Her first appearance was in the prequel. She was the nurse Jack called to help Stephanie.
She made sporadic appearances through the next nine books, mainly in nurse form. She became a caregiver for Tramp and for Naomi when needed and she helped Brittany at work.
But I always saw her as more.
We were both waiting for her moment to shine.
For Mike to wake up.
I think of Jade a lot. She was created out of necessity but grew out of love.
I always try to utilize characters when I see an opening. If there is a storyline that dictates a new doctor or nurse, I try to find a connection to someone I’ve previously written.
Jade was different. In a way, she was the one who needed the connection.
When I began to grow Jade into a more major character, I tried to figure out who she was. I always try and ‘see’ the characters before we knew them. Who were they growing up? What were their hopes and dreams?
Jade was quiet.
Not in the normal way. I knew she was shy. I knew she loved to help people. I knew she was kind and loving.
But her back story was quiet.
Her connection to Brittany was my starting point. I felt they were kindred spirits in a way, but with vastly different backgrounds.
They both had reasons to be guarded.
But Jade suffered trauma in a way so many of us have.
She lost her self esteem and her ability to believe in her worth was the lowest it could ever be.
It wasn’t just being abandoned.
It was her whole sense of worth.
It was missing.
I didn’t like that.
I like to tell people I brought Jade in to help Mike.
That’s not really the case.
Mike was made to love Jade.
But their story is one I struggle with.
Jade is not a loser. She is not weak and she is certainly not a push over.
I just needed her to believe that.
Through Mike, I was able to allow Jade to blossom into a major player. I felt her worry and her fears about being enough. I wondered, along with her, why Mike was being so kind.
That’s the thing with self confidence.
It takes a moment to destroy and a lifetime to rebuild.
The issues Jade has with her body are what I think so many people struggle with. It doesn’t matter how many times someone tells us we’re beautiful or handsome. It doesn’t matter how many compliments we get, the voice we hear in our heads is the one that’s negative.
The one time we were told we’re too fat or too tall or too short or ugly.
That’s all we hear.
It screams at us.
It’s so hard to silence.
Writing Mike and Jade’s love story was a way for me to show myself that people can change.
Mike was in an abusive marriage, although he wouldn’t admit it.
What Rebecca did to him and to his own self esteem destroyed his ability to believe in himself.
I needed Jade to see him as someone who had the same issues.
She wasn’t alone.
One of my favorite scenes was when Mike thought she was grossed out by his scars and she worried he was grossed out by her body.
They just needed to get out of their own ways.
Once they did, a new couple was born, and I adored them.
I know I’ve said this before, but Jade is as close to real for me as any character. I see her in so many students in my classroom- both male and female. I see their struggles with being happy. I see their self doubt.
I see their fear.
Jade has been one of my cherished creations.
But things don’t always work out the way we hope.
“Jade” isn’t what you might expect. It is a story of hope and tragedy. It is a reaffirmation of love and loss and family.
It is a tribute to all this character has meant to me and to our Family by Choice.
I can’t wait for you to read it.
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