Jag stared at Graham Black’s face.
Dutch got Graham.Dutch looked a lot like their dad.
Jagger got parts of him, his hair, his height, but he lookedmore like his mom.
Dutch even got more of their dad in that.
Even more of him.
Jag hit play and the narration started with a voiceover onthe picture, then faded to a talking head of Tack.
“Can’t know.It didn’t happen that way,”Tack wassaying.“They were one by then.Keely and Black.Made the boys by then.Soit was bad, we lost him, because he was Black.He was our touchstone.Ourexample.Every brother’s best friend.You lose that kind of equilibrium, theworld ceases to make sense.But it was worse,theylost him.Becausehe was a man built to be a husband and father.He was the stake in the groundto which his woman was attached.Dutch was touched by that, but Jagger neverknew it in any tangible way.His father would only ever be stories to Jagger.So Black’s loss was a death of a part of us all.His loss to Keely and Dutchwas a heartache.But his loss to Jagger was torture.”
He stopped the documentary, turned off the TV.
Then, before he could make up a reason not to, he picked uphis phone and went to texts.
You got some time next week to talk?he texted hisma.
He headed to his bedroom to change so he could go to thepark and work out, then get a good stretch in before he had to shower, getdressed, hit the store to stock up for their Sunday, and then go get Archie totake her out to dinner.
He didn’t even get to his bedroom before his mother replied.
Hear there’s a girl.
He didn’t blame Hound for sharing.
In a healthy marriage, a husband and wife talked.
And any dad shared shit about their kids with the mom.
Especially if it was important.
Yeah, he replied.
Always have time for you, honey.Just tell me when, I’llbe there.
Thanks, Ma.
You bet.Love you.
Love you.
Jag then changed into workout gear.
But before he headed out, and again, before he made excusesnot to do it, he sent another text.
He got the reply before he hit the park.
You call it, I’m there, Tack replied.
Jag drew breath into his nose.
Then he sent a day, time and place to Tack.
He started his workout and he really went at it, ending itin a five-mile run and a thorough full-body stretch session in order to sorthimself out so he’d be chill and loose.
And maybe, that night, he wouldn’t dream of going out topick up a pizza and heading back to his truck.
