Reality Therapy

September became October with surprising speed. Jack was thriving at school, just as he had elsewhere. His grades were exemplary, as was his behavior. Kelly occasionally called Mr. Anderson or Mrs. Rush, just to check in, and always received rave reviews. According to Mrs. Rush, Jack was an asset to the school. He set an example, she said, and was quickly becoming a leader, well-liked by his classmates and adulated by the younger students. The fifth grade was as far as Dunbar went, Mrs. Rush explained, so she counted on her oldest pupils to lead. Jack filled the bill nicely.

At home, Jack was almost disturbingly well-behaved. He still joked around with his parents, but he was very careful not to cross the line into disrespect. He did whatever he was asked without complaining, and did things he saw needed doing even when he wasn't asked. He had always kept his room as neat as a pin, but now he helped with picking up around the loft, and offered to help when the floors needed cleaning or dusting needed to be done. He missed one day of school for a court hearing concerning the adoption, and two more when he caught a cold that gave him a fever and a brutal cough that worried his parents for a day. He recovered quickly, however, and was soon back in fighting form.

Toward the end of October, Dunbar took a two-day Fall Break. It happened to fall on a Thursday and Friday that were not shift days for Kelly and Stella, so Kelly took a shift off and he and Jack headed up to the cabin for a few days of father-son time. Kelly was glad that Jack was doing so well, but he wanted to make sure that it wasn't all just because he was terrified of a paddling. A certain amount of healthy fear could be a good thing, but Kelly never wanted Jack to actually be scared of him.

One of the goals of the trip was to cut a lot of firewood. Kelly wanted to stock up for any winter days they might spend there, and also to take a good load home for the loft fireplace. Hence, they had borrowed Matt's truck for this trip. It was too cold to take a boat out, but they could fish from the dock, at least. Kelly also wanted to take Jack hiking so that he could practice walking quietly in the woods. He wasn't quite ready to let him handle a gun, but he did plan to introduce him to hunting one day. He wasn't sure Jack would like it, and if he didn't that would be okay, but it was one of the few things he had shared with his dad as a boy, so he at least wanted to present the opportunity. There was also the matter of a few repairs that needed to be done before the winter weather set in.

The days were busy, but the evenings were quiet. Jack and Kelly would sit by the fireplace, reading in companionable silence, or just talking. One night, Jack said, "I really love this place, Dad. It's quiet here. I can hear myself think."

"What do you mean?" asked Kelly.

"Well, at home everybody's busy most of the time—you, Mom, and I—we always have stuff to do. You guys work at the firehouse, you work on boats, Mom works at Molly's, I have school and choir and sleepovers and all of that. I love it, but sometimes it's nice to just be quiet and be together. I love being up here with just you, but I miss Mom, too. I don't know. I just feel like there's no real hurry and everything's just kind of chill when we're here. It's pretty nice."

"Yeah, it is," Kelly agreed, making a mental note to take more time to slow down and just be together. "Hey, Jack?"

"Sir?"

"I want to tell you that I'm really proud of how well you're doing right now, in school and at home. You've been helpful, respectful, all the things I asked of you. I wanted you to know I noticed, but I also want to ask you something."

"Okay."

"You're not scared of me, are you, bud?"

Jack laughed. "What? No, Dad. I'm not scared of you. I mean, I'm a little scared of that paddle you have, but not of you. Look, I know I screwed up back after Labor Day. I acted like a jerk, and you called me out. That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it? You didn't scare me, Dad. You just got my attention, that's all."

"I'm glad to hear it. I don't ever want you to be afraid to come to me or talk to me, Jack."

"I'm not. I promise. It's just—have you ever heard of something called reality therapy?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Well, I read a book about it once. The idea is that, instead of focusing on your past and talking about all the reasons why you have problems, you should focus on your present. If you're having problems, getting in trouble, not getting along with other people, or whatever, you need to figure out how you need to change your behavior to keep that from happening. Dwelling on the past doesn't really solve much. You might need to deal with trauma or whatever, but in the present moment, you have to live life. So the night I popped off to Mom and you came and showed me that paddle, it was like reality therapy. Whatever was going on with me didn't matter. I just needed to get my act together, or else my butt was going to pay the price. I'm not scared of you, Dad. I just don't want to get spanked, that's all. And I'm learning that when you do the right things, people notice and they appreciate it, so it pays off. See? Reality therapy."

Kelly just stared at his son. "You are one amazing kid, do you know that? I love you, buddy."

