Chapter 33 Notes: Baseball season starts and Jeremy hears from his first college. I hope you are all having a lovely holiday! Thanks for all the comments and feedback from the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own obsession with Gilmore Girls

"I hate this." Jess and Luke were seated at the far end of the top row of the bleachers along the first base side of the field. The few other people in attendance were all clustered along the bottom rows at the other end, but Jess had insisted on his personal space if he had to attend a Stars Hollow high school event. This was the home opener. They were at the park on the outskirts of Stars Hollow where the team played its home games because the school didn't have room for sports fields on its premises in the center of town.

"I'm pretty sure you mentioned that already." Luke said, his eyes on the field as another Stars Hollow player stepped into the batter's box. It wasn't Jeremy, so Jess couldn't have cared less about what was going on at the moment. "But, Jeremy's enjoying himself, so that's all that matters."

"Every time Jeremy comes home from practice and quotes that guy, it makes me want to throw him out the fucking window." Jess made his voice high and annoying. "Coach Forrester says I have natural instincts at second base. Coach Forrester says we should try to get in thirty minutes of conditioning every day, in addition to practice. Coach Forrester says he's a giant fucking douchebag. It's fucking nauseating!"

Luke barked out a laugh. "I'm guessing the last one wasn't an actual quote." Luke shot Jess a concerned glance. "Hey, I hope you don't say anything stupid when Jeremy says that stuff."

"Of course, I don't! Give me a little credit here, Luke. I listen to my kid like a good parent, nod in all the right spots, say things like, 'that sounds like a good advice' or 'your coach seems to really know what he's talking about' all while wearing a shit-eating grin and focusing all my mental energy on not tossing Jeremy's skinny ass out the fucking window just to make the sound of that guy's name stop coming out of his mouth."

Luke barked out a laugh, then scolded his nephew. "Jess, watch your mouth. There are kids here."

"They can't hear me down there." Jess huffed, angling his head toward the other families in the bleachers, but lowered his voice anyway, to humor his uncle. "It's just so ridiculous. The guy has to move back to town five fucking minutes after I do. And he gets a job at the same high school that my kid goes to and ends up coaching his team. What the fuck is that?"

"Uh, take a look around town. It's not like he had more than one high school to choose from."

"I hate this."

"At least Jeremy didn't get him for a teacher, too."

"Yeah, Jeremy said that he only teaches freshman and sophomore classes. What? Like AP calculus is too hard for him?" Jess scoffed. "What kind of 'math teacher,' and I use that term loosely, can't handle calculus? I mean, right?"

Luke laughed. "Did you even take calculus, Jess? Do you even really know what it is?"

"I don't believe we're talking about me, here, Luke. How about you try to stay focused? Why aren't you on my side, anyway? I know you don't like the guy any more than I do."

Luke sighed. "I'm always on your side Jess. And, yeah, he's not exactly my favorite person in the world, either. But, Reverend Skinner retired from coaching this year. They needed someone else. He took the job. I'm guessing he had reasons for moving back here and taking the job other than some nefarious plan to spite you and ruin your life. And, since there's nothing you can do about it, I'd let it go if I were you. And, Jeremy likes him. That's what matters here."

"I feel like the universe is taking a giant dump on me."

Luke laughed and patted Jess's knee. "Hey, be grateful he's coaching your son in baseball and not having an affair with your daughter. That's all I'm saying. Because if you think this is no picnic, my friend…"

"Gross!" Jess was instantly disgusted. "Jeez, Luke! Thanks for that mental image!"

Luke chuckled. "I'm just tryin' to give you some perspective on the situation, here. It could be worse."

"Fine, you win, but that's just nasty."

Luke patted him on the leg while looking down at the field. "Shhhh, Jess! Watch. Jeremy's up."

Jess watched his son take a couple of practice swings before stepping into the batter's box. Jess was transfixed as he watched the kid dig in his feet and get set up, bat cocked behind his right shoulder, eyes intent on the pitcher, carrying himself with more confidence than Jess had ever seen in his shy, scrawny teenage son.

