“Oh, for god’s sake. I’m just out of the shower, that’s all. It’s my house and I shouldn’t have to explain my desire for privacy. I’m making you all give me back your keys. You could just knock.”
“I’ve been knocking. You didn’t answer. You could have been dead. I need to talk to you.”
“Right now?”
“Right now. It’s important.”
Jackson had gone to work a couple of hours ago, but he’d kept me awake most of the night and woken me up early, so I’d takenthe opportunity to have a nap as I wasn’t used to the lack of sleep or the number of orgasms.
I brushed my hair, pulling it into a ponytail before changing into some leggings and putting on a hoodie over my t-shirt.
“Jasper,” I said as I walked down the stairs, finding my boy twisting his hands like he’d done something wrong.
“Mum.”
Wow.He’d not called me mum since he was about nine. I was always Ma.
“Do we need to sit?” I asked.
“I’m moving to Ecuador,” he spat out without moving. He looked terrified.
“Come and sit, Jas. I want to hear all about it.” I smiled, but inside my heart cracked at the idea of one of my kids not being close.
Jasper explained it all. At first, he mumbled his news, obviously worried about telling me, but the more he talked, the more animated he became, and by the end, he was so excited about the opportunity I couldn’t help but be excited for him.
“I’m so proud of you,” I told him when he’d finished explaining.
His eyes widened. “Really? You’re not annoyed?”
“Annoyed. Why would I be annoyed?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Dad’s not about. You might need me. I should be here taking care of the family.”
My brows pinched. “It’s mine and your dad’s job to take care of this family. I’m sorry if we made you feel anything different.”
He wrapped his hand in mine. “You didn’t, but I just thought—”
“Jasper, I just want you to be happy. You get to decide what that looks like. I won’t ever love you any less because of the decisions you make. I will miss you. The world won’t be the same without you down the road, but I know you’ve not been happylately, and this is the first time I’ve seen you really smile for… well, way too long. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. And just so you know, I’m coming to visit.”
He smiled, but then his expression darkened. “Can I ask you a question, Ma?”
“Always.”
“If you have feelings for someone and they don’t choose you when given the choice, what would you do?”
Pain flashed across his face and I hated that I’d not realised he was going through something. “I don’t know a lot about relationships, but I do know that you deserve someone who will always pick you, no matter what the question.”
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “You’ve changed since you and Dad split up. You seem to have much more to say. I like it.”
I arrived at work the next day to find an enormous bouquet of mixed flowers on my desk. I opened the card, expecting them to be from Jax, but I was surprised to see they weren't from him.
Helen,
I’m not sure I ever tell you how much I appreciate you. So, this is me telling you.
Thomas
I looked up to see Thomas focusing on his computer, so I got up, made him a coffee and took him the pile of things I needed him to sign off on today. “Have you had a stroke or are about to have one?” I asked as I knocked on the door, walking into his office without waiting for an invitation.
