I laughed, the sound a little bitter. “And what if life doesn’t know best? What if we know better?”
Yvonne’s gaze was steady. “Then we fight for it, Sara. But just be sure it’s worth fighting for. Otherwise, you might end up losing something even more precious in the process.”
Despite my friends’ advice, I felt a sense of determination that wasn't there before. I was going to have Jack, no matter what it took. I would win him over, make him see that I was the one he should be with, not Ellie. The foolish thought was born out of naivety and stubbornness, but it was all I had. And I clung to it like a lifeline.
To my disappointment, the weeks and months following Ellie’s departure bore no fruit. Even with her hundreds of miles away, Jack seemed more in love with her than ever. I even heard he took a bus to visit her in Bloomington, utterly defeating my hopes of his affection waning with distance. It was then that I finally started to accept the truth: I had been chasing a fantasy, a figment of my imagination, and my turn with Jack would never come. So I slowly began to let go, allowing the remnants of my dream to trickle away. I still had moments of weakness, of longing, but I tried my best to suppress them. But before I could completely sever my feelings for Jack, fate stepped in once again.
Sims Chapel, TN
November 1950
I returned home to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with my mother, who had prepared a spread so large it was as if she was expecting the entire town to drop by. There was the usual turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato pie with marshmallows, and a multitude of colorful vegetables scattered across the countertop. I tried to tell her it was too much food, but she merely waved me off, insisting that there was no such thing as too much on Thanksgiving.
After a hearty meal, I was clearing the table when she asked if I could take some leftovers to George.
“I promised him some turkey and dressing, and a piece of my sweet potato pie,” Mother said as she packed a picnic basket with generous portions of food.
“Of course,” I said, dreading the thought of going out into the cold but unable to refuse her request.
Bundled up in my coat, gloves, and boots, I hiked through the woods to deliver the meal to George. When I got there, I found his cabin empty, the door swung wide. Concerned, I poked my head inside, calling out his name.
“George?”
“No, just me,” came a familiar voice.
I stepped into the kitchen and was surprised to find Jack there, hunched over a wooden table, nursing a glass of sweet tea. His face was a picture of gloom, his eyes sad and rimmed with red. The sight of him, so desolate and vulnerable, sent a pang through my heart.
“Jack? What are you doing here?” I asked as I shut the door behind me. “And where’s George?”
Jack looked up at me, his eyes dull and lost. “He’s out getting more wood… Said he’d be back soon,” he said, gesturing toward the dwindling fire. “I just needed a place to clear my head.”
I set the basket down on the table and grabbed a chair to sit on. “Why the long face? Is everything okay?”
He shrugged, his gaze drifting back to the half-empty glass in front of him. “Not really.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Jack hesitated. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Oh,” I said, putting two and two together. “It’s abouther, isn’t it?”
He nodded, his expression turning even more grim.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll get through it,” I said, trying to take the high road.
“But that’s just it… I don’t know if we will this time. You see, I made a fool of myself in front of her friends…let my temper get the best of me…again. Anyway, I ended up leaving a day early and we haven’t spoken since.”
I stared at Jack, unsure of what to say. He was usually so cheerful, so full of life. Seeing him defeated was disturbing. “Did you try apologizing?” I asked hesitantly, unsure of whether I was crossing a line.
“Of course I did. But she didn’t want to hear it… Said it was probably best if we took a break. I don’t know, Sara. It’s like Ellie’s a different person when she’s around her friends… Like I don’t recognize her at all.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. All this time I had been searching for an opportunity to prove to Jack that Ellie was the wrong girl for him, that he deserved someone who understood him, someone better. Someone like me. But instead of reveling in this moment, I felt a deep sense of sorrow seeing him in such a state.
“Ellie’s probably just trying to fit in,” I suggested, masking the surge of hope that was bubbling inside me. “People sometimes act differently when they’re around other people.”
Jack looked up at me and managed a half-hearted smile. “You think?”
“Yeah, I do. We all have different sides, Jack. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t still…” I wanted to say love, but the word got caught in my throat. “It doesn’t mean she doesn’t still care about you.”