Jess watched Jeremy take the first pitch, too low and inside, and heard the umpire call it a ball. Jess found himself getting nervous for Jeremy. The Minutemen were already down by six runs and it was only the third inning. This seemed to be the way their games went based on the reactions from the few other parents in the stands. And, Jess didn't care if the team won. But, he found himself surprisingly caught up in wanting Jeremy to succeed here, for the boy to have a good moment, to feel the pride that comes from doing well at something you care about. He watched Jeremy take the second pitch, this one a strike, higher up but still appearing inside to Jess. Jess didn't realize he had been holding his breath until Jeremy got a solid hit on the third pitch, getting out in front of it and knocking a hard line drive down the third base line, past the third baseman, touching the ground right where the dirt ends and the outfield grass starts and shooting past the left fielder. Jess could feel his heart rate picking up as he watched Jeremy drop his bat and run to first, stopping at second on instruction from the third base coach when the center fielder threw the ball in to the shortstop. Jess was clapping so hard his hands hurt. He let out a sharp whistle amid the flurry of applause that had two of the mom's in the front row turning to look back at him. "That's my kid!" He hadn't realized he had stood up until he had had to look so far down at them. He could feel himself grinning. The women smiled at him and turned back around to face the field. Jess grinned as he made eye contact with Jeremy as the boy stood on second and grinned back at him, briefly, before his expression became serious again as he moved a few feet off the bag as the pitcher got ready for the next batter. Holy shit. Jess had never been this excited watching a sporting event in his life.

Jess sat back down, feeling a little embarrassed as he turned to see Luke smiling at him with fondness and amusement. "Man." Jess said. "I had no idea baseball could be that exciting! My kid is fucking amazing!" Jess grinned.

Luke clapped him on the back, smiling. "Yes, he is, nephew."

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Jeremy felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket as he hoisted the last trash bag into the dumpster. He pulled out his phone as he walked back down the alley to the diner. It was a text from Cassidy asking if he wanted to join her study group tomorrow night for the Calculus exam on Tuesday. He scrolled through his emails while he had his phone open. He was always careful not to check his phone during work hours. Luke had assured him that the no cell phone rule didn't apply to great-nephews who were waiting to hear back from colleges, but he didn't want to take advantage. He stopped walking and stared at the notification for a new email from Penn State. It looked like it was from Penn State Abington. Back when he had been applying, this had been his top choice of the Pennsylvania public colleges. He had always heard that the one in University Park was the best, the biggest campus, the most diversity in terms of academic options and student life, but after being sent to live with Jess, Abington had become his number one choice due to its location less than an hour from Philadelphia. Jeremy remembered filling out the applications and wondering whether he would be allowed to commute to college from Jess's apartment, or whether the adoption would even happen. It had been right on the heels of the awkward moment by the side of the road on the way back from Stars Hollow when Jeremy had broken down and begged Jess not to get rid of him, and Jeremy hadn't been sure how real Jess's offer to adopt him has been. Everything had still felt so new and uncertain back then.

Jeremy was on the fence about what he wanted this email to say. All the schools he had applied to were pretty much on par with each other in terms of admissions standards. If he didn't get in here, it was possible he wouldn't get in to any of his schools and his problem would be solved and he would get to stay in Stars Hollow. If he got in, he would likely get into others and he would need to either bring his concerns up to Jess like an adult, or pack his shit and move four hours away in a few months. Also, like an adult. He sighed. He knew the first outcome was more likely. He had a good transcript even it had to be pieced together from five different high schools. He knew he didn't had a lot of extracurriculars other than baseball to make his application stand out, but he had his essay for that. He knew his essay was well-written and that the subject matter about his time in the foster care system would serve to differentiate him and provide justification for all his school transfers and lack of participation in clubs and activities. Growing up the way he had had sucked, but he realized it would be useful here.

Jeremy clicked on the email and saw the first sentence starting with 'congratulations.' He felt choked up at his acceptance into college. He felt more pleased with his accomplishment than he had expected to, taking satisfaction in how he had beaten the odds by getting into a decent four year college after having spent the majority of his life in foster care. It was something to be proud of, but it definitely complicated his life. He was lost in thought as he walked back into the diner.

Luke was waiting for him, wearing his dark green canvas jacket and ready to lock up the diner. "Thanks for taking that out, Jeremy."

Jeremy nodded absently. "Sure. Thanks." Jeremy looked at his uncle to find the man watching him with a curious look on his face.

"You all right, nephew?" Luke asked.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

Luke smiled slightly, but still looked concerned. "I'm only asking because you just thanked me for thanking you for taking out the trash. You seem a little preoccupied."