"I love you too, Dad." Those were the last words Jack spoke that night. Ten minutes later, he was asleep. Kelly carried him to bed, noting as he did so that he might not easily be able to for very much longer.

Their time at the cabin passed all too quickly for the both of them, and Sunday morning Kelly began to talk Jack through the process of going back. Transitions still tended to challenge Jack a bit, but it was getting better. By the time they left late Sunday afternoon, Jack was talking about how glad he would be to see Mom, and about where in the world they were going to stack all that firewood in the loft. Kelly grinned listening to him chatter on. He was making progress.

By the time they made it home and got all the wood carried in, it was time for Jack to shower and hit the hay. He did not protest. He had loved every minute of his time at the cabin, but it had worn him out, too. He snuggled down in his bed, waiting for his parents to tuck him in. He thought about how lucky he was. As chill autumn winds began to blow, he had a warm bed, two parents, a place to call home, and a host of friends of all ages who cared about him. This time last year, he had been wondering how to survive the coming winter, and he had been very much alone. He was very, very grateful.

The next morning was chilly, blustery, and damp. The kids were working on Halloween-themed projects at school, and Jack was excited. He had never really celebrated Halloween before, so he was into it. Kelly and Stella caught the bug from him, and they smiled as he chattered away during breakfast, wondering about what costume he should wear, asking about trick-or-treating, and so on. At the moment, Jack was the only child in the building they lived in, but all of the other tenants were planning on stocking up on candy for the big night. Halloween was not a shift night for Stella and Kelly, but they would definitely be going by 51, as well. Kelly figured that once Jack hit the other places in their building and hit up the firehouse, he would have more than enough candy, and Jack seemed fine with that. He didn't really know what to expect, anyway, so it would be difficult to disappoint him.

When Kelly dropped Jack off at school, the wind was picking up. Storms were on the way, he knew, ahead of a strong cold front. He was headed to Casey's new apartment, which was only about ten minutes or so from their own place, to drop the truck and get his car back. After that, he intended to go back home and catch up on some reading. He was preparing to teach another course at the Fire Academy after the first of the year, and he needed to brush up on a few things. By the time Jack got home that afternoon, the weather was likely to be foul. It might be a good evening for a fire and some hot cocoa.

After swapping vehicles with Matt, Kelly called Stella and inquired about the state of some of their supplies. She suggested he pick up a few things at the grocery store, and then they could have what Jack had come to refer to as a "camp-in." Hot cocoa, fire-cooked hot dogs, and s'mores would be perfect for a cold, rainy night. Kelly made the stop, and by the time he got home he was definitely glad to be there. An icy rain had begun to fall, and he was chilled through by the time he walked in the door. He dropped the groceries in the kitchen and went to turn up the thermostat, then change into dry clothes. Once he was done with that, he set about building a fire. Then he and Stella grabbed a book each—she a novel, he a tome on water rescue techniques—and settled in to read. Somehow, they ended up making out, and then one thing led to another, and...well, it was an enjoyable day for the pair.

Once they returned to their beanbags, Kelly looked at Stella and said, "Do you think one kid is enough, or do we need one or two more?"

Stella sighed. "Kelly, I know that all women are supposed to deeply desire the experience of having a baby, but honestly, I don't. I've worked really hard to get where I am, and if I were to get pregnant, it would stall out my career, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" laughed Kelly. "Who said anything about you having a baby? Do you realize how many Jacksons there are out there? Kids who have been abandoned, kids who just need somebody to love them and support them and help them through the rough spots?"

"So you want to adopt?"

"Yeah. Hell, yeah. I know it might not be as simple as I'm making it sound, and not every kid is going to come around the way Jack is, but yeah. I think we could do it."

"Ya know we'd have to move, right?"

"I know, but so what? Look, we could buy a fixer-upper or something in foreclosure in a decent neighborhood, and make it work. I know it won't happen tomorrow, but it's something to think about, at least."

"Well," said Stella slowly, "I really do enjoy Jack. I like being a mom, and I kind of like the idea of a brood, like the Herrmanns have."

"Slow down," chuckled Kelly. "Let's not get too carried away. Anyway, I thought that once Jack's adoption is finalized, we could look into it, at least. And Jack would be a great brother, don't you think?"

"I do think. Kelly, I'm so happy. I love you, and Jack, and planning the future. I have never been this happy before in my life."

Kelly leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Me neither," he answered simply.