Rose was just finishing up drying the dishes when Jack came in with a fishing rod slung over his shoulder.
"Is it the time of year for ice fishing?" she asked, feeling amused at the sight.
"Not yet, but it's perfect for regular fishing. I figure that it'd be nice to take the boys out. Get to know them more and perhaps teach them something new if they don't know already."
Rose blinked, her chest filling with an emotion that she couldn't name. She was touched that Jack was including Max like this. "You want to get to know Max?"
"Of course. Look, Jacob said that Max is still on the fence about me, which I can't blame him. I was a year younger than him when my own father had died. I can just imagine what he must be thinking about me appearing in your life like this. I want him to get to know me and realize that I'm not going to try to replace Cal in either of your lives. I want him to know that I understand where he's coming from. I've been there, myself."
Rose nodded. She had indeed noticed Max's mood when it came to Jack and just hadn't known how to deal with it. She doubted that any of her reassurances would help. Maybe Jack's plan would. There was no harm in trying.
"He's a good a kid. He is. He's...he's Cal without Nathan's influence, if you get what I mean. He lost his father when he needed a father most and...well I thank you for doing this."
"There's no need to thank me. I look forward to getting to know your children better," Jack smiled, not sure how to respond. To be honest, he felt kind of nervous about this. He felt like a teen-aged suitor about to go fishing with the father of the girl he was courting, not just her son. Which in itself, was strange.
"Still, I appreciate the effort you're putting in," Rose smiled, just as Jacob entered the room followed by Maxwell.
"Mother, we were just about to do that," Jacob stared at his mother.
"That's okay. Both you and Max have something else to do anyway. Jack is going to take both of you fishing," Rose grinned, turning to her sons. "It's a skill that both of you may need someday and from what I hear, it's fun."
"Fishing? We don't know how to fish," Maxwell frowned.
"That is why Jack is going to teach you. I do suggest that the both of you change into something that you won't mind getting dirty," Rose turned back to her dishes, signaling that this was not up for discussion.
The boys huffed, not wanting to spend the day outside, but they turned to head back upstairs to change anyway, knowing that there was no getting out of it.
"Max is going to be a lot of work, I see," Jack sighed, again sensing the boy's reluctance to spend any time with him at all.
"Maybe not. You have a way of disarming people, Jack. Just be yourself. Do what you always do. Find that common ground. Like you said, you weren't much older than him when your father died."
"I don't want to antagonize him."
"You won't. He adores Jacob and Jacob is just like you, so he won't be able to resist that charm of yours. Not when he sees where his brother got his from."
Jack just chuckled and shook his head. "It's different with brothers, but you're right. I'll just find that common ground and build on that."
Five minutes later, Maxwell and Jacob were downstairs and ready to go. Jack was at the kitchen table as Rose finished up the dishes.
"We're ready!" Jacob announced, a bright smile lighting up his face. All in all, he was looking forward to this trip. Maxwell didn't look happy at all. The dark glare that he threw both his mother and Jack reminded them both of his father.
"Darling, please try to enjoy yourself," Rose walked up to her son and placed a kiss on the top of his dark curls. "You are going to have a nice relaxing day on the lake. It's nothing to be so depressed about."
"If you say so," Maxwell mumbled, not looking at his mother, sure that the day was going to be among the worse of his life.
"We better go. We're already getting off to a late start," Jack grabbed two more fishing poles and handed them to Jacob. He turned to Rose and gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't keep them out too long."
"I know. I trust you," Rose returned the smile, unable to keep from hoping that Jack could somehow reach Maxwell. She wanted all of her children to be happy and it hurt to see that Maxwell so clearly wasn't. She watched them go, hoping that the charm that had talked her down from jumping off the back of a ship would return the smile to her youngest son's eyes.
...
Lake Wissota was blue, beautiful, and ready to be fished. To Jack's relief, he and the boys were the only ones there, at least for the moment. More people could always show up.
"So this is lake Wissota," Jacob stared at the lake, remembering the story that his mother had shared about how Jack had talked her out of jumping off of Titanic.
"The one and only, Jack grinned, sitting his supplies down in the spot that he normally chose to settle down when it came to fishing. "We'll sit here. This spot is best for fishing."
Silence fell as the three men unpacked their supplies and got everything set up. Jacob had to admit that he was excited for this time of hopefully male bonding and getting to know his biological father better. He also hoped that this fishing trip would help loosen Max up and get him to see that Jack wasn't all that bad. That he could be good for their family.
Looking at Maxwell and how he couldn't even look at Jack without a slight frown, Jacob's hope for his brother to suddenly see the light began to fade. If something didn't give and soon, there would be no way for the wall between his brother and Jack to be broken, making any chance of his mother being happy again dim, because she'd never do anything to cause her youngest son displeasure.
Maybe the two just needed some time alone. Clearing his throat, Jacob made a decision.
"You know, I don't think we have enough bait. Let me run to the general store and ask where I can find some," Jacob turned to head to town.
"Oh, no need to go the general store. The bait shop is right down the way there," Jack answered, confused by Jacob's conclusion. He could have sworn that he had brought enough bait and how would Jacob know? After all, this was the boy's first time out.
"Oh, that's okay. I'll go. You and Max can get to know each other better while I'm gone," Jacob gave Jack a pointed look, hoping that the older man would catch on.
