Chapter 3 #2
“Your mom and I steadily declined. I tried to get her to see a therapist or a marriage counsellor, but she refused. I honestly wasn’t doing well either.
It was a lot to deal with between you and Summer, and I was struggling, so I focused on the lawsuit and work.
Belinda and I checked on Summer until the hospital released her into foster care.
We won the lawsuit, so both you and Summer have millions.
I used some of your settlement to pay for your long-term care and Summer’s money to maintain her home. ”
“I’m sorry, what?” Jake splutters. His neck is craning forward, eyes wide. “We’re rich?” He turns his head between me and Ray, totally blindsided, mouth hanging open.
“We are handsome. I didn’t touch the settlement money for a long time because it felt like blood money to me. I’m over that now,” I say, shrugging one shoulder.
“The money pays for your nurses and physiotherapy, Jake. Most of it I invested for you, so that it would grow. You’ll never have to work if you don’t want to,” Ray tells him.
“That’s…I just…I don’t know how to feel,” Jake remarks, looking lost, dropping his head back against the pillow. I interlock my fingers with his in support. “I understand why you thought it was blood money, Sum. Money can’t replace Vanessa and Lily. It feels wrong.”
“It always will, I think. But after my anger receded, I realized Mom and Lily bee would want us taken care of. Mom would tell us to stop being stubborn, and Lily bee would tell us we were being silly, and to buy lots of pretty things.”
“Suck it up, buttercup,” Jake smiles fondly. “Vanessa didn’t like Lily using that phrase, but after she heard another kid, say it at school, there was no stopping her. I can picture her face telling us that.”
“I can too,” I whisper, my eyes getting glassy. My sweet, sassy little sister. I miss them so damn much.
Ray clears his throat, wanting to finish his story.
“Your mom and I became strangers. She stopped working and lived in bed or in front of the tv in her robe. She barely ate or showered, so I contacted her parents. They flew down, but it didn’t make a difference.
She lived at the hospital until your transfer, then didn’t leave the house for weeks.
Your grandparents stayed in town for a month with us before returning home.
“One day, when I got home from work, your mom was sitting on the porch, sipping a glass of wine.
I was elated to see her showered and outside after her despondency.
She even made dinner and cleaned the house that day.
She told me to go inside and eat, so I did.
I came out of the shower that evening to find her standing by our bed with two suitcases beside her.
She looked me in the eye and pointed to the papers lying on the bottom edge of the bed.
“I picked them up,” Ray’s voice drops lower, pain etching his features. “They were divorce papers. She grabbed her luggage and walked out without saying a word. She was a shell of her former self. The court finalized the divorce a few months later.”
“Did Mom fight for custody?” Jake asks, his face leached of color. This is so much to digest.
“No, son, she didn’t. Her lawyer didn’t mention it when contacting mine.
She asked for a few family heirlooms from the house, but that was it.
I’m ashamed to say I visited you only once after you left the hospital.
It was too much to bear to see you like that.
I moved to Michigan for a fresh start.” Ray hangs his head in shame, the words low and tortured.
I can see a flush on his cheeks from the bed.
Jake did well, letting Ray tell his story, but he’s completely rigid beside me. I also learned some additional facts about my time in the hospital.
Silence stretches between the three of us; Ray and I both waiting for Jake to speak. Ray eventually lifts his head with tears in his eyes and looks at him. “Son, please say something.”
“You’re telling me you not only divorced and abandoned me when things got hard, you left Summer to fend for herself?
” He exclaims, each word sharper and more furious than the last, his voice cracking.
“She had no one. NO ONE!” He yells. “You should have adopted her and taken care of her. Get. Out.” Every muscle in Jake’s body is like stone, his face a fiery red, and he’s trembling with barely controlled fury.
“Son,” Ray croaks, desperation etched into the lines of his face, eyes pleading, as he raises a trembling hand.
“Get out!” he shouts. If Jake weren’t bedridden, he would punch his dad.
I can feel his hand twitching in mine. I’m not surprised Jake focused on me being alone.
He always said we were soulmates growing up, and the phrase holds a profound weight for us, resonating with a deep, undeniable truth.
Our love is more than just friendship; it’s a powerful, authentic feeling, undeniably real and true. We would do anything for each other.
