I wanted to let it all out. To sob and scream and jump for joy. But this wasn’t the time or the place. Not in front of my son and his new friends. Not in front of the handsome man that worked hard to defend this country.
Only alone, in my room, with a pillow to help me relieve my years of stress, of fears, of hope.
“Something like that.” I pretended to laugh as I pushed the corners of my lips up into what I hoped to be a believable smile taking the tissue.
I glanced over at Jagger and noticed he was watching me. His brow creased in uncertainty. Finally, he turned to look out over the park and watched the people go by.
“They don’t know and that’s too bad.” Jagger sighed waving his hand at all the people around us. “They walk around the world, ignorant to what is real. Their eyes never seeing the invisible beauty. Searching for answers that are there. Always there, if only they stopped running to find them. Because sometimes it’s too late when we see . . . and that’s the biggest heartbreak.”
His hand moved over mine and Jagger turned his head, his green eyes full of something I worried was being reflected back at him. “It’s okay, Tiffany, because I know. You and me, we know.”
I couldn’t stop them. The tears. They came and when I tried to speak, only rough breaths escaped. He pulled me close and let my eyes dampen his shirt. It felt good and I didn’t care. He was a man and I needed that right now. It had been too long.
His arms were firm, giving me the comfort and support I craved. Jagger never said a word because he didn’t need to. He knew it was his touch I required the most.
We would have stayed like that for a while if loud voices from the skate park hadn’t made me look up. I saw David on the ground and a group of boys around him yelling. Before it registered what was happening, Jagger had hopped up and was running over to the boys.
“I need everyone to get back,” Jagger demanded, his tone loud and authoritative.
The boys listened and a few ran away. One of the boys, a kid with black hair, was helping David up.
“What happened?” I crouched down and assessed his face, his arms, his legs.
He didn’t appear to be hurt but that didn’t mean he wasn’t.
“I fell,” David said. He folded his arms and refused to look at me.
The kid with raven hair tapped me on my arm. “The boys who ran off tried to steal his skateboard. We were talking, me and David, and they came over wanting his skateboard. They pulled it out from under him, that’s how he fell over.”
“Thank you for telling me. What’s your name?” I asked.
“Diego.”
Jagger moved beside me as I stood.
“Hey, Diego. Would you like to learn how to be a ninja?” Jagger asked.
The boy’s dark eyes rounded as his mouth fell open. There were a few gasps and “no way’s” from the boys around us.
“It’s just, I’ve been teaching David here, how to be a ninja.” Jagger turned to David, and with a serious tone he said, “You didn’t use any of the moves on those boys, did you? Because those moves are deadly and not to be used on anyone.”
My son shook his head as he stared up at Jagger.
The agent nodded, scratching his chin with his fingers. “Good. You still need some practice. Why don’t you give Diego your info and we can all set up a time to discuss more ninja training?”
“Yeah,” both boys said at once.
“Is that all right with you?” Jagger turned to me, doubt lining his features.
I gazed at my son’s face. So much hope in his while mine filled with worry.
“Yes, it’s all right with me,” I said as the boys cheered.