“Good. Really good. We started off on the wrong foot. I mean, I’m talking to you because of what happened with her father. We both have stuff going on in our professional lives, big stuff, but I think we’ve turned a good corner, on a personal level.”
“And your parents?”
“I don’t want to tell them.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I know they’ll treat me differently, or they won’t and they’ll just embrace her the way they do with Evie, and continue to ignore me.”
“Do you want attention from your parents?”
He’d made it this many sessions. Jesse was not going to fucking cry. “I don’t know. I don’t think they are capable of what I want.”
“And what do you think that is?”
“A certain level of warmth. I feel like they outsource that to my grandmother.”
“What is their relationship with her?”
“Odd.” Jesse chuckled. “My mom’s an actual pageant queen, so their diva energy doesn’t really jive together, and my dad is my grandmother’s clear favorite and has his own shit with his own brothers.”
“You all sound pretty human to me.”
“Hmmm.”
“Do you think you could tell your dad how you feel?”
“Maybe. Do I want to? No.”
“Why is that?”
“’Cause I don’t think that’ll change anything.”
“And if it does?”
Jesse wasn’t ready to think about that yet either.
* * *
Jesse didn’t know how a single email could ruin his whole day. But that email from Senior really pulled it off. Zach had landed and was back at Pleasant Lane, probably trying to acclimate to life back on Earth, away from his new bride. Jesse almost cut out early to go talk to him, but he didn’t want his mood to ruin Zach’s. He had already blown off his planned call to Lily-Grace, but she took the news over text just fine.
He tried to smooth things over by asking if she had a favorite jeweler. She’d replied with a whole Pinterest board she’d named Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, filled with items that caught her eye but she’d never purchased for herself. The most recent pin was a brown-and-gray Percheron that reminded him of their horse Peanut. He’d start making inquiries about similar horses in the morning. In the meantime, he ordered some flowers and a tennis bracelet she’d recently pinned.
He said goodnight to Erin, and as he waited for Clementine to climb in the truck, he sent Fetu a text, asking if he wanted to get a drink sometime in the next week or so.
He listened to the podcast Lily-Grace had recommended, and it was pretty good. Two guys who’d been friends since they were kids, now grown, bonding over the madness that wasThe Bachelorfranchise. It took his mind off things until he pulled up to his place and saw Zach walking across the cul-de-sac in the setting sun. He grabbed his laptop bag and opened the rear cabin door so Clementine could go greet him. He followed the dog and instantly caught the dark cloud hanging around his brother.
“Hey, man. Welcome back.” They executed their elaborate handshake that Sam insisted upon. “How was the honeymoon? You don’t look so happy.”
“No, the honeymoon was great, better than great. I had a lot on my mind and I read that email Senior sent this morning. Why the fuck does he do that?”
“I don’t know. I talked to my therapist about it.”
Zach let out a surprised chuckle. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
“What did the doctor have to say about it?”
