The Friends We Keep

“Brad does have a room. Would you like to see?”


Tyler nodded so hard and fast, Nicole worried he would hurt his neck. Then she followed the two of them back down a short hallway, past an open door that led to a good-sized bathroom.

Jairus opened the first door on the left. The room was small and painted white with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on two walls, and storage cubbies on the third. The fourth was dominated by a big window surrounded by a huge mural of Brad’s world.

She didn’t know where to look first. Tyler began to laugh as he raced inside and sank to the floor. He started pulling out different copies of Brad books from the bookshelf.

“Tyler,” Nicole began, but Jairus put his arm on her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “He can’t hurt anything.”

The room was a testament to all things Brad. There were hundreds of books, mostly in English but also in several foreign languages. There were Brad stuffed animals and T-shirts and pens and flashlights, party favors, packages of balloons. In one corner was a stack of Brad towels by a Brad trash can. Possibly from the bathroom collection she hadn’t known existed.

“Admit it,” he murmured in her ear. “You’re scared.”

“No. I’m terrified. How do you sleep at night?”

“Brad’s a great companion.”

She had her doubts about that, but had to admit to being impressed by what Jairus had accomplished. He’d started drawing for his sister and now he had a Brad-driven empire.

After a few minutes, Tyler was enticed away from the Brad room with the promise of seeing Jairus’s office. Nicole was equally curious about his writing process.

Jairus crossed to one of the other bedrooms and opened the door. Only they weren’t in a bedroom at all.

The room was huge—obviously an addition. The style matched the rest of the house, but the ceiling was higher—maybe twelve feet. There were windows everywhere. Ceiling fans circled lazily overhead.

Beige paint offered a neutral backdrop for sketches pinned up everywhere. There was some kind of molding going around the room. Nicole stepped closer and examined the two-inch border of corkboard installed just above eye level. There were pins every couple of inches and they allowed Jairus to put his drawings up, in order. She saw the beginnings of a picture book—sketches of a tropical Brad in a Hawaiian shirt and holding a surfboard.

Jairus pointed to the drafting table at the far end of the room. “That’s where I do most of my work.” He showed them the big pads of paper he used, along with all the pencils and colored pens.

“It’s not computerized?” she asked.

“Nope. This is how I learned to do it. I can’t change now.” He turned and pointed to the computer at the other end of the room. “I write the text there. For my manuscripts, I scan in the drawing so everyone can see how it will look.”

Tyler walked along, staring at the story in progress. “Brad’s going to learn how to surf?”

“He is.”

Nicole had read enough of Brad’s books to know that the adventure would probably not go smoothly and that the young dragon would learn a lesson along the way.

“When did you do the remodel?” she asked.

“Shortly after I bought the house. I thought my sister, Alice, would like the big windows and the backyard.”

Nicole could see the east windows faced the big yard. There were trees and a sturdy swing set, along with a built-in barbecue and a seating area.

“You didn’t want to be along the water?” she asked.

“It wouldn’t have been safe.”

For his sister, she thought. Because Jairus had known she would come to live with him. He’d been thinking of her when he’d bought this house and remodeled it. Because this was Southern California and the best light would be south, not east. But if all the windows were in the south part of the room, he wouldn’t be able to keep watch over his sister in the yard.

She wasn’t sure exactly what was going on in their relationship. There’d been that one, brief kiss, a lot of texting and some hanging out, mostly with Tyler along. So while she thought they might be seeing each other, the relationship was fairly undefined. Still, she couldn’t help reaching for him, lacing her fingers through his.

Jairus squeezed her hand and drew her closer.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “All of it.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

They went outside through the French doors in his office. Tyler raced to the swing and jumped on. Nicole bit back the automatic “Be careful,” and instead seated herself where she could see him.

“Tell me about your tour,” she said. “You told me about the logistics and how you do a lot of media and stuff. You were gone a long time. Do you like doing it?”

“Mostly. I enjoy meeting my readers. The kids are great.”