"Oh, sorry." Jeremy forced himself to focus on what Luke was saying.

"You don't have to be sorry. I just thought something might be bothering you." Luke hesitated. "Is something bothering you?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Luke." Jeremy grinned, and it felt surprisingly authentic. He really was proud of his accomplishment. He held up the phone in his hand. "I just got an email from Penn State. I got into college."

"Jeremy, that's great!" The next thing Jeremy knew, he was being hugged tightly. "That's amazing, Jeremy! This is so great!" Then Luke was standing back, with one hand on Jeremy's shoulder as he spoke to him. Jeremy took in the smile on his face and the warmth in his eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Jeremy. You should be really proud of yourself right now, too."

Jeremy nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed and emotional. "I kind of am…"

"You should be. This is a big deal." Luke was smiling so fondly and lovingly at Jeremy that it hurt. The boy suddenly felt his eyes tearing up, and wiped at his face with the back of his hand.

"Hey, hey." Luke's voice was lower, gentle. "What's wrong? This isn't the reaction I expected. What is it, Jeremy?"

Jeremy shook his head, but didn't trust himself to speak without crying for real, and he really didn't want to do that. It was all so pathetic. Getting into college was a good thing. He knew that. And, Luke was right. It was a big deal. And he had people in his life to share his news with now, and that felt so good. Luke was so excited for him. The thought struck him that he didn't want to ruin this moment for Luke, and he huffed out one nervous giggle at the ridiculousness of the idea. He felt his tears welling up in his eyes and set his mind on not letting them fall. "I don't…I, uh, I don't really want to go, though." He felt one rogue tear slip down his cheek and he wiped at his face quickly, reminding himself that this was nothing to fall apart over. This was a good thing.

"C'mere, kid." Luke pulled Jeremy to his chest and held him tightly. Jeremy felt Luke's warm palm cup the back of his head. He felt ridiculous and childish, and way too old to be reacting like this to something that technically wasn't even bad news. He hated that he couldn't even make a good memory out of this day, that he would always look back on the day he got into college and remember crying on his uncle's shoulder like a stupid, pathetic little kid. "Everything is going to be ok, Jeremy. Do you hear me?" Jeremy nodded against Luke's shoulder. "You'll talk to Jess and we'll get this figured out. I can talk to him with you if you want. You always have a home here. Nothing will ever change that. You know that, right?"

Jeremy nodded again. Talking felt too dangerous, like he would break down completely if he tried. Jeremy let himself be held. After a moment, Luke pulled back and held Jeremy by both shoulders at arms length. Jeremy stared down at his sneakers, too embarrassed to make eye contact. "Hey, Jeremy, look at me."

Jeremy obediently looked up at Luke and saw so much warmth and love in his uncle's expression that it made him believe that everything really would be ok. Luke loved him. So did Jess. They weren't going to force him out if he wasn't ready to go.

"I know we kind of talked about this a little the day of the adoption, but I want to make sure I'm clear, here. You do still want to go to college, right? You just don't want to leave home and go too far away. Do I have that right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I definitely still want to go to college. I worked really hard to get there." Jeremy felt himself on the verge of tearing up again and blinked back the moisture in his eyes.

"Good." Luke was smiling softly at him. "Because I've gotta say, that's part non-negotiable, my friend. Especially after watching what happened to Jess at Truncheon. There's no way either of us would be ok with you not going to college."

"I know." Jeremy nodded. "I know how important it is. And, Jess told me how he regrets not going. I definitely want to go."

Luke released his hold on Jeremy, but continued to study the boy carefully. "Jess said that? That he regrets not going to college?"

"Kind of. He said he had the chance to go, but he was too dumb to take it."

"Huh." Luke sounded so much like Jess that he made Jeremy smile.

"I really want to go to college. It's what I've been working toward for years."

"Good. Good boy."

"But, it's like, last year at this time I would have said I wanted to go to college more than I wanted anything else. But, that was back when I didn't really believe I was ever going to have a family. I still want to go to college, so much, I just want to stay here with you guys more. There are schools close by, in Hartford, that I could commute to, if Jess is ok with that. It's too late to apply for the fall semester, but I could take a semester off and work more, or take some classes at a community college or something…..."

Luke nodded, his expression serious.

