memory from her eighth-grade father/daughter dance surfaced. The two of them had practiced dance steps in the kitchen for weeks, her father patiently helping her master a few basic moves despite her thirteen-year-old gawkiness. She’d been confident they would impress everyone.
Instead, during the opening dance, she’d tripped in her brand-new first pair of heels and plopped on her bottom before her dad could save her.
She’d been mortified. Had begged her father to take her home. But he’d guided her into a quiet corner, and while she dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief, he’d given her some advice.
“What happened out there isn’t the end of the world, Heather. Most mistakes aren’t. You have to learn from them,let them go and try again. Most of the time you’ll get another chance to make them right.”
And after coaxing her back onto the dance floor, he’d ended up salvaging the evening.
That was the kind of dad he’d been. And Heather had loved him for that. Respected him. Looked up to him.
Perhaps that was why his betrayal had hurt so much.
And why she’d never been able to forgive him.
“So should I be mad at Dad?”
Brian’s question pulled her back to the present. Reminding her that this conversation was about him, not her.
Stuffing the memory back into a corner of her heart, she considered her answer. It would be easy to say yes. And a specific focus for his anger might be helpful. Peter deserved his enmity after what he’d done to destroy his family.
But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to offer that advice.
“You don’t have to be mad at anybody, Brian. But you need to try to understand why your mom did what she did. When people get married, they promise to stay true. They trust each other to honor that vow. After someone breaks it, the trust goes away. And it’s very hard to rebuild that. Maybe it can be done if it happens once. But it happened more than that with your dad.”
“Yeah. Mom told me.” He traced the pattern on the comforter with his finger. “Why did he have to do that, anyway? Everything was so good before.”
“Some people find temptation hard to resist. I guess that’s what happened with your dad. But getting into trouble isn’t going to make things better for you, Brian.” She leaned forward. “Your mom told me that some of the guys you were hanging around with at home just got busted for marijuana possession.”
His head jerked up, and his eyes widened. “I never did anything like that.”
“That’s good to know. But if you’d been with them when they got caught, you’d be in big trouble. Trouble that could affect the rest of your life. None of us want that to happen. And we’ll do whatever we can to help you get through this tough time. Because we love you, Brian.”
He blinked and once again dipped his chin to study the comforter. “That’s what that cop said last night. Among other things.”
Heather hadn’t heard every word J.C. had spoken to Brian when he’d had the teen pinned against the wall, but she wasn’t surprised he’d given him some straight talk. He wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.
“I’d listen to him if I were you. He’s seen plenty on the street. Before he came here, he was an undercover detective in a pretty tough neighborhood in Chicago. And he’s been responsible for his younger brother and sister since he was eighteen. I know he had some problems with his brother when he was your age. So he knows what he’s talking about.”
Brian digested that. “He told me I needed to get a handle on my anger.”
“That’s good advice.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” He blinked and swiped at his eyes. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and my stomach’s in knots. All I want to do is get up and break things.”
Heather reached over and touched his arm. “I’ll tell you what. While you’re here, if you start to feel that way, come and find me. No matter what time it is.
Instead, during the opening dance, she’d tripped in her brand-new first pair of heels and plopped on her bottom before her dad could save her.
She’d been mortified. Had begged her father to take her home. But he’d guided her into a quiet corner, and while she dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief, he’d given her some advice.
“What happened out there isn’t the end of the world, Heather. Most mistakes aren’t. You have to learn from them,let them go and try again. Most of the time you’ll get another chance to make them right.”
And after coaxing her back onto the dance floor, he’d ended up salvaging the evening.
That was the kind of dad he’d been. And Heather had loved him for that. Respected him. Looked up to him.
Perhaps that was why his betrayal had hurt so much.
And why she’d never been able to forgive him.
“So should I be mad at Dad?”
Brian’s question pulled her back to the present. Reminding her that this conversation was about him, not her.
Stuffing the memory back into a corner of her heart, she considered her answer. It would be easy to say yes. And a specific focus for his anger might be helpful. Peter deserved his enmity after what he’d done to destroy his family.
But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to offer that advice.
“You don’t have to be mad at anybody, Brian. But you need to try to understand why your mom did what she did. When people get married, they promise to stay true. They trust each other to honor that vow. After someone breaks it, the trust goes away. And it’s very hard to rebuild that. Maybe it can be done if it happens once. But it happened more than that with your dad.”
“Yeah. Mom told me.” He traced the pattern on the comforter with his finger. “Why did he have to do that, anyway? Everything was so good before.”
“Some people find temptation hard to resist. I guess that’s what happened with your dad. But getting into trouble isn’t going to make things better for you, Brian.” She leaned forward. “Your mom told me that some of the guys you were hanging around with at home just got busted for marijuana possession.”
His head jerked up, and his eyes widened. “I never did anything like that.”
“That’s good to know. But if you’d been with them when they got caught, you’d be in big trouble. Trouble that could affect the rest of your life. None of us want that to happen. And we’ll do whatever we can to help you get through this tough time. Because we love you, Brian.”
He blinked and once again dipped his chin to study the comforter. “That’s what that cop said last night. Among other things.”
Heather hadn’t heard every word J.C. had spoken to Brian when he’d had the teen pinned against the wall, but she wasn’t surprised he’d given him some straight talk. He wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.
“I’d listen to him if I were you. He’s seen plenty on the street. Before he came here, he was an undercover detective in a pretty tough neighborhood in Chicago. And he’s been responsible for his younger brother and sister since he was eighteen. I know he had some problems with his brother when he was your age. So he knows what he’s talking about.”
Brian digested that. “He told me I needed to get a handle on my anger.”
“That’s good advice.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” He blinked and swiped at his eyes. “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and my stomach’s in knots. All I want to do is get up and break things.”
Heather reached over and touched his arm. “I’ll tell you what. While you’re here, if you start to feel that way, come and find me. No matter what time it is.
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