“Oh…Good.”
“Wereyoutalking about your father?”
I shake my head. “No…I mean, it could definitely apply to him, sure, but that’s not what I was talking about.”
“Is there something you want to talk to me about?”
“It’s complicated,” I tell her. “I’m not really even supposed tobetalking about it.”
“Hmm.” She looks thoughtful, considering that. “I suppose the short answer is, yes, I have definitely felt that way.”
“And the long answer?”
“The long answer is that life is constantly full of surprises,” she says. “No matter how old I get, I’m constantly learning that nothing is what I think it is. I guess what I’m trying to say is thatI’ve learned to keep an open mind about everything, because there’s always the chance that I’m too in my own way to see how something really is.”
I mull that thought over. It definitely hits home with the way I used to think of Jack as someone flighty and not genuine, only to find out that he’s the exact opposite of that underneath all the bravado. It’s been one of the biggest mindfucks of my entire life, finding out that Jack was nothing like what I thought he was.
“It’s exactly like that,” I answer finally. “I’m just…really confused.”
Christine gives me a little smile as she reaches to set her cup on the coffee table, bringing her hands back to her lap to lace her fingers together. “And this thing you’re talking about…It’s taken you off guard?”
“You can say that again,” I snort. “Ineverexpected to think differently about this.” My brows furrow. “Sorry, I know this isn’t making any sense.”
“It’s making more sense than you think,” she says with that same small smile. “So, are you afraid of how you feel about this thing now?”
“Terrified,” I tell her honestly.
“I see,” she says cryptically. And then, “So how long has this been going on between you and Jack?”
I blanch. “What?”
“Honey,” she chuckles. “I’m old, not blind. It’s not that hard to put the pieces together.”
Part of me feels mortified that she knows, but another part feels incredibly relieved thatsomeoneknows.
I blow out a breath. “It’s been a few weeks now.”
“And you’re worried?”
“I mean…shouldn’t I be? He’s always been so…” I smirk. “Well, you know him.”
“I do know him,” she says. “I have for a very long time. I know how he acts for the most part, but I also know there’s more to him than that. I told you as much the last time you were here.”
“You did,” I answer, remembering.
“I know Jack can be a handful, but I really think it’s more of an act than he lets on. He was always a sweet, dependable boy underneath all the silliness.”
“You think?”
“I know,” she assures me. “He was always the first one to step up when you needed him, and as far as I can tell, he’s much the same as an adult.”
I consider that. She’s not…wrong. Whether it be for his team or his sister, Jack is always happy to step up when he’s needed. Even before I really knew him, I knew that much. I guess I just never let myself fully appreciate it.
“I used to think he was like Dad,” I tell Christine quietly. “I think that’s what scares me the most. Worrying that I might have been right.”
“Jack isnothinglike your father,” she says vehemently. “I know that he can seem a little fair-weather at times, but your father…” She frowns. “There was always a hardness to him. Even when we first met. I used to think I softened his edges a little, but now I find myself wondering if that’s even true. Jack has never been like that. Not since I’ve known him.”
“But I mean, he could have anyone,” I argue.
