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As he reflected more on his emotions, he convinced himself it was just his body’s response to being around a beautiful woman after so long. He didn’t want to risk losing their friendship by acting on his attraction. They were friends, and the last thing he wanted to do was lead her on. Given what he had heard about her ex-husband, she had endured enough heartbreak for one lifetime.
Luke switched off the TV and rose from the couch, making his way around the house to turn off the lights and secure the doors for the night. Climbing up the stairs towards his bedroom, he paused briefly outside of Jeremiah’s room and smiled. More than anything, he wanted to be a strong, stable presence for his son and knew it would be best to avoid any potential romantic feelings for Emma.
***
A few days later, Luke and Jeremiah entered the principal’s office at Hadley Cove High School. The walls were lined with bookshelves made of rich mahogany, and a large oak desk dominated the center of the room. The principal sat behind the desk, framed by a large window overlooking the courtyard. After Jeremiah’s transcripts arrived from his previous school in Chicago, Principal Kennedy requested a meeting with the father-son duo to discuss Jeremiah’s academic standing and plans for the new school year. Despite the impressive surroundings, Luke couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of Jeremiah’s potential misbehavior. He hoped his son would finally show some cooperation, as another expulsion was not an option.
Principal Kennedy cleared his throat and began to speak. “Let’s get straight to the point, Jeremiah,” he said in a stern voice. “Your grades from last year are concerning, and I have reservations about admitting you as a senior. We take academics very seriously here.”
Jeremiah looked down at the ground, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Luke leaned forward in his seat and addressed Principal Kennedy. “If I may, sir, Jeremiah was an honor roll student all throughout middle school and his freshman and sophomore years,” he explained. “The reason his grades suffered in his junior year was because of the death of my wife, his mother, after a battle with cancer.”
As Principal Kennedy regarded Jeremiah, the boy remained frozen with his gaze fixed on the floor. “I see,” the principal said. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”
Luke nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Kennedy. It hasn’t been easy. Jeremiah and his mother were very close. But this year, I’ve reduced my work hours and plan to be more involved in Jeremiah’s education.”
Jeremiah glanced at his father before looking back down at the floor.
“Looks like we might need to take some time with this,” Principal Kennedy said, shuffling through Jeremiah’s transcripts in search of his previous good grades.
Just as Principal Kennedy was browsing through Jeremiah’s transcripts, the intercom on his phone buzzed urgently. He pressed the blinking button and said, “Yes?”
“Sir, the staff supervisor of the history club is here. He has some forms for you to fill out to participate in the National History Bee this year.”
The principal paused for a moment, glancing up from his desk. “Can it wait? I’m in a meeting right now.”
“The deadline for the forms is tomorrow, sir.”
Principal Kennedy groaned and stood up. “Sorry about this...I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” Luke said.
As the principal walked out and closed the door, Luke turned to his son. “Jeremiah, do you think you could try to show a little interest?”
Jeremiah started examining his fingernails. “Maybe I don’t wanna go to school anymore at all. Maybe I’ll drop out.”
Luke took a deep breath. “Drop out? And do what?”
He threw his hands up. “Whatever, I don’t know. You never cared about my life before, or Mom, for that matter. Why do you care so much now?”
Luke felt a pain in his chest at Jeremiah’s words, but he didn’t let on how hurt he was. “Think about what your mother would’ve wanted for you. Do you think she would’ve wanted you to drop out and not finish high school? She had high hopes for you, and to go to a good college. What do you think she’d say now?”
Jeremiah looked at Luke, glaring at him. Luke knew he was mad, but Jeremiah stayed mute and looked back down at the floor. The uncomfortable silence between them was finally broken a minute later when Principal Kennedy returned to his desk.
“A thousand apologies for that interruption,” he said. “We’re prepping to enter the National History Bee again for the upcoming year. Last year and the year before, two of our students placed in the Spring competition. We’re hoping this year we can finally bring home a championship to Hadley Cove.”
Luke smiled politely as Jeremiah continued to stare at the floor. Principal Kennedy picked up the transcripts and began flipping through them again.
“Now hold on here. It says in your freshman and sophomore year you took part in several history bee championships. You were the Illinois State History Bee champion, and the second runner-up at the National History Bee two years ago. Jeremiah, why didn’t you say so?”
Luke reached over, placing a hand on Jeremiah’s wrist. “Principal Kennedy is asking you a question.”
Jeremiah looked up, shrugging his wrist out of Luke’s grasp. “I guess it just slipped my mind.”
“You shouldn’t be so modest, Jeremiah,” Principal Kennedy said. “A streak like yours is quite impressive...better than anything we’ve seen from any of our students over the years.”
Luke sat frozen, his heart heavy with regret. How could he have missed so much of his son’s life, consumed by work? The realization struck him that his pursuit of unchecked ambition led him to neglecting the things that were truly important. Faintly, he recalled receiving texts from Kate about Jeremiah’s competitions while on business trips, but he had never bothered to inquire further about them.
As the weight of his mistakes hit him, he understood why Jeremiah resented him. He had never shown interest in his son’s life, and had missed out on so much during his pivotal years. Luke didn’t think he had been that terrible of a father, but now more than ever, it was clear he had been blind to his own shortcomings.
