Page 52 of Chasing Dreams
She’d never spent the night in a man’s arms until knowing Austin. She’d never felt these tender, yet fierce feelings of need.
He kissed her—an indulgent kiss that bolstered her confidence.
Without touching anything himself, Austin turned the box on its side, so that the contents tipped, a few things falling to the floor.
Shaine looked them over, remembering packing them, remembering Jack playing with them. A worn terrycloth bear caught her attention. “He slept with that,” she said, gesturing. “That’s Bear.”
“Go ahead.”
Shaine picked up the bear and brought it to her lap, placing both hands on it.
Her chest grew warm.
“Go with it,” Austin said softly. “Use your reference points.”
She did. Her hands got colder. Her chest got warmer, the heat dipping into her stomach. The picture swam into focus.
Jack. He was sitting at a small table with some other children. They had crayons and papers in front of them. The other children were coloring, but Jack only watched.
Finally a woman knelt beside him and spoke softly. Shaine couldn’t see her face, but she wore camel-colored slacks and a beige sweater. She hugged him, and he wrapped his little arms around her neck. Still the woman spoke, her voice gentle and assuring.
One of the other children handed Jack a purple crayon. He released his hold on the woman and accepted the crayon. Soon he had drawn a circle with eyes.
Shaine explained the scene to Austin.
“What’s in the room?” he asked.
“Brightly painted shelves with toys. Noah’s ark is painted on the wall.”
“Any signs? Any other people?”
She shook her head. “The edges are fuzzy.”
“Stay with it. Something will come.”
She stayed with the vision until it dissipated like fog on a sunny morning. “That’s all.”
With disappointment, she looked at the bear in her hands.
“That’s okay,” he said. “You saw something different.”
“But not helpful.”
“Not painful, either,” he reminded her.
“Thank God.”
“Try something else. You have so many to choose from. Something will be the catalyst.”
Shaine placed the bear aside and selected a plastic car. After five full minutes with nothing, she tried a small figure of the type kids get at a fast-food drive-through.
This time, physical responses cued her to something new. Jack lay on a bed in a room she’d never seen before. A room with toys on shelves and a rocking horse in an alcove. Bear was snuggled beneath his chin.
“I’ve never seen this place before,” she said.
“You wouldn’t have seen it if it’s where he’s at right now, Shaine. Describe it.”
She did, giving him as many details as she could.
