“What’s up?” He narrowed his eyes and assessed his dad for any hint of what this talk meant.
“Your mother and I have done a lot of talking lately. We’re excited to meet Jessa and keep trying to figure out if we spotted her at all during our visit to Jasper Lake.”
Landon laughed. “Probably. She’s all over town.”
“She’s the one, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” The answer came with no hesitation. His heart belonged to her, and only her, for the rest of his life if she would have him.
“I’m happy for you. One of my biggest regrets about what mom and I did was seeing how it affected you.” Dad took a deep breath and swallowed. “I don’t deserve the love you and your siblings have given me, but I’m eternally grateful for the grace each of you have shown. That said, I’m not sure I’d have forgiven myself if you missed out on a life of love because I spent too many years being selfish.”
“But that didn’t happen. I came close to losing my chance, but it would have been my own fault.” The entire ordeal with his parents had taught him many lessons, and he understood now how the truth could set him free.
“Will you move to Jasper Lake when you and Jessa marry?”
“We’re not even engaged yet.”Yet.He didn’t plan for that yet to last long.
Dad held out a hand, palm forward. “That’s only a matter of time.”
His heart pounded. He hadn’t discussed it with anyone except Jessa, but he did plan on moving to Jasper Lake. The decision hadn’t come easy, and it wasn’t made without reservations. He loved his family, even Mom and Dad, and he didn’t want to leave them. At the same time, once married—he chose to think in optimistic terms—his first loyalty would be with Jessa.
He couldn’t ask her to leave Jasper Lake, nor did he want to. He loved the town and could envision living there, raising his family in a home up the mountain or right on the lake. After much prayer and consideration, he knew Jasper Lake would be his forever home.
He breathed in and exhaled slowly before answering. “It’s only several hours away. We’ll all be able to make trips back and forth often to see each other.”
A knowing light brightened in his dad’s eyes. “That’s what I thought.”
“How do you think Gran will take the news?”
Dad chuckled. “She’s the one who first mentioned it, and she couldn’t be happier for you. She’s already told us to prepare for one weekend trip a month.”
Relief washed over him. “I’ll hold you all to that.”
“So will your grandmother.” Dad sobered and slipped the envelope to him. “This is for you, a gift from me and your mother. It’s for a down payment on a house.”
He tried to refuse it, but Dad insisted. Finally, Landon took it and peeked inside. His jaw dropped, and he stammered several times before speaking. “This is enough for an entire house. I can’t take this.”
“Please accept it. Your brother and sister also received a gift. I know it can’t make up for all the lost years and it's not meant to, but this is us wishing our children the best and doing our part to see that happen.”
“Bu…but, how do you have that much?” He’d not meant for the question to sound like an insult, though it did.
“Violet and I lived simplistic lives for many years, but we still worked. Since our expenses were low, we saved most of our earnings and invested them wisely.”
Landon didn’t know what to say. He’d made so many assumptions about his parents that had turned out wrong. They’d made poor decisions, there was no denying that, but they’d also made good ones apparently. They weren’t the vile monsters he’d made them out to be. He shuddered when he remembered how he’d once suspected them of moving in with Gran to mooch off her limited income. “The improvements that have been going around here. Who paid for them?”
His dad lowered his head. “Your mom and I.”
“Gran’s ramp?”
“Us.”
“Gran’s nurse on the days mom can’t watch her?”
“Her medical insurance covers those.”
Landon crossed his arms, trying to absorb this latest news. “So you could live on your own financially, but you choose to stay and take care of Gran?”
Shame dotted his dad’s face. “I want Mom to have the best care, and that means having family near her. I wasted too many years being a rotten son, but she won’t want for anything for all her remaining years.”
