Stay

“Jewel’s scent fills every inch

of the little dog

with deep joy.

Baby and Jewel

a pack of two

warm and safe together.”

Baby snuggles close to Jewel and feels entirely at home and content. The phrase “a pack of two” is a recurring motif in the book, first appearing here. It underlines The Powerful Bond Between Humans and Animals, as Baby thinks of Jewel as his family. As long as he has her, he needs nothing else.

“Every place we’ve been since we lost our home four months ago, every possibility that didn’t work out, has made our world feel smaller. I never realized until it was gone how something as normal as hope lights up your world.”

Piper reflects on how her family has struggled for the past few months since they lost their home; arriving at the emergency shelter feels equally distressing. Her desire for hope and how it used to light up her world foreshadows her finding exactly this in the fittingly named Hope House, which the Trudeaus will move into shortly and is an important symbol in the book.

“‘Remember this, Baby,’ Jewel says.

Baby cocks his head to one side and listens.

‘There are good folks out there.’

‘Some bad folks, but mostly good.’

‘Don’t ever forget, Baby. Mostly good.’”

Jewel and Baby receive food and supplies from someone who distributes them among the people living in the park, leading Jewel to tell Baby that people are “mostly good.” This is an idea that repeats across the story—it is Jewel’s belief, and also Meg’s, as she says this to Piper later in the story as they collect funds for Jewel and Baby. While Ree doesn’t initially think so, she comes to see how it can be true when she sees the Firefly Girls’ efforts.

“Baby remembers how it was to live in the same place,

take the same walk, see the same things

every day.

‘Our home is everywhere!’ Baby yips with happiness.”

Baby remembers living inside a house like the “fancy dog” he sees at the park. However, unlike humans who might miss such things, Baby does not regard his current life as distressing; rather, he appreciates being able to spend time with Jewel and explore the outdoors all day long. Baby’s attitude to life puts into perspective the important things and is also reminiscent of another motif in the book: looking at the “doughnut” (i.e., the things to be grateful for) rather than “the hole” (i.e., what is missing).

“I loved being a Firefly Girl. I loved the songs and crafts and field trips. I loved earning pins and badges. And I was the best, top-earning gourmet brownie seller in our troop back home in Cyprus Point. But most of all, I loved the friends I made, being part of something.”

Piper reminisces about what it was like being a Firefly Girl. There are specifically two things that she misses: feeling good about using her skills in an effective and impactful way, and having friends and belonging to a group of some kind. Both of these longings underscore The Positive Impact of Community and Purpose that Piper desperately needs and eventually finds with another troop of the Firefly Girls.

“‘Baby,’ she calls. ‘You stay, you hear me?’

Baby shivers with fear, lays his ears flat against his sleek head.

‘You stay and be a good boy,’ Jewel says as they slide her into

the mouth of the big car with the flashing lights.

‘I’ll be back, Baby.’”

An ambulance takes Jewel away to the hospital; as she leaves, she instructs Baby to stay, promising to be back. Baby takes this instruction to heart, only ever straying from his position when he visits Jewel in the hospital and has to leave again. Determined not to be separated from her again, Baby goes to her. This is where the title of the book comes from, with the word having more than one meaning: Not only is it an instruction given to Baby, but it also signals to people not having homes to stay in, which is equally important to the story.

‘“Because we love them,’ Ree practically shouts. ‘and they love us back no matter what. When they look at us, they don’t see some raggedy old guy pushing a shopping cart, or an ex-drug addict, or some faceless old woman.’ Ree taps her chest with each word. ‘They see us.’”

Offended by Gabriela’s assertion that Baby needs a “real home,” Ree tells her exactly what their animals mean to people without homes. This is an interaction that underscores the importance of community and the strong bond between humans and animals, showcasing how they interact and contributing to Ree’s characterization. For people without homes, their pets can be their only family and the only place where they receive companionship and a sense of belonging.

“It makes me sad even though Gabby had told me they were probably going to do that. She was my only friend. Human friend, that is. She didn’t even say goodbye.”