"I just got a family…...I don't want…... to be all alone again." Jeremy sighed. "I know I sound pathetic…"

"You don't sound pathetic, Jeremy. Not at all. I think I get what you're saying. I think you need to tell all this to Jess."

Jeremy looked down at his sneakers.

"Do you want me to come up and talk to Jess with you?"

Jeremy shook his head slowly and looked up. "No, that's ok. Thank you, though. I should probably do it by myself. Can you, uh…..could you maybe not mention me getting into college to Jess until I get a chance to talk to him about it?"

"Oh, uh, sure. Of course." Luke didn't sound very sure, despite his words. "You don't think you'll talk to him now? When you go upstairs?"

"I don't know. It's already late, and I kind of want to…..sit with it for a little while before I talk to him. Is that ok?"

Jeremy could see the hesitancy in Luke's nod. "Sure. You can do this however you want to Jeremy. But, can I give you some advice?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Don't put it off too long. Don't work it up to be a bigger deal than it needs to be."

"Do you think Jess will be mad?" Jeremy asked hesitantly.

"I don't think he'll be mad. Jess loves you and he wants you to be happy. He'll listen to you. He isn't going to make you do anything you don't want to do, ok?"

Jeremy nodded. "Ok."

"And, Jeremy, no matter where you live or how far away you go, you'll never be alone again. You have so many people who care about you now and who will be in your life forever. You have Jess, and he loves you so much and he will always be in your life. And, you have me. And, I love you so much, and I will always be in your life, too. You know all that, right?"

Jeremy nodded, and felt the corners of his mouth pulling up into a small smile. "I do, but I never get tired of hearing it." Jeremy realized that Luke might not get tired of hearing it either. "I love you, too, Uncle Luke."

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Jess was sitting in the armchair with a book when Winston got up and trotted toward the door. "Hey, buddy." The dog looked back at Jess's voice, tail wagging, before continuing to the door. "Is that our boy?" The dog let out a low whine.

The door opened and Jeremy walked in, instantly crouching to greet his dog. "Hey, Winston! Did you miss me, boy?" He rubbed the dog's ears and petted his back as Winston thrust his nose toward Jeremy's face, sniffing and licking. "Who's a good dog?"

Jess set his book down on the coffee table and crossed one ankle over his other knee. He felt stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. "Hey, kid. Your boss keep you late tonight? You need me to have a word with that guy?"

Jeremy laughed. "No. Me and Uncle Luke were just talking after we closed up."

"Oh, yeah? Is everything ok?" Jess respected his son's relationship with his uncle, and was grateful that Jeremy had another person he loved and trusted, but he could admit to feeling a little jealous sometimes when their relationship didn't include him.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Hey, is it ok if I go over to Cassidy's to study tomorrow night?"

"Sure, Jeremy. So, is this like a study date type of situation?"

Jeremy smiled. "No, it's more of a group thing."

Jess held his hands up, palms out, smirking. "Hey, I don't need all the sordid details, pal."

Jeremy laughed as he stood back up. "Cassidy and I aren't dating. She's actually into this other guy at school. We're just friends. She's really nice."

"Ok. Just friends can be good." Jess couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Jeremy. "You eat already? I could make you a sandwich or some eggs or something."

"I'm good. Luke fed me on my break." Jeremy paused, looked down at Winston again, then back at Jess. "I'm actually pretty tired. Is it ok if I just get ready for bed?"

"Yeah, of course, Jeremy. That's fine."

Jeremy bent to give Winston one more pat before heading toward the bathroom. Jess watched the boy until he disappeared from sight behind his chair, then felt a hand on his shoulder as Jeremy leaned over the back of the chair, wrapping his other arm loosely around Jess's neck, hugging him from behind. Jess lifted a hand to gently hold his son's forearm, feeling concerned at the unexpected display of affection. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Jeremy." Jess rubbed his thumb gently along the boy's wrist. "More than anything else in this world."