Maxwell looked up, startled that Jacob was going to leave him alone with a virtual stranger that he really didn't like, but Jack didn't seem to mind, probably getting what Jacob had in mind.
"Don't take too long and don't let the old man get over on you. He always over charges when he can get away with it."
Maxwell watched with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as Jack gave Jacob the money for the bait. Jacob walked pass him with a smile and a mumbled warning to be nice.
Now alone, Maxwell took one look at Jack and frowned even more. By the look on the older man's face, he wanted to talk to him, but that was the last thing that the teenager wanted. So he just squared his shoulders and went to sit at the edge of the lake to wait for Jacob's return, hoping that Jack would take the hint that he didn't want to talk and that Jacob wouldn't take too long.
Realizing that he was the one who had to take the first steps towards a conversation, Jack walked over and sat right next to Maxwell and began to hook the bait to his pole. At first, he allowed an awkward silence to fall between them, but after at least five minutes, he began to talk.
"Fishing used to be my favorite thing. It was one of the few things that my father and I did together, just the two of us. I loved spending that time with him, just listening to him talk about fish...and sometimes women, depending on his mood. I miss those moments now, even after all these years."
Maxwell didn't say anything in return. What was he supposed to say? What was this man playing at anyway? Was he supposed to like him just because he was sharing an experience that he had with his own father, trying to make it easier to replace his own? Well the older man can forget it!
Jack continued on, unbothered by Maxwell's silence. "I was a year younger than you are now when he died...when both of my parents died. I was so angry at them...and at everyone around me, especially the well meaning neighbors who had attempted to take me in. I took their kindness as attempts to replace my parents and no one, absolutely no one could do that, not ever. So I left...didn't return until years later. By then, I understood that they weren't trying to replace my parents. They were just showing me compassion and kindness...but back then...I couldn't see it that way.
"Look, I'll get to the point of this conversation. I know that you don't like me, and I know why. I can't blame you, because I can relate all too well. I loved my father more than any one in the world. No one could ever take his place. I understand that it's the same for you and Cal. He's your father. You loved him dearly and no one, not me, not any neighbor, no one will ever be able to replace him. Which is why I don't even want to try. I know that I could never replace that presence in your life that only the man that raised and loved you can. I understand that. I'm not here to replace Cal. Not in your life, not in Jacob's..."
"What about my mother? I know that you love her, I see how you two look at each other. I saw you two kiss," Maxwell finally spoke up, his voice accusing and his eyes flashing with anger when he looked up to glare at Jack. "You want to replace him in her life don't you?!"
Jack met the younger man's gaze full on. He could not treat this conversation like a grown man speaking to a child. This was no child he was talking to. It was a young boy about to reach manhood and it was best to treat him as the young man he was soon going to be. Which meant not hiding from the question.
"I won't lie to you. I do love your mother. I've always loved her. That hasn't changed in all these years. But, I know that things have changed for her. She...she kept a promise that I had her make before we were separated. To move on. Find love again and have lots of babies and watch them grow. She fulfilled that promise. She found love with your father. It's not the same kind of love we shared, but it was real, and lasting and she will always grieve his loss, just like you do. I know that I can't possibly replace the hole that Cal had left in her life, just like I can't replace the hole he had left in yours. Love is a very...complicated thing, Max. You can love more than one person in different ways. I don't want to replace Cal, but I do want to help her be happy again. Whether that is just as a friend or as a lover, that remains to be seen. But I don't want to replace Cal."
"You hated him, didn't you?"
"Well, to be fair, he wasn't the man that you knew when I had met him. According to Rose and Jacob, he had changed a great deal, and I'm glad for that. I am glad that you'll never know the Caledon Hockley I had...I don't even want to talk about that version of him. He had changed and left that version of himself in the past and that's where it'll remain."
"He was a good father. He always protected us, gave us everything we could ever want...but the best part was when he just spent time with us. We would eat chocolate and he would read the news of the day to us, while Jacob sketched a picture of either him or momma. We were so happy and a family and...I don't understand why that had to go away..."
To his embarrassment, hot tears slipped from Maxwell's eyes, tears that broke Jack's heart and made him remember the pain that he had felt when he had lost his own father. Jacob walked up just in time to see the artist wrap a comforting arm around his sobbing brother's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Max. If I could give him back to you, I would. I wish that you never had to know this pain. Only time could dull it some. Someday, it won't hurt so much. Someday, you will think of your father again and smile, I can promise you that."
"I miss him, too Max," Jacob sat at his brother's other side.
"Max...I promise, I'm not trying to take his place in any of your lives. I know that I can't. But I would like to be your friend if you'd let me. You can talk to me about anything, whether it's school, girls, or if you just need a listening ear. If you ever feel the need to talk about Cal, I'll be here to listen and that goes for you too, Jacob."
"That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it Max?" Jacob nodded, feeling faint spark of hope that maybe things will be alright now.
Max just nodded, feeling the wall he had up begin to crumble. Jacob was right. This Jack wasn't so bad after all and he didn't seem to mind that he would never be his father, that he could never allow that. But he could accept Jack's friendship. As for his mother...well that was up to her.
"I'm sorry for being a jerk," Maxwell sniffed, rubbing the tears out of his eyes.
"You weren't a jerk. You were just cautious. I don't blame you a bit," Jack winked, seeing the wall between himself and Rose's youngest son crumble.