A/N Thank you Perry Loves Della for beta checking this. Any errors remaining are because I couldn't stop tinkering. Part of a series of MSW fics. Pairs well with Track of a Doctor.
Some People
Chapter Three
Returning for dinner, Seth brought with him a lemon meringue pie. He had impeccable timing. Jessica was just setting the little table in the kitchen with the napkins and silverware when he arrived.
Seth had his back to Jessica, making a spot for the pie in her refrigerator when she made her announcement.
"I've given it a lot of thought since this morning and I have decided to take your advice."
Seth very nearly dropped the pie. Turning around to face her, he expressed his shock. "Will wonders never cease? So you are actually going to hire Loretta's nephew to help take care of your yard?"
Jessica looked puzzled at the suggestion for all of a second before neither confirming nor denying. "Oh." She shook her head as if to clear it. "I wasn't referring to that."
Instead, she told him. "I meant about my new contract. I called my publisher. I told him we needed to rework some of the terms. Specifically, the deadlines and the number of PR obligations I am being committed to."
To say that he was beyond shocked - delighted mind you, but beyond shocked - would have been an understatement.
Speechless, Seth just listened as Jessica continued.
"After you left, I thought a lot about what you said - about how I should stop worrying about writing to deadlines all the time and fulfilling all these book tour obligations. Make more time to do the things I really want to do. About getting to see Grady and little Frankie more and about getting back to doing other things that I've always loved doing but haven't been able to for a while …"
Jessica hesitated a moment before asking. "Do you recall the phone call that I was having yesterday when you arrived? Before you had to run out to take care of Orville?"
He recalled vaguely, so he answered. "Yes."
"It was Raymond Auerbach from Manhattan University. He was inviting me to come teach a course there in Criminology. I kept trying to tell him that I couldn't. That it simply wasn't possible. The time commitment needed was much too great."
Seth watched Jessica pause, look down, and unnecessarily straighten the silverware she had just laid out before she went on.
"But after our conversation this morning, I realized that that wasn't entirely true - at least not if I didn't want it to be."
Having finished with the napkins and silverware, Jessica's hands moved to rest on the back of the chair she was standing behind. "I have decided to accept Raymond's offer."
"That's exciting." Seth told her though it really wasn't. Jessica did readings and lectures all around the country all the time. "Is it just for a single session or does it run for an entire week?"
"Well that's just it …" She paused, hesitated even he would say, before telling him. "... it's for the whole semester. I'll be lecturing two days a week."
Seth's brow creased. He was having a little trouble comprehending. "But Manhattan University … isn't that … in Manhattan? New York City Manhattan?"
"It is."
Thinking she couldn't possibly have thought things through, Seth pointed out. "You can't possibly fly to New York and back twice a week. You'll be exhausted. You'll collapse of exhaustion within the first month."
Jessica acknowledged that he was right. "I know that. I made a few calls. I've already found an apartment to rent."
Seth was astounded. This wasn't the scaling back that he had suggested. Jessica had traded one set of obligations for another. That hadn't been his intention when he made the suggestion. Not at all!
A dumbfounded Seth asked. "You're moving to New York?"
"No." Jessica told him. "I'm not moving to New York. I'll just be there a few days a week."
"Every week. That is moving to New York." Seth told her.
"No," Jessica dismissed the idea. "Not really. I'll be back here for the weekends."
"Jessica …" Seth didn't know what to say.
"Really, it's only for a few days a week and the commitment is just for the one semester." Her hands gripped the back of the chair almost a bit nervously as she almost in a rush went on telling him. "Oh Seth, I'm so looking forward to this."
She might be, but he certainly wasn't.
Deep down inside, Seth was horrified at the idea of her leaving.
"Being in New York regularly, I'll be able to see Grady & Frankie more - and Donna too of course. I can meet Grady for lunch in the city and I can take his train to Fishkill with him to see the others."
Seth wanted to object. He started to object. "Grady and Donna adore you. You don't need the excuse of teaching in New York to go see Grady more often."
He wanted to tell her all of the reasons why she shouldn't go …
"It's more than just that." Jessica looked down at her hands as she admitted. "This is probably going to sound absolutely ridiculous, but I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed teaching these past few years."
He wanted to tell her all the reasons she needed to stay …
All his reasons for why he wanted her to stay.
But after everything that had gone on in the last year …
He knew now was not the right time.
If he had any doubts, all it took to have him hold back was that one word, that one name passing her lips.
And still looking down at her hands, Jessica said the name.
"When Frank became ill, I retired from teaching at the high school to be able to spend more time with him. I don't regret it and I wouldn't trade that extra time with him for anything in the world, but in the years since, I admit I have missed it."
Hands still gripping the back of her chair nervously, Jessica looked up to judge his reaction as she kept speaking.
"Not that I don't enjoy writing, because I do, I most certainly do, but teaching will always be my first love. There is something to be said for getting to interact with my students, getting to know them on a personal level. Having the opportunity to have that back and forth dialogue with them about things. That's not something that I ever really get with my readers."
Seth's heart was breaking more than a bit at the idea of her going ...
But Jessica's smile as she continued telling him …the way that it pulled at the corners of her mouth and danced about in her eyes ...
"There's just something so wonderful, so fulfilling about getting to see the excitement, that spark in a student's eyes when you're explaining something to them and they finally make that breakthrough and connect with the material that you are trying to teach them. I'm so excited about the idea of getting back to that."
Seth couldn't help but smile in return … or at least attempt to.
Seth cleared his throat. "Well, it sounds as if your mind is made up. When is all this happening?"
"Classes start in three weeks."
"Three weeks?!" Seth repeated. As always, once Jessica had an idea in her head, she moved ahead at warp speed.
Seth couldn't share his particular reasons for wanting her to stay, but he grumbled about what he safely could.
"New York City. It's so …" far away. "... wretched of a place. There's so much crime there. What do you even know about this apartment you have rented sight unseen in the Godless den of iniquity that is New York City?"
Jessica smiled. Her grip on the back of the chair relaxed. "The building has a doorman so everyone and anyone off the street can't just walk into the building."
Seth huffed. "That will certainly be a change versus here."
Gesturing for him to sit down, Jessica retrieved the already dressed salad from the counter and joined him.
"Now, the apartment I have rented comes partially furnished and I am going to send a few things from here, but I thought it might be fun to do a little antiquing to find a few odds and ends to finish it off. I don't suppose you would care to take a few afternoons off and come shopping with me?"
Seth shook his head in exasperation at the whole situation, but told her. "You know that I would be delighted to."
tbc
A/N Really this is the end of this particular story, but if it seems a little too heartless to just leave it at this I can add on a little epilogue from later on in the series.