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Jeremy woke up in middle of the night feeling anxious. He knew he needed to talk to Jess about how he was feeling about college, sooner rather than later, but he was worried about how the conversation would go, and what Jess would think of him not feeling ready to leave home. He didn't want to come across as immature or ungrateful. On one hand, it felt ridiculous, even to him, the strong need he felt to be around his parent that had him wanting to stay home after high school, the exact opposite of most kids he knew who were counting down the days until they could be out on their own. But on the other hand, he knew he had already been forced to accomplish many of the tasks of independent living that some kids didn't learn until they went off to college. He knew how to cook for himself, and how to keep his living space clean. He had been doing his own laundry for years, and still did most of his and Jess's. He knew how to make phone calls to set up his own appointments and had gotten good at figuring out how to get himself around on public transportation at whatever placement he had been staying at. He was responsible with his money, spending very little of what he made at the diner now, understanding it was more important to save it for his long term goal of college. He had had to adjust to living with strangers so many times over, and he had learned to self-soothe at an early age. He could cope with life's emotional upsets without needing someone to confide in or provide sympathy or help him through a bad situation. He had developed that skill out of necessity when he hadn't had anyone to fill that confidant role even when he had wanted to. He knew most kids his age viewed leaving home as something exciting, a long awaited and dreamed about chapter of their lives. Jeremy could kind of understand how they felt, because he viewed finally having a home and a family the same way.

It wasn't that he didn't feel like he could go off to college and live alone again. He was pretty sure he could, if he needed to. But, he hadn't even had a full year of respite from that life. He loved having his new family around him on a daily basis, and he wanted to have that experience for longer. He knew logically that there was no way to balance the scales. That even if he stayed with Jess forever, that it still wouldn't make up for the hurt of never having been wanted as a child. Nothing would, or could. That pain was a part of him, seared into his heart and soul forever, to be worked around for the rest of his life, but never completely erased. But, he did believe that a little more time with his family now, while he was still young and figuring himself out, might help him heal a little more than he'd be able to if he were out on his own again so soon. He knew he would never be completely on his own again, that Jess and Luke and so many other people would be a phone call or train ride away. That it would be different than the type of 'on his own' he had experienced before he met Jess. But, it still freaked him out.

Jeremy needed to go to the bathroom and he slowly got out of bed, trying to be quiet to not bother Winston, who was sleeping on his dog bed on the floor next to Jeremy's bed. Winston dutifully raised his head as Jeremy walked by, and the boy held one hand, palm out toward the dog. "You stay, Winston. Stay, boy. I'll be right back." The dog obediently laid his head back down, his eyes watching Jeremy as the boy quietly opened the door and walked out.

Jeremy was startled to see Jess, in sleep pants and a tee-shirt, lying on the couch asleep under the glow of a lamp, his laptop precariously balanced on his chest. Jeremy knew his father had still been awake when he himself had gone to bed, but he wondered why the man hadn't made it to bed on his own. He stood staring at his sleeping father, debating what he should do. Tomorrow was Sunday and Jess's weekend day off from the bookstore. Jeremy wondered if he should wake Jess up so that he could go to bed or let him spend the night on the couch. Jeremy checked Jess's positioning to make sure he didn't have his neck angled in a way that would cause him pain the next day, but the man was lying relatively flat. Jeremy decided not to bother him. He did, however, think he should put the laptop on the coffee table where it would be safe from falling when Jess woke up. Jeremy tiptoed closer and slowly picked up the open laptop so as not to disturb his father. As he set it on the coffee table he accidentally touched the mouse pad, and the dark screen came to life revealing the prompt to enter his password and sign in. Jeremy was hit with a surge of curiosity as to what had kept Jess up this late. The thought hit him that Jess might be studying the tuition and fees page for Pennsylvania state colleges again, and he felt a pit lodging in his stomach. The laptop was Jeremy's old one, the one Jess had bought him when he first came to live with him, that had become a shared computer after Jeremy had accidentally ruined Jess's own, and then become entirely Jess's after Jeremy had received another laptop from Luke and Lorelai for Christmas.

Jeremy kept one eye on Jess's sleeping form as he crouched in front of the coffee table and quietly typed in his old password. It looked like Jess had never bothered to change it. The sign in page was quickly replaced by a website, youtube. The still picture filling most of the frame with a sideways white triangle waiting to be pushed to start the video showed a picture of a boy, maybe ten or twelve years old, facing the camera and smiling and he stood astride a parked red bicycle. The title read, Positive Strategies for Teaching An Older Child to Ride a Bike. Jeremy smiled softly. He saw there was another page open and clicked on that tab to reveal an article entitled, Teaching a Teenager to Ride a Bike Without Hurting His Self-Esteem. That one hit Jeremy even harder and he felt himself tearing up. He knew it was an embarrassing thing to not know how to ride a bike at his age, and he was grateful not only that Jess wanted to teach him, but that he was taking Jeremy's feelings into consideration and had put in the effort to research how to do it in a way that would minimize any shame Jeremy might feel. Jeremy's heart felt so full of gratitude and love for the man sleeping in front of him. He gently shut the laptop and stood back up. He pulled the afghan off the back of the armchair and spread it over Jess, taking care to lay out the blanket so that Jess was covered from his collar to his toes.

