I grabbed my phone from my pocket and snapped a picture of the two of them.
A sleepy-eyed Jamie strolled into the kitchen. He frowned at the food. “Mom, I don’t want—”
“Here’s a Pop-Tart,” she handed him a pack before he could finish speaking.
He took it from her and scurried over to sit beside me.
“Manners, James,” Rebecca scolded. “What do you say when someone gives you something?”
“Thanks, mom,” he mumbled, ripping open the packet.
“Mmm, something smells good,” Marcus rubbed his stomach as he stepped into the kitchen. He kissed Rebecca on top of the head and her eyes closed as a small smile graced her face. “Thanks, Becks,” he took a plate from her.
They joined us at the table and Rebecca shook her head when she spotted Sarah in Trace’s lap.
“You’d never believe that she’s normally wary of strangers,” Rebecca told me. To Trace, she said, “You’re a natural.”
Trace smiled at Sarah. “I like kids and they like me.”
I snorted. “That’s because you act like a kid yourself.”
“Exactly,” his eyes sparkled. “There’s nothing wrong with never growing up.”
“Don’t go getting any ideas,” Rebecca warned her son when he brightened at Trace’s words.
Jamie frowned, his small shoulders slumping. Being a kid though, he quickly got over it. Looking at me, he asked, “Are you going to live with us now?”
I tried to hide my smile. “No, Jamie. We’re leaving today,” I explained.
“Oh,” his frown deepened. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“Me neither,” Sarah chimed in, hugging her arms around Trace’s neck. “Stay! Stay!”
“Sorry, princess, but we can’t,” Trace tucked her small head under his chin.
“No,” she began to cry. “Don’t leave.”
Trace rubbed her back soothingly, looking at me with panic stricken eyes.
I was more clueless than he was. I’d rarely been around small children growing up and had no idea what to do with the tear-fest.
“Please, stay,” Sarah pleaded. “You can live in my room. My dolls won’t care.”
Trace chuckled, and pried her arms from his neck so he could look into her wide brown eyes. “I’m sorry, princess. But I have to go home to my family.”
“But,” her lower lip trembled as she fought more tears, “we can be your family.”
“I know you could,” he comforted her, “but my mom and brother would miss me. You don’t want that, right?”
“No,” she shook her head, dark brown ringlets brushing against her shoulders. She looked at her own parents, as if thinking about how they’d miss her.
“Don’t forget about me,” she placed her head against his chest.
“Never, princess,
” he kissed the top of her head. “That would be impossible.”
I never knew it could be so hard to say goodbye to people you’d just met. But it was. I was sad to leave Marcus and his family.