chapter 60

HENRY

“Do you want it?” said Zavion. He extended his hand to Henry.

Osprey leaned back into Henry’s chest and looked up at him.

“It’s a magic, isn’t it?” she said. “It’s the magic.”

Zavion put the marble in Henry’s hand. Henry let it roll back and forth on his palm. Tiger bowed his head and poked his beak at it. Henry couldn’t believe it. He thought maybe he should feel excited to find it again, but a river of sadness rushed through him. An ocean. Wave after wave after wave.

“Where did you get this?” he asked. He wanted to be absolutely sure.

“I got some clothes from the Salvation Army,” said Zavion. “The marble was in the pocket of a pair of blue jeans. These jeans, actually.”

Henry scrutinized the jeans. A small rip at the knee. One cut belt loop. His old jeans.

“These…are your…jeans, aren’t they?” said Zavion.

“Is there a hole in the right pocket?”

Zavion put his hand in the pocket. “A hole! Yes! The money must have fallen out—”

“Those are mine,” said Henry, but he could tell that Zavion didn’t need confirmation.

“Wow. So this is your marble?”

“Yup.” Henry ran a finger from Tiger’s head all the way to his tail. He missed Brae again. “Mine and Wayne’s.” He missed Wayne too.

“Who’s Wayne?”

“My son,” said Jake. Henry turned to look at Jake. He was staring at the marble.

“Henry’s not—” began Zavion. Henry turned back to him. “You’re not—”

“Henry’s not my son,” said Jake quietly. “Wayne is my son—was my son….” He trailed off.

“We traded the marble back and forth. For good luck.” Henry sighed. “I just—I wanted—but then I didn’t think it had any luck in it anymore. So I stole it—I put it in my pocket—and then it ended up down here—” Henry uncurled his fingers and held the marble out to Zavion. “Here—”

“But this isn’t mine,” said Zavion. “Don’t you want to keep it?”

“No—well, maybe—” Henry struggled. “I don’t know—I don’t think I will ever have any good luck again anyway—” All he had wanted was to find the marble, he thought he would feel better, and maybe even hopeful when he did, and now he was miserable.

Zavion extended his arm, but instead of taking the marble, he grasped Henry’s hand like he was going to shake it. The marble sat between their palms.