“In what way?”
“Our parents didn’t have good marriages,” I say. “That mattered to us.” I’m tempted to go on. To explain why. But I stop myself. This just is what it is. Plain and simple.
Dave’s quiet for a minute, scribbling something in his notebook. He finally looks up. “Were either of you married before? Given how long you’ve known each other, can you help me understand what brought you to the decision to marry when you did?”
Jordan starts slowly, unsure. “I was engaged. Um…” She swallows. “I was actually supposed to get married in April this year to someone else, but as I was about to walk down the aisle I realized I wasn’t in love with him.”
My gaze snaps to the side of her face. She’s never admitted that. Ever. It’s always beenI loved Richard, but…NeverI wasn’t in love with him.
“I’d talked myself into believing what I felt for him was love. But I never felt for him the way I felt—” She glances at me, hesitant. “I never loved him like I love Matt.” She laughs, like it will somehow lighten the weight of what she just said. What she just admitted. “And all I could think about was getting far away from that church and calling him.”
Dave smiles, but I can’t tell if it’s professional or if he genuinely liked that cute little story she just told him.
But that’s the thing. How am I supposed to know if that was just a story, or if that was real? Because I’ve never heard that version.
It’s brand fucking new to me.
I stare at her. Dumbfounded. Unsure of what to do with any of these damn feelings threatening to fuck with me.
Dave jots something down. His attention shifts to me. “And you, Matt. How did you handle that transition?”
I almost laugh when I think about the morning I received that text from Jordan, but there’s nothing funny about it. Not right now. Not with someone assessing whether we’re fit to raise a kid.
“I was shocked,” I admit with a small chuckle, glancing at Jordan. “Obviously. Happy. It’s what I was hoping for.” I look back at Dave. “And… I showed up. Same way I always have. I gave her space to figure things out, and we found our way back to each other.”
Dave glances between us. “Moments like that can be destabilizing for kids when adults don’t handle them well. What steps did you take to make sure things stayed healthy between you two afterward?”
“We talked. We were honest with each other,” she says. She turns to me with a soft smile. “Matt and I have always been good at talking about the hard stuff.”
She gives my hand a squeeze, and I squeeze it back.
It’s true. Wearegood at talking about hard stuff. We’ve done it our whole lives.
We’re also very good at knowing exactly whatnotto say.
Dave nods. “And Cole?”
Jordan shifts in her chair. “We’ve always been open and honest with Cole. And he’s comfortable talking to us. He’s a good kid. Smart. Nate raised him right. He knows we love him and that he’s safe with us. He knows we’re here for him. Not just right now, but long-term.” She pauses, eyes flicking to me and then back to Dave. “Even if guardianship doesn’t happen. We’ll still be here for him. Always.”
I watch her as she talks.
The way her voice changes when she says his name.
The certainty in her posture.
The way she doesn’t hesitate.
Dave keeps writing.
And for the first time since this whole thing started, I stop worrying about saying the right thing.
Because listening to her?
That’s the right thing.
This. Her.
Right here.
