Chapter 23
Author's Note: I made myself cry with this chapter, just to warn you. Hope you enjoy it.
Jacob thoroughly enjoyed dinner with Brady and Sam. They had hot dogs and macaroni and cheese and to top it off orange sherbet ice cream. But, that wasn't the reason Jacob enjoyed dinner. It was because of Brady. The precocious little boy had entertained him with stories and enraptured him with his charm. Brady was undeniably the cutest, brightest boy Jacob had ever met. But, as much as he enjoyed dinner, the entire time he was itching to know the story behind Brady. Finally, the table was cleared, the dishes were washed, and it was time for Brady to go to bed.
Sam took Brady's hand and walked towards his bedroom, pausing to look back over her shoulder at her father.
-Be right back.
He nodded in acknowledgment as she disappeared into the bedroom. Jacob walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge door, not sure what he was looking for. He spotted a Budweiser in the corner and grabbed it, slightly shocked that Sam had beer in her fridge. Then again, Jacob himself didn't usually drink, but there were occasions when it soothed the soul. He had a feeling he would need it tonight. He popped the top and went into the living room, sitting down in the black lazy boy. A moment later Sam walked in and smiled at the sight of him nursing a beer.
-Bad night?
-I'm just preparing for the worst. Tell it to me straight. He's Jack's son isn't he?
She took a deep breath and sat down.
-Yeah.
Jacob sighed.
-So why the heck isn't he with Jack right now?!
-Jack can't take care of him.
-Oh? He's not capable huh? Yeah, I'm not buying that.
-It's not that he's not capable. It's just…Charlie…
Jacob leaned forward in his chair.
-What?
-Brady reminds Jack of Charlie and…
-Oh for crying out loud!!!
Jacob got up and started pacing.
-You're telling me that Jack won't take care of Brady because he's not over Charlie?!
Sam nodded gravely.
-Yes.
-Of all the stupid, selfish…
-Dad, calm down!! You don't understand what he's going through.
He stopped in his tracks.
-I don't understand?! You have no idea how much I understand!!
Sam looked at her father queerly.
-Dad, what are you talking about?
Jacob slowly sat down, took a deep breath and looked at his daughter, tears welling up in his eyes.
-I…we…that is Hannah and I…we…we lost a child before you were born.
-What?!?!?
Sam looked at her father in shock and disbelief. Tears started streaming down his cheeks.
-Samuel. His name was Samuel. He died at the age of three, a month before you were born, of heart failure.
-Wha…why didn't you ever tell me?!
Jacob shrugged.
-I don't know. When he died we packed away all his stuff and tried to forget. The only thing that kept us going, that kept us together…was you. Every time one of us wanted to pack it in, to hide from the world, we just looked down at your smiling face and it gave us a reason to keep on going. When you got older, we thought about telling you, but we had finally come to grips with it and buried it in the past and didn't want to dig it up again. Then your mom died…and I guess I didn't want to tell you about somebody else you lost. Somebody you never had a chance to know.
Sam blinked, overwhelmed by what she was being told.
-Wow. I…I don't know what to say…
-I'm sorry I never told you. I should have, a long time ago.
-It's ok. I understand.
Jacob shook his head.
-No, you don't. But, Jack does. Or rather, I understand what he's going through. He can't let go of the past. Can't let go of Charlie. He doesn't have a reason to let go. A reason to move on. I think Brady is that reason. Jack needs Brady, even more than Brady needs him.
Suddenly he got up, grabbed his jacket and headed toward the door. Sam called after him.
-Where are you going?
-To see Jack. Don't wait up.