Chapter 44
The following weekend she was back to babysitting Jacob.
But she would never get used to having a bodyguard following her every move. It was eerie, like having a nameless, speechless shadow on her back. She was always relieved when she went home and returned to her own life, without the grandeur that was so evident in Savannah’s new life. There was at least a type of freedom which she had never before realized—the freedom to live happily in her cramped little student digs in a neighborhood which turned unsavory under the cover of darkness.
This was better than to live a life shadowed by men who never spoke but would lay down their life for you.
“Do you want another hotdog?” she asked Jacob.
He considered it. Then shook his head. “No, thanks.”
“Are you sure?” They’d been ice-skating for over an hour and she was cold and hungry. And she wanted to go home and finish off the big case study that the tutor had dropped on her class two days ago. It had put a halt on Xavier’s Valentine’s Day ideas. She had already warned him she couldn’t come over tomorrow, and on matters of principle, she didn’t agree with the jacked up prices at restaurants during Valentine’s Day. So they’d agreed to catch a film, then have takeout at his place.
“My mom gets really hungry.”
“She’s having a baby, Jacob. It’s to be expected.”
“And,” he put his fingers to his lips and glanced over at the bodyguard who was standing away from them. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Are you sure you want to tell me, if it’s a secret?” She was going to pretend she didn’t know.
“I trust you, and Mommy and Tobias trust you, too. They like you lots.”
“That’s nice to know.”
“That’s why mommy only lets you be the one to look after me. You and Rosalee. But Rosalee is always busy these days, and we don’t get to see her much ‘cos Diego’s got a new baby sister now.” He made a distasteful face. “Who wants a sister?”
“Sisters can be nice!”
“But brothers are better.”
She cocked her head, as if debating. “I don’t know. I think it’s nice to have a brotherora sister. It’s nice to have someoneelseto play with.” And Jacob, she knew, was so ready for a playmate.
“Mommy isn’t fat.” He looked at her as if it was impossible to keep the news to himself.
“She’s not,” agreed Izzy, “And that’s not a nice word to use, to describe anyone.”
“But I didn’t say shewasfat.”
Izzy bit her lip. “No, you didn’t.”
“It’s the baby that’s making her fat. I mean, big. And it’s notonebaby.” He held his hand in front of his mouth, secret-spy style. “She’s havingtwobabies.” He gazed at Izzy, as if waiting for her reaction.
“Twobabies?” She whispered, looking over her shoulder to see where the bodyguard was.
“That’s why she’s so fat.”
“Jacob! We don’t use that word. It’s rude.”
“But she is!”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to know about the babies, Jacob. Isn’t this supposed to be a secret?”
“But I’m so excited, I wanted to tell you. I know you won’t tell.”
She wanted to hug him so tightly for being a kid, for thinking everyone else had his same sense of wonderment and honesty. “Thank you for telling me, Jacob. But you mustn’t tell anyone else. Okay?”
“Okay.” He bit his lip. “Can I tell you one more thing?”
