48. Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Later that night, once Jacob was asleep, David called Valerie to tell her about Jacob’s weekend visit with Ashley, the conversation with Paige in the kitchen, and Jacob’s upcoming appointment he was going to have with Lauren in a few days. Valerie had been kept abreast of the issues Jacob was having all along, so keeping this new development from her was not even something David considered doing.
Her response was pretty much what he was expecting, because it mirrored his own.
“It’s hard to believe this could be happening,” Valerie murmured. “But something is happening and … Ashley abusing him in some way makes the most sense.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m glad Paige was there.”
“Me, too.”
His talk with Jacob went better than David thought it would, much to his relief. He brought it up during Tuesday night’s dinner, striving to be casual as they were chowing down on Sloppy Joes, a house favorite. “So, the other day when I was talking to Paige,” he said conversationally, “she was telling me about this really nice lady she knows, who talks to people—”
“Why?” Jacob asked, remnants of red sauce decorating his face.
“Because that’s her job.”
“Why?”
“Well, Lauren—that’s the really nice lady’s name—likes to help people who are feeling sad, and—”
“Why?”
“So they’ll feel better.”
Jacob took another bite, blinking several times. “Oh.”
“She said it’s one of her super powers.”
Jacob set the remaining half of his Sloppy Joe down on his plate before looking at David with shadowed eyes. “It is?”
“It sure is. Anyway, I know you’ve been feeling sad, so I called her, and Lauren said she wants to use that super power to help make you feel better.”
“She does?”
“Yes. Would you like that?”
Jacob seemed to give the question a lot of thought before finally nodding.
The tacit admission that he wasn’t feeling all right, instead of lying again, was a positive sign to David, even as it caused his heart to hurt. “Good.”