Alessandro shrugged.
Oh God, Aly loved her son.
Jam wanted to cry. Alessia had made sure her son knew she’d never give up on him and that she’d never, in her entire life, stop loving him. It was all a child could ask for and everything a father could hope.
“Hey, Dad?” Alessandro leaned in even closer, and Jam could smell the jellybeans on his breath. Oh, Aly wouldn’t like that at all.
“Yes?”
“Mom always liked you. She never stopped. Even when you didn’t come to see us. I sometimes see her holding a picture of you. She’s having white grape juice, and she keeps staring at it. I really think she’d be less mad if you’d just come out with your secrets. It works best for me. She’s always telling me that honesty wins you more points. Promise.” His son gave him a beaming smile and then nodded toward Aly. She was watching them now, and Jam knew she’d get behind his secrets, too, if he stayed, so he made a decision then and there.
“Okay, I’ll be honest. I have to go back home tomorrow. I can’t stay any longer, but I see you and your mom have a great life. You can always call me,” he explained and then looked up at Alessia. “I’m sorry for making you mad.”
She just nodded, her expression hard. "So am I."
"But, Dad, you barely spent any time with me," Alessandro fussed, a stubborn pout making an appearance.
"I know, buddy, but -"
"I understand. Work’s more important. Everything’s more important. Do you have another son down there? That's it, right? Another family. You have a new woman and son. That's why you don't stay with us!" The accusation was so unexpected; Jam couldn't do anything but gape at Aly.
"Alessandro? What's up? Where did you get that crazy idea?" Aly wanted to know, coming around to take his son from him. It nearly killed Jam to see doubt on her face. She was buying into that theory even though she should know better.
"Tom's mom watched this show, and they took a guy in because he had two families." Lesso sobbed now, and Alessia pulled him into her arms, giving Jam a look to clearly solve the situation. Only Jam had no idea how.
"That's not true, son. I only have you," he said softly, but the little boy just buried his face deeper into Alessia's stomach.
"That's what he said, too. It doesn't matter. We didn't need you these last years, so Mom and I don't need you now!"
"Baby, you've been so excited to meet your dad. Why are you being mean to him now?" Aly asked, desperation obvious in her voice and clear on her face.
"Because he upset you and because he doesn't want us. He's leaving again. Tomorrow. Mom, can you call Spence so he takes us to the movies again? Please?"
Jam got up, his heart aching. He knew his son was hurt, yet he couldn't help but realize another guy had done everything to win Aly, including dates with her and her son.
"You don't like Spencer, baby. You've been fighting him every time he came over," Aly reminded her son, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I thought Dad would come one day and do those things. I thought Dad loved us even if he had to work a lot. I thought ..."
Jam didn't even wait to hear how that sentence ended. He couldn't listen to another word, so he stumbled out of the café. He heard Aly call out for him, but she never followed and he was glad about that. Numb, he returned to Dorly's house. He would give her porch that layer of paint he had promised, and then he'd tell the nice little lady he was leaving.
His heart was racing in his ribcage, hurting with every unsteady beat, but Jam couldn't help it. He wasn't the father Alessandro needed, and he wasn’t the man Aly should want.
Every muscle in Jam's body hurt. He was used to being outdoors, but the crouched-over position he had been in to paint was something else entirely. It had taken all day, but at least, now the porch looked fresh and inviting. It was something Dorly deserved, and he had to admit, he liked the spring-green color she had picked.
The hot water
Oh God, Aly loved her son.
Jam wanted to cry. Alessia had made sure her son knew she’d never give up on him and that she’d never, in her entire life, stop loving him. It was all a child could ask for and everything a father could hope.
“Hey, Dad?” Alessandro leaned in even closer, and Jam could smell the jellybeans on his breath. Oh, Aly wouldn’t like that at all.
“Yes?”
“Mom always liked you. She never stopped. Even when you didn’t come to see us. I sometimes see her holding a picture of you. She’s having white grape juice, and she keeps staring at it. I really think she’d be less mad if you’d just come out with your secrets. It works best for me. She’s always telling me that honesty wins you more points. Promise.” His son gave him a beaming smile and then nodded toward Aly. She was watching them now, and Jam knew she’d get behind his secrets, too, if he stayed, so he made a decision then and there.
“Okay, I’ll be honest. I have to go back home tomorrow. I can’t stay any longer, but I see you and your mom have a great life. You can always call me,” he explained and then looked up at Alessia. “I’m sorry for making you mad.”
She just nodded, her expression hard. "So am I."
"But, Dad, you barely spent any time with me," Alessandro fussed, a stubborn pout making an appearance.
"I know, buddy, but -"
"I understand. Work’s more important. Everything’s more important. Do you have another son down there? That's it, right? Another family. You have a new woman and son. That's why you don't stay with us!" The accusation was so unexpected; Jam couldn't do anything but gape at Aly.
"Alessandro? What's up? Where did you get that crazy idea?" Aly wanted to know, coming around to take his son from him. It nearly killed Jam to see doubt on her face. She was buying into that theory even though she should know better.
"Tom's mom watched this show, and they took a guy in because he had two families." Lesso sobbed now, and Alessia pulled him into her arms, giving Jam a look to clearly solve the situation. Only Jam had no idea how.
"That's not true, son. I only have you," he said softly, but the little boy just buried his face deeper into Alessia's stomach.
"That's what he said, too. It doesn't matter. We didn't need you these last years, so Mom and I don't need you now!"
"Baby, you've been so excited to meet your dad. Why are you being mean to him now?" Aly asked, desperation obvious in her voice and clear on her face.
"Because he upset you and because he doesn't want us. He's leaving again. Tomorrow. Mom, can you call Spence so he takes us to the movies again? Please?"
Jam got up, his heart aching. He knew his son was hurt, yet he couldn't help but realize another guy had done everything to win Aly, including dates with her and her son.
"You don't like Spencer, baby. You've been fighting him every time he came over," Aly reminded her son, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I thought Dad would come one day and do those things. I thought Dad loved us even if he had to work a lot. I thought ..."
Jam didn't even wait to hear how that sentence ended. He couldn't listen to another word, so he stumbled out of the café. He heard Aly call out for him, but she never followed and he was glad about that. Numb, he returned to Dorly's house. He would give her porch that layer of paint he had promised, and then he'd tell the nice little lady he was leaving.
His heart was racing in his ribcage, hurting with every unsteady beat, but Jam couldn't help it. He wasn't the father Alessandro needed, and he wasn’t the man Aly should want.
Every muscle in Jam's body hurt. He was used to being outdoors, but the crouched-over position he had been in to paint was something else entirely. It had taken all day, but at least, now the porch looked fresh and inviting. It was something Dorly deserved, and he had to admit, he liked the spring-green color she had picked.
The hot water
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