Stay

Baby is Jewel’s dog and one of the point-of-view characters. He is a small dog, tiny enough to be hidden in a duffel bag or a pocket, as Jewel and Ree both do on occasion. He has been with Jewel for many years and was traveling with her to live with her sister, Bernadette, in Boise.

The narrative portrays Baby as a deeply perceptive dog. He is tuned into not only the moods and feelings of Jewel, whom he has been with for many years, but also those of other humans and animals around him. When he meets Piper, he senses her sorrow and tries to make her feel better the same way that he does with Jewel. Baby extends this same sensitivity and concern to another dog in the shelter as well, whom he attempts to comfort after sensing its heartbreak and confusion.

Baby is also extremely loyal to Jewel. Pyron derives the title of the book from Jewel’s order to him that he “stay” when an ambulance takes her away to the hospital. Accordingly, Baby remains at the same spot in the park, guarding Jewel’s duffel bag and refusing to move. Desperate to be reunited with her, he only leaves the spot when he figures out where Jewel is after Ree takes him to the hospital. Despite the affection he feels for Piper, Baby is never entirely content until his eventual reunion with Jewel. All the love and care showered on him by the others around him cannot compensate for Jewel, whom he considers his family.

Pyron’s choice to center Baby’s perspective in the story is characteristic of her writing—animals consistently play an important role in her books. In Stay, Baby’s perspective helps develop the novel’s exploration of resilience amidst difficult circumstances by offering a different view on what may otherwise seem like a challenging situation. Although Baby and Jewel live in the park and do not have a home, Baby’s joy at just being with Jewel and experiencing every new day with her highlights what is truly important in life: being physically safe and secure and having another being to love and call family.

Jewel is Baby’s owner. She was a music teacher, but financial difficulties complicated by her mental health condition left her in a difficult situation. Jewel was traveling to Boise to live with her sister, Bernadette; however, she ran out of her medication while on the journey, exacerbating her condition. Confused and unsure about everything, Jewel and Baby come to live in the park with no money or resources available to change their circumstances.

Jewel’s story and circumstances help dispel some of the misconceptions that are commonly held about unhoused people. Early chapters show people yelling insults at her and Baby; similarly, characters like Gabriela and Tamara at the shelter believe that Baby would be better off living in a home than with someone like Jewel. However, the narrative highlights Jewel’s background, showing how factors like mental health conditions or chance misfortune can contribute to the kind of adversity she faces. Like the Trudeaus, Jewel did not lose her home because of a lack of effort on her part; extenuating circumstances were at play.

Despite the confusion and memory loss Jewel experiences, her love for Baby remains unflinching. Regardless of how physically ill or uncomfortable Jewel is, she refuses to abandon Baby and move into a shelter or even take advantage of the services of the community kitchen. Jewel and Baby’s love for each other sustains her, as Baby continually helps her feel better when she begins to feel sad or confused. Because of this, Baby can be registered as Jewel’s emotional support animal and eventually make the journey to Boise with her. The joy and relief Jewel feels at being reunited with Baby parallels Baby’s feelings at the reunion. Just as for Baby, Jewel, too, sees him as her family. Jewel’s story and her connection with Baby underlines The Powerful Bond Between Humans and Animals.

Ree is Jewel’s friend and a woman who also lives in the park with her dog, Ajax. When Piper first meets Ree, Piper thinks she is scary. Part of this is because of preconceptions surrounding Ree’s appearance: She has dreadlocks and an eyebrow ring. However, as Piper gets to know Ree, she comes to see how caring, concerned, and fiercely loyal Ree is to the people and animals that matter to her. She, like Jewel, refuses to move into a shelter or eat at a community kitchen as she will not abandon Ajax. She also cares about people in situations like hers, like Jewel and even Piper. Just as she checks in on Jewel and Baby and does what she can to help them, she is empathetic about Piper’s discomfort and shame at school because of her living situation.

Ree’s intimidating aura partially stems from her general mistrust of humans. She grew up in an unsafe home, which she escaped as soon as she could, leaving her little brother behind. Between this and the judgment that she continually faces for her appearance and her unhoused status, Ree believes that dogs and animals are better than humans. However, just as Piper’s initial impression of Ree is proved wrong, Ree comes to see that people are capable of goodness when she sees how hopefully and tirelessly the Firefly Girls work to help Jewel and Baby. Through her own story and her relationships with other characters in the book, Ree’s character helps break down different kinds of preconceived notions.