AN: blizzardgirl93 - here is your follow up chapter to the one of teenage Jack talking to Nathan. I hope you, and everyone else, enjoys it!
Knowing his dad hadn't gotten home yet, Jack figured now was as good a time as any to tell his mother his plans for the future. It also helped that his little brother and sister were both off with friends today. Putting it off sure wasn't going to make anything any easier.
"Can I help you with dinner, Mama?" Jack asked, as he walked through the front door.
"The potatoes need peeling," Elizabeth replied, nodding to the potatoes on the counter nearby as she continued cutting the carrots she had peeled for the beef vegetable stew.
Jack washed his hands in the wash basin, kissed his mother on the cheek and started the task of peeling the potatoes. For a little while, mother and son worked in silence. After peeling two potatoes, Jack finally broke the silence.
"Mom, I wanted to talk to you about something," he ventured as he picked up a third potato. Peeling the potato gave him something to concentrate on.
"I kind of figured that," Elizabeth said as she slid the sliced carrots into a bowl.
"You did?"
"The only time you volunteer to help with dinner is when you want to talk about something that you don't think I'm going to like," Elizabeth replied, grabbing a few of the celery stalks sitting in the nearby bowl of water. "So, what is it? You didn't break another window at the saloon throwing a ball around with your friends did you?"
"No," Jack replied. "Not this time," he added, though he almost wish that was what he had to confess. Finishing the third potato, he placed them with the other two and then turned to face his mother. "I want to go to Mountie training following graduation," he blurted out.
Elizabeth continued to chop the celery, probably with a little more force than necessary. When she was finished, she grabbed a couple more stalks and continued the process.
"Mama?" Jack ventured, unsure of what to make of her silence.
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, concentrating on her work without a glance at Jack. "If I find out that Nathan has been trying to convince you to follow-"
"He hasn't," Jack said quickly. "In fact, he told me not to do it if the only reason I was doing it was to follow in his, and my birth father's footsteps."
"Good," Elizabeth replied, finishing the celery.
"I want to be a Mountie because I see what a positive influence Dad has on the lives of the people of this town. I want to do the same thing. I want my to help people, like he does and like you do," Jack said. "I realize the Mounties aren't the only way to help people but I think it's the direction I'm best suited for. I don't have the patience you do to teach children."
"Your younger brother and sister will not argue with that assessment," Elizabeth commented, thinking of the times her first born had gotten annoyed with his younger siblings.
"And I do okay with school, but I'm not interested in going to college to become a doctor or a lawyer or anything. However, I already know how to ride, I'm a good shot thanks to dad, and I think it would be neat to see some of the places you've made me read about. I know it can be dangerous, but these days walking down the street of Hope Valley can be dangerous giving all the cars now."
Elizabeth nodded, conceding her son's points. She had a feeling she knew just how her own mother had felt when Elizabeth had chosen to leave home and come west. Her mother hadn't been able to change her mind and she knew she wouldn't be able to change Jack's mind.
Putting down the knife, she wiped some tears from her eyes before turning to Jack.
"I don't like it," Elizabeth told him. "However, I realize its your choice to make. Just promise me you'll be as careful as you can be."
"I will," Jack told her, finally putting down the peeler. Reaching out, he pulled his mother into hug. He was relieved that the task was over with and knew his mother had taken the news as well as could be expected.