Page 73 of Jep

“Whataboutme?”

“What’s your story? Did you know your parents?”

“You really want to go there?”

“It will help take my mind off everything.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“Yesterday you said you saw a man knifed in the street. That’s a lot, and that’s only one story.”

“My life is pretty stock standard for a kid on the wrong side of the tracks.”

“Yeah?” She leaned forward in interest, so Jep relented with a sigh.

“I never knew my dad,” he said.

“Any siblings?”

“Probably should have, but no.”

“Should have?”

“My mom was a prostitute. Loved me as best as she could, but…I spent most of the time looking after myself like you. If she ever got pregnant again, she took care of it before I knew anything about it.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t. It’s like you said, we all have a hard story to tell. I’ve made peace with my past.”

“Is that why you wanted to help that girl from the other day? Did she remind you of your mom?”

Jep shrugged. “I didn’t even think about it that way, but maybe. That could explain my lapse in judgement.”

“That wasn’t a lapse in judgement. It was unforeseen.”

“We’ll agree to disagree.”

“Just think about how much worse it could have been.” Em’s eyes shifted over his shoulder, and he turned to see a woman in her fifties approaching with a big smile on her face. She slid up to Jep with both her hands reaching for his.

He stood to greet her. “Good morning. You must be Carla.”

“Hi there,” she said, squeezing his fingers. “I am, indeed. And who might you be?”

“Don’t mind her,” Em said to Jep. “She’s informal with everyone.”

“Not a bad way to be,” Jep said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jep Booth.”

Carla pressed her lips together and sent a quick look to Emery. “Is Jep short for something?”

“Jephthah.”

“Hang on,” Em said. “I didn’t know that.”

“You probably never asked,” Carla said. “That’s an unusual name, Jep.”

“That’s why I go with the shortened version. It’s easier on everyone.”

“What’s the origin?”

---