Will appears in the doorway. “Ray, you need to step out, please. Jake needs to settle,” he says in a calm but firm voice.
Ray takes a deep breath and stands. “I know I failed you, son.” The words hang between them, a silent chasm of disappointment. A single tear tracks down his cheek, disappearing as he rounds the corner.
Will comes over with some grape juice for Jake and tells him he’s getting his therapist on video call. I offer to leave, but Jake wants me beside him. I’ve met Cameron twice when Jake first began his sessions, so I don’t think it'll be an issue with me here.
Sarah, my therapist recommended Cameron.
He’s a young guy at 28, but really smart, and he and Jake hit it off immediately.
Cameron has an easygoing, no bullshit manner about him and keeps things light while still helping Jake deal with his circumstances.
When Cameron’s face shows up on the screen, Will leaves the room again.
“Hi Summer, Jake. Let’s get into this. I already have the facts from Ray.
I insisted he tell me his story before he told you so I could help,” he begins.
We spend more than an hour on the call. I offer my two cents where appropriate, as Cameron helps Jake process his anger.
He’s still pissed at his parents, but he’s in a place he can think things through now.
Jake needs a nap after we hang up, so I give him a kiss and leave the room.
I wish he and I could talk alone about everything, but I understand he needs time and rest. I think he did exceptionally well, all things considered.
I find Ray standing on the deck in his coat, staring out at the water, despite the chilly weather. Grabbing mine, I join him outside. “How is he?” Ray whispers, not taking his eyes from the view.
“Mad, hurt, confused,” I reply. “He’s stubborn, but he doesn’t hold grudges. Jake will deal with this,” I tell him.
“I failed you both in so many ways,” Ray sighs, turning and shuffling over to the outdoor couch, dropping as if his body weighs as much as an elephant.
I slide into the armchair next to him. “I don’t blame you, Ray, or think you failed me.
You stepped up and took care of me and my affairs when I wasn’t in a place to do so.
I’m still upset you stayed away from Jake, but I know we all process grief differently.
Mal told me you checked in with her monthly. ”
“I did, but that’s no excuse for leaving him there. My entire life exploded, and between Erin, Jake, you, and having to deal with all that entailed, I broke. I’ve discovered through the trial, and now therapy and the support group, I haven’t dealt with any of this.”
“What matters most is that you're dealing with it now. I was a horrible mess for a long time after the accident. It wasn’t until Sue and Sarah that I started working through everything. Jake was my lifeline when I had nothing else. I honestly don’t think I would’ve survived without him.”
“You are so far beyond your years in maturity, Summer. I know I’ve thanked you before, but I’ll never stop being grateful to you. I also want to apologize for not fostering you. Jake was correct; I should have. It never even occurred to me at the time.”
“It’s okay, Ray.” I lean forward to pat his arm. “We were all trying to survive back then. There wasn’t room for much else.”
“I guess I should call Erin,” he sighs, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. I’d swear he aged ten years in a single day, if such a thing were possible. “That will be a mess.”
“Does she still blame me?”
“I do not know where her head is at. We haven’t kept in touch.”
“Let me know how that conversation goes. I’m going to check on Jake, then I need to get going.” I walk back inside Jake’s room, a little weary and stressed, to find him still napping. Gently shaking him awake, I tell him I need to go and will call him later. He nods before falling back asleep.
I text Seb when I get into my Jeep. It’s Gabby’s 16th birthday today, and she wanted a spa day and a party tonight.
She and 3 friends had mani-pedis this morning, and then they were giving each other makeovers at her condo.
They invited me to the salon, but I declined.
Gabby wasn’t upset since she knows that’s not really something I’m interested in, but I appreciated the offer.
Tenants can rent the common room on the first floor of the condo building for special occasions, so that’s where the party will be. Troy, Seb, Zander, Alex, and I are decorating the room this afternoon.
Seb is waiting for me when I park outside his building, and I'm enveloped in a warm hug as soon as I get out. My body sags into his embrace as I pull in some of his strength. “How bad was it, Sunshine?”
“Pretty rough. Jake was yelling afterwards and kicked Ray out of the room. He’s furious, but we talked to Cameron, which helped. It’ll take time.” I'm honestly surprised I'm not crying right now. Maybe I'm too worn out from the story.