Now #2
I lean back into my chair, and Jax rests a hand on my thigh, over the thin fabric of my dress.
We’re at his parents’ house, where we just had an incredible and gargantuan dinner.
Jax has an early flight back to Belgium tomorrow, from the Denver airport, so we’re staying the night.
In the morning, I’ll drive him to his flight and then go home.
From the moment he told them we were giving our relationship another chance, they’ve been begging us to come visit. That’s why when Jax came back from Silverstone, after winning another race, we arranged this little dinner.
Jada and Mitch have always had a special place in my heart, even now, so many years after I last saw them.
Seeing them again earlier brought so many emotions back to the surface that I silently cried as they both hugged me.
Before them, I didn’t have a good example to live by.
My father was gone soon after I was born, and my mother was never the most involved parent. But they were.
Their finances didn’t allow them to help much with Jax’s racing ambitions, but they helped in any other way they could.
He was the one, actually, who decided not to add the straining cost of his dream to their struggles.
That’s why he worked so hard to pay for everything by himself.
And I helped as much as I could. But they watched his races, encouraged him to keep going, and supported him in any way they could.
Even later on, after we’d moved to Belgium, they were still there for him.
For us. Jada even spent several weeks with us when I was pregnant, to keep me company while Jax was off for his second season of Formula 2.
Meeting them was a defining moment for me, especially since they welcomed me into the family like a daughter. Not only were they the kind of parents I wished I’d had but also the kind I wished to become one day.
When no one accepts her offer of more pie, we begin clearing the table. Jada and I end up organizing things in the kitchen while Jax and his dad walk back and forth to the table and bring everything to us.
“I’ll put some of everything aside, so you can take it with you when you leave tomorrow,” she decides.
“Jada, you really don’t have to.”
“I insist. But you’ll have to bring me back my containers next time you’re in Denver.”
Clever woman. She’s ensuring I’ll visit again soon. “I promise I will,” I say, accepting her kind offer.
Because his mom loves cooking so much, Jax made sure to get his parents a house that had a great kitchen. It’s spacious, well-arranged, and definitely a huge upgrade compared to the small one from his childhood home.
Because in the Reyes household, the men are in charge of the dishes, Jax and his dad settle by the sink once they’ve brought back everything. Together, they rinse the plates and load the dishwasher while Jada and I finish handling the leftovers.
With all four of us working on it, the kitchen is spotless in under ten minutes. We look back at our well-done job for a moment, then Mitchell asks, “Who’s up for a game of Clue? Like old times. We just got the Spider-Man edition.”
“Is that a thing?” I amusedly wonder.
“We found it at a yard sale,” Jada explains. “And since it’s Jackson’s favorite superhero …”
“When I was eight,” her son interjects. “Though I stand by my choice.”
“So, who’s up for a round or two?” Mitchell insists.
“Maybe another time,” Jax politely declines. “We have to wake up early tomorrow for my flight.”
“Right. I’ll come to your room with you. To make sure you have everything you need,” Jada offers.
“Wait, I need to show something to Jax.”
“Well, I’ll go with Evie.”
Jax’s hand is on my hip, and it grazes me gently before letting go. While he walks away with his father, Jada leads me out of the kitchen and upstairs, to the room where we put our things.
Once we’re there, I can’t help but notice the emotion in her eyes when she looks at me. “I’m so happy you’re back in our lives, sweetie. In Jackson’s life most of all.”
“I’m glad we’re giving it another shot, too.”
“When we talked on the phone the other day, I had a hunch this would happen. You two were meant for one another. But you needed a bit of time to remember.”
“Your son pulled out all the stops. He was determined. And as we know, once he locks onto a target …”
“He knows what’s good for him.” She sighs, eyes glimmering with joy. “I haven’t seen him this happy in eight years.”
My heart aches both for her and for him.
It must have been so hard for her to watch her son struggle for that long.
My mother was always too wrapped up in her addictions and problems to have noticed something like that.
But for someone as empathetic and maternal as Jada, it must have been terrible to watch her son go through life as if he were missing a part of himself.
“You know how sorry I am that I left him, right?” I ask, throat tight.
She vehemently shakes her head. “No, it wasn’t your fault, sweetie.
You had to leave. I understand that now.
It takes a strong bond to pull through a tragedy like the one you two endured.
And yours was fragile at that point in your marriage.
He wasn’t around enough for you, and he’s realized that with time.
It’s his biggest regret in life, Evie. Not being there for you when you needed him the most.”
“He tried being there,” I can’t help but defend Jax. “I just … I wouldn’t let him.”
Her hands clasp my arms, comfortingly. As we look at each other for a moment, I search for traces of time on her face.
She hasn’t changed much. A few more white hairs.
A couple more wrinkles. And a few pounds that make her silhouette a little fuller.
But she doesn’t look like she’s aged eight years since I last saw her.
Not like Mitch, whose belly has grown along with the white in his hair and beard.
“What’s important is that you’re back together now,” she says with optimism. “And my son rarely makes the same mistake twice.”
“Which is why he’s the world’s best driver.”
She smiles at that. “And why we both know he has the potential to become the world’s greatest husband, if you give him a chance.”
“Don’t tell him I said that, but I’d probably give your son a hundred chances. He has this frustrating ability to subdue my willpower.”
“That, believe it or not, he gets from his dad.”
“Oh, I know Mitch has the razzle-dazzle. He has to, pulling a baddie like you.”
She giggles at the compliment. “Okay, I’ll let you settle in for the night, sweetie. There are extra towels under the sink. And extra blankets in the closet.”
“Jax is a furnace, so I won’t need more blankets. I might need less.”
“That, he also gets from his dad.”
We exchange a long, tight hug, and I realize she smells the same as she always has. Vanilla shea butter and Tide laundry detergent. When she lets go, I see how she discreetly tries to wipe away a stray tear.
“I missed you, sweetie. We both did.”
“I missed you guys, too. When I came back to Colorado, I wanted to come see you. But I was just starting to heal and was worried it would set me back.”
“It’s alright. You did what you had to do for yourself.”
“Thank you for understanding.”