Jesse didn’t know how to trust in the relief he felt. Of all the possible outcomes of one day confronting his father, he never saw it going this way. He never thought his dad would be open to talking like this. He definitely never thought he’d agree or apologize. Clearly his therapist had been on to something.
“Miss Leona is getting older and Zach is gonna have this baby, and Sam and Amanda, and Lily-Grace and I—”
“Your mother and I should be there.”
“Should be where?” Jesse heard his mom say in the background.
“I’m talking to your oldest.”
His mom popped into the frame. Her hair was wrapped up, but she was wearing a fur coat. “My handsome baby. What’s wrong? Are you upset?”
“No, yes. The therapy is working, I guess.”
“Our boys want us to come home,” Senior said. “For good.”
“Well, let’s go. I have a nursery to help decorate. It’s my time to level up to grandma status.”
Jesse managed not to roll his eyes. His mom and Evie would definitely have spirited discussions about cribs and strollers, but that’s what family was all about.
“Let me finish up here with Junior, and then you can speak to them.”
“Oops, okay. Father-son talk. I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Mom.” She blew him a kiss before she popped out of the frame.
He spoke to Senior more about what had been going on, the date auction, things with Lilah and his uncle, and most importantly, the way Senior handled business emails about the ranch, since they were airing things out. “I think it makes Zach feel like you don’t take his role seriously, when we are partners, fifty-fifty.”
“I see,” Senior said. “I can be better about that. I didn’t realize you or Zachariah were taking my emails that way, which was not my intention at all.”
“I appreciate that,” Jesse replied. After he told his dad about the way things were going with Lily-Grace and the impending horse purchase, with his dad fully supportive, Senior talked to Sam and Zach privately before they said their goodbyes. Senior had six weeks left on his current project, but after that he and their mother would come back to Southern California. He wasn’t going to give up acting, so there were some logistics to work out about whether they would set up shop in LA or Charming, but Jesse and his brothers agreed a two-hour drive with traffic was much better than an international flight across the Atlantic.
“Shit, I’m glad we had that talk, but damn, we should have done that sooner,” Zach said as he collapsed onto the couch.
“But we did it now, and that’s what matters, right?” Sam replied.
Jesse could just nod. His tears were dried, but he still felt raw as hell. Better, but still a little messed up.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be alright.”
“Alright.” Zach hopped up again, like he hadn’t just made himself nice and comfortable. “I’m gonna go check on my wife and maybe cry some thug tears of my own. You know where to find me.” He dapped Jesse up and then grabbed his Stetson and headed out the door. Sam looked like was about to follow.
“You want to come over to Miss Leona’s? Amanda and I are gonna chill over there for a while. Probably stay through dinner.”
“Yeah. I’ll come by in a bit. Just gonna, ya know, jot down some notes for my therapist. Do breathing exercises. Then see what Lily-Grace is up to.”
Sam walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him, pinning Jesse’s arms to his side. “I’m really proud of you, man. I don’t want you to step in for Dad, but you’re a good-ass brother.”
“Thanks, man.”
“It’s the rock!” Sam threw his hands in the air as he walked out of the kitchen.
When he was finally alone, Jesse called Clementine back inside, then went down to his room to collapse on his bed. Another thing he was working on, recognizing what he was feeling in the moment, and in that moment he was bone tired. He rolled on his back and pulled up his conversation with Lily-Grace.
Can I see you tonight?
Manna come over for pizza
