where he was going or how badly Jade had been injured, but he did know that their survival hinged upon escaping the old farmhouse and the People of Joy.
Twelve years later, they were still running, living by their wits and the occasional turn of good luck, but certain that if they were found, they would go to prison for murder.
Jade was riding a rare high as she handed over the caricature she’d just drawn of her latest customer and pocketed another ten dollar bill. She’d lost count after her fiftieth customer had come and gone, which meant she’d made over five hundred dollars alone on the simple ten-minute line drawings that had become her stock in trade. Added to that, Raphael had sold nine of her oil paintings, ranging in price from fifty to one hundred dollars. The money they were making today would make the next two or three months a whole lot easier than they’d expected them to be.
“You want something cold to drink?” Raphael asked, as he stepped out from behind her easel.
Jade touched the side of Raphael’s face. He was shivering, although the day was nice and warm, and he looked awfully pale.
“You all right?”
“Sure, baby…lemonade okay?”
She nodded, then frowned as she watched Raphael cross the walkway between the booths to the refreshment stand only a few yards away. It was the first time she’d looked at him—really looked—in ages, and he seemed thinner. She sighed and swiped a weary hand across her forehead, absently swiping a lock of dark hair from her face as she turned around. She was thinner, too. It was what happened when you didn’t have enough to eat. Then she smiled, thinking of the money they were making today. At least they would eat well tonight. Maybe she could talk Raphael into steak. He needed to get some meat back on his bones.
Lost in thought, she was startled when she felt a hand on her knee. She flinched, then saw it was a child, and relaxed.
“Well, hello there,” she said. “What’s your name?”
“Kenny.”
She knelt down. “So, Kenny, would you like me to draw your picture?”
“Yes, please,” a woman said.
Jade looked up. A young woman, obviously Kenny’s mother, was smiling at Jade and handing her a ten-dollar bill. As Jade pocketed the money and set Kenny down on a stool, she saw a man approaching.
“Look, honey,” the woman said. “She’s going to draw Kenny’s picture.”
“That’s great,” the man said. “Sit real still for the pretty lady,” he said, and then gave Jade a friendly wink.
She nodded, then turned to her task, but her thoughts quickly wavered. The man and woman appeared to be so happy. They kept touching each other in brief but tender ways, and the smiles on their faces as they looked at their son were nothing short of stunned, as if they could hardly believe that their love had produced something as wonderful as this child.
Soon she was finished. She rolled the drawing into a tube, fastened it with a rubber band and handed it to the woman.
“Great kid,” she said.
The woman beamed. “Thank you.” And then they were gone.
Jade stood for a moment, unaware of the wistful expression on her face. And while she didn’t assume for a minute that she would ever meet a man who could love her in spite of what she’d been, it didn’t stop her from thinking, What if?
But Jade had long since given up on living a normal life. For now, she was just satisfied that their money troubles were momentarily solved. So she turned back to her easel and began trimming her charcoal pencils for the next customer.
A few minutes later, Raphael set a cup of cold lemonade on the tray beside her, gently stroked his hand down the back of her head as she thanked him with a smile, then walked back to the front of the booth.
There was an empty space on the wall from the last painting he’d sold. He looked around at the assortment of canvases leaning against the table leg for something to replace it. Almost immediately his gaze fell
Twelve years later, they were still running, living by their wits and the occasional turn of good luck, but certain that if they were found, they would go to prison for murder.
Jade was riding a rare high as she handed over the caricature she’d just drawn of her latest customer and pocketed another ten dollar bill. She’d lost count after her fiftieth customer had come and gone, which meant she’d made over five hundred dollars alone on the simple ten-minute line drawings that had become her stock in trade. Added to that, Raphael had sold nine of her oil paintings, ranging in price from fifty to one hundred dollars. The money they were making today would make the next two or three months a whole lot easier than they’d expected them to be.
“You want something cold to drink?” Raphael asked, as he stepped out from behind her easel.
Jade touched the side of Raphael’s face. He was shivering, although the day was nice and warm, and he looked awfully pale.
“You all right?”
“Sure, baby…lemonade okay?”
She nodded, then frowned as she watched Raphael cross the walkway between the booths to the refreshment stand only a few yards away. It was the first time she’d looked at him—really looked—in ages, and he seemed thinner. She sighed and swiped a weary hand across her forehead, absently swiping a lock of dark hair from her face as she turned around. She was thinner, too. It was what happened when you didn’t have enough to eat. Then she smiled, thinking of the money they were making today. At least they would eat well tonight. Maybe she could talk Raphael into steak. He needed to get some meat back on his bones.
Lost in thought, she was startled when she felt a hand on her knee. She flinched, then saw it was a child, and relaxed.
“Well, hello there,” she said. “What’s your name?”
“Kenny.”
She knelt down. “So, Kenny, would you like me to draw your picture?”
“Yes, please,” a woman said.
Jade looked up. A young woman, obviously Kenny’s mother, was smiling at Jade and handing her a ten-dollar bill. As Jade pocketed the money and set Kenny down on a stool, she saw a man approaching.
“Look, honey,” the woman said. “She’s going to draw Kenny’s picture.”
“That’s great,” the man said. “Sit real still for the pretty lady,” he said, and then gave Jade a friendly wink.
She nodded, then turned to her task, but her thoughts quickly wavered. The man and woman appeared to be so happy. They kept touching each other in brief but tender ways, and the smiles on their faces as they looked at their son were nothing short of stunned, as if they could hardly believe that their love had produced something as wonderful as this child.
Soon she was finished. She rolled the drawing into a tube, fastened it with a rubber band and handed it to the woman.
“Great kid,” she said.
The woman beamed. “Thank you.” And then they were gone.
Jade stood for a moment, unaware of the wistful expression on her face. And while she didn’t assume for a minute that she would ever meet a man who could love her in spite of what she’d been, it didn’t stop her from thinking, What if?
But Jade had long since given up on living a normal life. For now, she was just satisfied that their money troubles were momentarily solved. So she turned back to her easel and began trimming her charcoal pencils for the next customer.
A few minutes later, Raphael set a cup of cold lemonade on the tray beside her, gently stroked his hand down the back of her head as she thanked him with a smile, then walked back to the front of the booth.
There was an empty space on the wall from the last painting he’d sold. He looked around at the assortment of canvases leaning against the table leg for something to replace it. Almost immediately his gaze fell
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