Piper feels disappointed and hurt when Gabriela leaves without saying goodbye. Even though they had not become particularly close friends, Gabriela’s departure is upsetting to Piper because of how much she presently craves companionship. This passage also showcases how she has already gotten attached to Baby, as she thinks of Gabriela as her “human friend,” as Baby is also a friend to her.

“Mama explodes. ‘What do you think has changed there? We have no home, no jobs, nothing to go back to.’ I think about my friends and my school and my Firefly troop back home. I have lots to go back to. But nobody asked me what I thought.”

Piper overhears her parents arguing about whether they ought to stay or go. This is another instance where the title takes on significance: Meg does not want to keep moving and looking for other opportunities; she wants to stay and give one place a chance. This passage also highlights the frustration and helplessness Piper feels as a child, as she has no control over or agency in the circumstances in which she finds herself. While her mother wants to stay, Piper wants to go back to her life before, which establishes conflict and the emotional toll of a changing living situation.

“Yesterday, when the girl came,

her feet dragged through the dead leaves,

her head down

shoulders hunched.

But today

he can feel excitement and happiness

in her steps.

Always, she smiles for him.”

Baby greets Piper as she visits him at the park. This passage highlights two things. Firstly, it shows Baby’s perceptiveness, as he is immediately able to divine the difference in mood and feelings in Piper. Secondly, it demonstrates the critical role of community in fostering belonging and purpose—Piper’s entire demeanor has changed with just a single Firefly Girls meeting, as here she is meeting Baby right after the session.

“As if reading my thoughts, she looks back at me, a fierce light in her eyes. ‘Don’t you let nobody tell you who you are because of where you live.’”

Sapphire explains to Piper how most of the other children who live at Hope House are ashamed of their situation and don’t want the others at school to know where they live; this is why they get off the “Homeless Bus” and walk to school. Sapphire, however, refuses to do so, and she urges Piper not to equate her self-worth with her circumstances. This contributes to Sapphire’s characterization and the journey toward acceptance amidst adversity. Throughout the story, when the Firefly Girls get involved with helping Jewel and Baby, they all shed this self-consciousness to help Piper tell Jewel and Baby’s story.

“Mama nods. ‘I think you’re right. Jewel must have taught piano.’ Mama rubs her thumb across the photograph. ‘What in the world happened to you,’ she asks the Jewel in the photograph. ‘What’s your story?’”

Piper and Meg look through Jewel’s bag and find photographs of her with her piano students. The contrast between Jewel’s past life and the present situation she is in is shocking. It contributes to the narrative tension in the book by introducing intrigue about what Jewel’s story might be.

“When people see them on the street with their dog or cat […] they aren’t just street people, they’re real people. Most everybody can relate to having a pet they love. Having their dog or cat helps them feel like they’re important, even if it’s just to their dog.”

Piper explains to Mrs. Bailey what she has learned from Ree about the relationship between people and their pets. The kind of empathy and understanding Piper displays about the subject underscores her inherently sensitive and perceptive nature. It also highlights how impactful the relationship between humans and animals can be.

“‘He works two jobs and goes to school at night.’ He shakes his head. ‘He’s always saying, ‘I’m going to get us out of here and make something of myself. You too.’”

Noah tells Piper about his background. Because both their parents are not around, Noah and his older brother have had to fend for themselves, with Noah’s older brother taking primary responsibility for both. Learning about stories like Noah’s helps Piper see her situation in perspective and inspires her to show Resilience in the Face of Adversity just like so many others do.

“‘I’m just trying to help Jewel and Baby,’ I said quietly.

Mama sank down on the bed and stroked Dylan’s hair away from his face. ‘How about me?’ she said. ‘I need help too, you know, especially right now.’

‘Yeah, but we have each other,’ I point out. ‘Baby and Jewel don’t have anybody.’”

Meg gets upset with Piper when she rides the subway to the bus stop to retrieve Jewel’s suitcase. When Meg asserts that she needs Piper’s help and support, Piper points out that Baby and Jewel don’t have anyone else to lean on. Once again, Piper displays characteristic sensitivity and empathy in her response. This also displays how having someone else to help gives Piper a sense of purpose and an ability to tap into inner strength that she wasn’t able to do so as well before.

