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“I don’t know devastating, but it was terrible bad times. Mi mamá has very much problems with the birth. And it turned out there were twins, Angelina and Juan.” The tender smile faded, and Jake heard the tears in Miguel’s voice before they appeared. “After that, we had so many days of crying. Times she couldn’t get out of bed, but it was not her fault. She missed Papá so much.”
Miguel stayed quiet for a long time, sadness distorting his face. Before the gathering tears dropped, Jake gently reached out to take the boy’s hand, and he asked, “What happened then?”
Miguel swiped at his cheeks, shifted uncomfortably but continued the story where he’d left off. “The neighbor ladies looked after us. Friends came to help me take care of the babies and slowly, she got better. That’s when mi amigo, Rodrigo, heard from his cousin in Miami that there were jobs for kids like us who wanted to make big money. I knew we were getting desperate, she couldn’t work, she was too weak, and the babies needed her. So, I ran off with Rodrigo, hid on one of the freighters heading to Miami and got work.”
“And you hated it.”
“Si. I was lonely for Mamá and the little ones.”
“How old are they now?”
“Six months. Mamá says every night they go to bed, they wake up bigger.”
Laughing, like Miguel had intended, Jake said, “We’ll get you home, Miguel. I promise. And we’ll make sure your family is taken care of. I’m a rich man now, wasn’t always, so I know what it’s like to worry about the next meal. I’ll help you in the future until your mother has her health back, okay?”
Miguel’s smile lit the room, and he reached out to hug Jake, a custom where he came from that was his immediate reaction to Jake’s kindness. “I like you, Jake. Mi mamá will like you too… and the babies. Gracias.”
“I’m kind of becoming fond of you too, kid. Now go to sleep and don’t answer the door. You’ll be safe here.”
He called for Carlos and wondered at the hours the man must put in considering he was always available to Jake.
“Si Señor.” Carlos arrived within a short time.
“I have another favor to ask of you.”
Wariness overtook the subservient expression. “Okay.”
“I have Miguel staying with me for the next few days. Rylee’s worried that there’s too much traffic in her room, so I offered to have him stay here in my cabin. You and I both know there’s plenty of room. He’s sleeping in the big bed now so can you make up the sofa for me?”
Carlos nodded, hesitated, and then asked, “He’s the same kid who’s sometimes with Miss James?”
“Yes, the boy you caught up with earlier.”
“Fine.”
“You’re okay with this?”
Not knowing for sure how much of the story Carlos was truly aware of, he decided to go one step further. “This stays between us, you and me. Right? No one else needs to know about this kid.”
“Except for Miss James.”
“That’s right.”
“Fine.”
“Okay. This will bring you a huge tip at the end of the trip, Carlos. Just make sure no one else gets into this room.”
Expecting to see his eyes light up, Jake wondered all the way back to Rylee’s room why his steward just looked defeated.
