs tangled with mine. Max hops up, glares at me, and then steps over me and curls up next to Jinnie.

I like this. Doing nothing. We don’t have to talk or be doing anything exciting. We can just sit here and be together.

Halfway through the movie, something on her shelf catches my eye—a worn stuffed bear I’ve never noticed before.

“That new?” I nod toward it.

Jinnie follows my gaze. “No, that’s Mr. Snuffles. My dad gave him to me when I was little.”

I frown. “I haven’t seen it before.”

I’m pretty sure that’s the one she told me about, but I could be wrong. She’s got a few stuffed animals around the place. That’s one thing I’ve noticed about Jinnie, her treasures aren’t necessarily valuable. Not in a monetary sense. But she treats them like they are precious antiques worth millions.

“Sam took it when he left.” Her voice is quiet.

I feel my stomach flip over. There’s only one way that thing is back on her shelf.

“He gave it back yesterday,” she says.

The movie’s forgotten as I turn to her. “He what?”

She shrugs, eyes fixed on the screen. “Ran into him at the grocery store. Said it got mixed up in his stuff.”

Something cold settles in my gut. “You saw him.”

“Yes.”

“And you just took what I guess is his peace offering?”

“What was I supposed to do? Throw it at his head?”

I want to say yes. Instead, I force a laugh. “Would’ve been satisfying.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you saw him?” I ask.

Jinnie glances at me. “Because I didn’t want to freak you out. It was weird, but it wasn’t a big deal. He just gave me the bear and left. No drama.”

I study her for a moment, trying to read between the lines. “You sure? Seeing your husband...that feels like a big deal to me.”

She sighs, setting the laptop aside and turning to face me fully. “I know it’s not ideal, Jack. But I’m not going back to him. He’s just trying to get under my skin, and I’m not going to let him. I’ve moved on.”

Her words calm me a little, but there’s still a nagging feeling in my chest. “Just be careful, okay? And tell me next time, please. I don’t know if I have a right to ask you that, but I want to know what I’m up against.”

“I’m not letting him mess with me again. Or us. Please trust me when I say you are the only one I want to be with.”

“I know. I do. It’s just weird.”

“I should have told you because now it looks like I’m keeping things from you,” she mutters.

“It’s fine, Jinnie. It was just a surprise.”

We settle back into the movie, but my mind keeps drifting back to Sam. I don’t trust him, and I don’t like that he’s back in town, even if it was just for a brief encounter. And she didn’t tell me. Now, I’m always going to be wondering if he’s showing up at her house while I’m playing. I don’t want to be jealous, but it’s there.

The bear stares at me from the shelf, its beady eyes almost mocking.