“I have faith in my son.”
“Your method of expressing it is inadequate.” I tightened my grip on my thighs in an effort to relax. “Did Nicholas tell you he broke up with Rosemary or was she the one who gave her side of the story? Did you ever ask him what really happened or did you just pin all the blame on him because of what she said?”
I nearly saw the thoughts running through his head as soon as his eyes landed on the table. He said nothing, so I carried on.
“Do you realize how horribly she betrayed him?” He clenched his jaw but remained silent. I wasn’t sure if he accepted my story or not. “Did you know that she nearly ruined any chance he had of starting a family? A family that was his own and unrelated to a parent who would never believe him when he said something. A parent that would rather support someone who had hurt him.”
He raised his eyes at that. His face turned pale, and his mouth opened. I could only hope Nicholas wouldn’t be angry with me for this.
He responded shakily, “I don’t believe that.”
I continued to look at him. “I believe you do. You probably have a gut feeling that I’m telling the truth. Consider how heartbroken Nicholas was after the incident and how he later had to cope with it all without any help from his father.”
I left him there and got up and went to the refrigerator. I sat back down after grabbing two water bottles, setting one in front of him. We sat there in silence as he fiddled with his bottle.
Finally breaking the ice, he continued, “I knew your father.”
“Really?”
He turned to face me and smiled a little. “Yes, I did meet him while I was living in Atkins. He was a good, honest man.”
Even though I was still upset over how he treated Nicholas, my heart grew softer as a result of the wonderful remark. Was this his attempt at making amends?
I blinked. “I don’t remember a lot about him because he passed away when I was small. But those who did always had positive things to say about him.” I took a moment to carefully consider what I would say next. ” Every day, I long for my parents to be here. Nothing is more important than one’s family.”
He took a large drink of water before responding to my question. “You’re correct in that.”
He appeared to be changing his mind. He showed that he agreed with what I told him. That there was a chance his relationship with his son could yet be saved.
We both suddenly looked up, when Nicholas appeared. He offered me a small smile before turning to his father with a glare.
“Why in the world are you here?”
As Nicholas stood behind my chair and placed his hands on my shoulders, I forced the lump in my throat to go down. I wasn’t sure what to say when Jeff was hesitant to respond. The work I had made in trying to heal their The relationship would be destroyed if I told Nicholas that his father had come to make accusations against me.
Even though I was still upset with Jeff, I really wanted him and Nicholas to get along. He was, in a sense, the grandfather to my unborn child. The most significant thing in the world was family.
And as a result, I needed to figure out how to get them to truly communicate.
Yes, I was aware that they would have to resolve the issue on their own, but occasionally foolish male ego and pride needed a reasonable middleman to set them on the right course.
In my superior female wisdom, I had decided that I should serve as the mediator.
I watched a flash of astonishment cross Jeff’s face as I continued, “He stopped by to say hello, to see how I’m adjusting to married life.”
He nods as I gave him a look of pure ‘I-dare-you.’
“Yes. I decided to stop over and see how you two were while I was in the city. Your mother continually reminds me that we don’t see you often enough.”
Nicholas’ grasp relaxed as he prepared to sit on the chair next to me.
“Well, I suppose that’s sweet of you.” Nicholas made an astonishing and rather suspicious noise.
I grabbed his hand and squeezed it under the table. An uneasy hush followed. Jeff almost made me kick him to force him to say more, but thankfully I didn’t have to go to that extremity since he spoke out on his own.
“So everything is going fine at RHI? I saw that your most recent deal was a success.”
The sound of pride in his father’s voice and the fact that he had shown even the slightest interest in his business caused Nicholas to gape.
“Yeah. It is perfect.”
I resisted sighing because I wanted Nicholas to give a little bit more. However, in all honesty, the small conversation that followed over the next fifteen minutes was the best outcome I could have hoped for.
At least no more hostile looks or remarks were exchanged. It was a positive development.
Although Jeff didn’t linger for long, he smiled and nodded as we led him out. I thought it meant he took what I had said to heart and would mend fences with his son.
Soon after, Laura prepared dinner, delaying Nicholas’ inquiry until we were about to go to bed. I struggled to keep my eyes open while I undressed since I was so absolutely worn out from the day.
He said as he brushed his teeth in the sink next to mine, “Are you feeling okay?”
I replied simply. “I’m exhausted.”
His eyes lit up with worry, but I lacked the strength to reassure him. After rinsing my mouth, I trudged into bed, wearing only a big t-shirt of his. I sighed with relief when my head hit the pillow. I barely responded to him when he scooted close and spooned me.
His fingers brushed my stomach from under the t-shirt. It felt reassuring and warm, so I snuggled into him further.