“Watching her walk off down the hall with her shoulders thrown back, I think of a word Mr. Koehler taught us: resilient. It means being able to bounce back from something really bad and move ahead. That’s Fire, for sure. Now that I think about it, resilient would describe most of us kids in Hope House. We have to be.”

Piper learns about Sapphire’s mother and is in awe of how the young girl must help manage her mother’s mental health condition at such a young age. Sapphire is an extremely spirited and outspoken young girl, and once again, learning her story shows Piper the kind of resilience people are capable of. Piper sees how all the children at Hope House can show resilience despite difficult circumstances. She begins to understand that she can do so, too.

“Ree turns and shoves past the nurse. I start to follow her out, but then I stop. I don’t know what in the world gets into me—maybe Fire, maybe Mama—but I turn and say in my most dignified voice, ‘Her name is Jewel,’ I say. ‘Jewel Knight. She’s not ‘the patient,’ she’s a person.’”

Piper and Ree visit Jewel in the hospital. Irritated by how the nurse refers to Jewel, Piper speaks up and stresses Jewel’s name, reiterating that she is an actual person, not “the patient.” Through Piper’s attitudes and responses to Jewel and Baby’s story, Pyron continually reminds readers how people like Jewel and Ree, who find themselves in tough situations, are deserving of understanding, empathy, and respect rather than criticism.

“After roll call, we say the Firefly Pledge. ‘I promise to do my best every day to make the world a better place…’ Tonight, those words have extra meaning for me.”

Piper recites the Firefly Girls pledge before the meeting, in which she will tell them about Jewel and Baby. She reflects on the meaning of the words and feelings inspired to make the world a better place however she can and ask others to do so, too. These are how the Firefly Girls becomes a space for Piper to find both community and purpose, both of which help her through a difficult time in her own life.

“She thinks about her little brother. The little brother with the bluest eyes, the lightest hair, who looked nothing like her. Every day she wonders and worries about what became of him after she left that place called home that was not a home, a place that was not filled with love and safety but hate and hurt. Where is he?”

Ree remembers her little brother, whom she left behind when she escaped a home that the text insinuates was unsafe and abusive. Glimpses of different characters’ lives and backgrounds—Ree, Jewel, Sapphire, and Noah—serve as reminders of how people find themselves in adverse situations through a multitude of circumstances that deserve less judgment than the world offers them.

“‘Don’t they need the money for food and stuff?’ I ask.

‘We’re all on the edge of the world,’ Ree said. ‘Lots of us have fallen off that edge with no way to get back up. If we can help one of our own get back on solid ground, into a safe place, we’ll do it.’”

Ree spreads the word about Jewel and Baby among other people without homes living in and around the area and collects funds to donate to Jewel and Baby’s cause. The kind of selflessness that people like Ree and the inhabitants of Hope House display showcases the capacity for goodness and generosity people are capable of despite not having enough for themselves. It reiterates the idea that people are “mostly good,” as Jewel and Meg both believe.

“These girls have hope. These girls believe they have the power to make a difference, even if it’s just for a woman and her dog. Who is she, Ree thinks, to tell them otherwise?”

In keeping with the earlier passage, even Ree, who viewed dogs and animals as better than humans, comes to see the potential goodness in people through the actions of the Firefly Girls. They give her hope, especially for Jewel and Baby, symbolic of the fact that they live in a space called Hope House.

“But sitting here in the dark like this, laughing together, sharing popcorn in our hand-me-down clothes, it’s nice. It’s good. I’m not ashamed of who we are and where we live. We feel like home.”

Piper and her family watch a movie together at Hope House, and she reflects on how things feel good in her life now. She can appreciate the closeness that her family has found through their challenges, and she no longer feels any shame in their situation. The positive attitude Piper displays at this stage of the story shows the resilience she has now found; she can see the “doughnut” and not just “the hole.”

“Mama says you can’t let bad things make you lose your faith in humanity, though. ‘There are good people and bad people out there,’ Mama says. ‘Mostly good.’”

Piper hopes for the money to come in in time for Jewel and Baby, and she keeps her faith up, remembering what her mother always tells her—that people are “mostly good.” The idea recurs at the end of the story just as it appeared in the beginning; both times, it foreshadows the eventual happy ending that will come Jewel and Baby’s way.