Jeremy stood looking at Jess for a moment. He thought about Liz telling him that TJ had watched youtube videos to prepare for his first snowman build with Doula years ago because he had wanted to impress his daughter. And about Luke falling asleep in the apartment the first weekend Jess had brought Jeremy home, and April covering him with a blanket and texting Lorelai to let her know Luke would be sleeping there. And Jess coming home drunk the night he'd lost his job at Truncheon and telling Jeremy about the nights he had snuck in late as a teenager to find Luke passed out on the couch, not quite able to wait up for him, and how he would cover Luke with a blanket because Jess believed it was impossible to stay mad at someone who had covered you with a blanket while you slept. Jeremy loved being part of this family. He loved having historical references for his family members' behaviors and being able to see similarities and draw parallels between them. It made him feel tethered to something that mattered, and part of a larger whole in a way he had never experienced before. He wanted more of that. He wasn't sure if it was immature, or selfish, or cowardly, or anything else, but he knew he wasn't ready to leave his family yet. The idea of being in a dorm room in a few months surrounded by strangers for miles produced such a visceral surge of real grief in Jeremy. He knew he couldn't stay with Jess forever, and would likely be ready to be out on his own at some point, but it wasn't now. He wanted to stay here longer. He wanted more memories like this moment. Jeremy adjusted the blanket a little and then headed to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, without really thinking about why he was doing it, Jeremy was pulling the blanket off his own bed. This time when he left the room, he let Winston follow. He turned off the lights and curled up in the armchair for the night as Winston settled into the dog bed next to it.

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Jess woke up disoriented to a soft huffing noise and the foul stench of meat. He opened his eyes and came face to face with Winston, who got excited to see him awake and thrust his snout even closer to Jess's face, nose sniffing and tail wagging to demonstrate his pleasure. "Oh, boy, your breath." Jess reached out a hand to rub Winston's head, gently angling the dog's face away from his own as he got his bearings. He didn't remember falling asleep in the living room. He started to sit up and the afghan that was kept on the armchair slid down his chest and pooled in his lap. He felt more confused as he took in the sight of Jeremy nestled in the armchair, still asleep, but it possibly explained the blanket. The boy looked even younger when he was asleep and the sight made Jess smile. Winston whined softly, pulling Jess's attention back. "You want breakfast, boy? Is that what you're telling me, pal?" Jess picked his phone up off the table and stood up. "Just one second, little guy." He whispered to Winston, as he opened his camera and lined up a shot of his sleeping boy and snapped a picture. Jess followed Winston into the kitchen, feeling a sharp stab of pain for himself for having missed out on so many moments like this was Jeremy was young, and for Jeremy for not having had someone in his early years who loved him and cared about chronicling his cute moments. He turned off his phone and set it on the counter as he reached for a can of dog food. "That one's a keeper, Winston."

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Jeremy swallowed a bite of egg and washed it down with a sip of orange juice as he listened to Jess.

"So, I was just thinking about what we should do today." Jess was sitting across the table, leaning forward over his own breakfast, eager and expectant. "Since you don't have to be at the diner until the lunch shift and you don't have practice on Sunday, and I don't need to be at the bookstore at all today, I was thinking we should put this beautiful morning to good use, and then it hit me that we haven't taken your bike out yet."

Jeremy was amused by Jess's attempt at casual spontaneity, but he didn't let it show. "Yeah? What a coincidence. I woke up thinking about the bike, too."

"Hey, I love it when we're on the same page!" Jess smiled warmly at Jeremy. "I think today is a really good day for your first lesson. What do you think?"

Jeremy smiled back like he always did when Jess hit him with that smile. It made him feel so loved that it was impossible not to return it. "Sure. That sounds like fun, Dad. Thanks."

"Oh, it will definitely be fun!" Jess grinned. "Brace yourself for some serious father son bonding, Jeremy!"

Jeremy grinned back. "Consider me braced." He knew he wasn't going to bring up college today, either.