Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart." Any real people or places noted in the chapter are just there for storyline purposes. Chapter 15- Listen to Your Mother
Recap of the Chapter 14 ending…
Jack walked into Coach Roessler's office, "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong."
"Take a seat, Jack. You know, when players tell me that they don't know what's going on, I find that they really do. I'm going to take a stab at this…did you break up with someone?"
Jack sat down, rested his elbows on his thighs as his hands came together with his chin resting between his thumbs and forefingers. "I'm fine, sir."
"Jack, you aren't fine, and it's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but just know that these next games are important to us. Get your head back in the game or I'll need to see about pulling you out until you do, okay?"
"I understand."
Following his shower, Jack walked out of the locker room into a group of players. "Hey Jack, come on and go out with us."
"No thank you. I appreciate it, but I'm just going home," he stated as he walked out the gate and directly to his car. Before the group of players had exited the stadium, Jack was already pulling out of the parking lot.
Once he reached his apartment, he changed into a pair of shorts and crawled into bed. He was exhausted, having not slept the night before, but he wasn't so certain that sleep would come to him tonight either.
Lying in the darkness he couldn't seem to settle. He turned on his lamp and grabbed his phone from the bedside table. Still nothing from Elizabeth and although he wanted to give her time, he was fearful that too much space between them would only weaken their relationship further.
"I need 2 talk to u. Please, can we just talk…?" he stared at the text for what seemed like a lifetime before pushing "send."
Elizabeth heard her phone chime and grabbed it from the table but sat with it in her hand not certain how to respond. Thinking back to the advice Brenda gave her she simply replied, "I'm not ready…"
"I'm worried about u. R u OK…?"
"Don't assume that u can break me. I was fine b4 u, and I'll b fine after u…"
"Please don't say that; don't act like we're thru. Can I call u…? I need 2 hear u r voice…"
"I'm not ready, Jack…"
"When…?"
"I don't know…"
Although they were four hours apart, Jack and Elizabeth lay in their respective beds, with thoughts of the other spinning in their heads. It was another night of dream shattered sleep for each of them.
Jack woke at 4:15am, pulled on a t-shirt and left his bedroom. At the same time, Elizabeth slipped out of bed to turn Lizzie out.
"Come on, girl. I'm sorry; I forgot to turn you out before bedtime."
Elizabeth stepped out onto her patio and sat on the deck.
Jack stepped out onto his balcony and chose to sit in the dark.
Though they were two hundred miles apart, at that exact moment, unbeknownst to them, they were sitting under the same clear sky; thinking of each other and wishing upon the same beautiful stars.
Now on with our story…
Baltimore, Maryland…
Elizabeth stretched, glanced over at the clock, 8:45am, and was thankful that she was able to get at least a few hours of sleep. She pulled the covers back, grabbed her black jeans and Hawks polo shirt as she headed for the bathroom to shower. Jack lay in bed, his arms wrapped around his pillow as he held it tightly to his chest. The smile on his face as he slept was indicative of the fact that at least in his dream, he and Elizabeth were no longer at odds.
New York City…
Jack opened his eyes as the rays of sunshine slipped through the slight opening in his blinds. His smile quickly disappeared as he realized that not only was she not with him, he wasn't certain that she would ever forgive him.
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table but quickly observed that there was no message from Elizabeth. If it wasn't for the fact that the team was depending on him, he'd leave now and drive down to see her. However, as poorly as he played last night, he wasn't certain that his team really wanted him either.
He crawled out of bed, fixed a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa as he watched a cycle of the news. He knew that he'd played poorly last night, but somehow seeing it shown over and over again in replayed video made it more real and absolutely stomach churning.
Back in Baltimore…
Two hundred miles away, Elizabeth sat on her sofa with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. Each time she started to punch in Jack's number, Selma's face flashed in her mind and her tears started all over again.
"Come on Lizzie. Let's go to the park before I leave for work."
As she and Lizzie entered the park, Elizabeth saw Sami's dog, but no Sami. Hmm, that's odd, she thought.
"Good morning, Elizabeth…"
The voice was familiar, but caught her off guard. "Oh, hi Adam; what are you doing here?"
"Sami had a date last night, and well, let's just say that she'll be home later, so I'm taking care of Morty. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine…" she turned her attention to Lizzie, "Hurry up, we need to get going."
"You aren't running away from me, are you?" he asked.
"Adam, I have no need to run away from you."
"I'm not used to seeing you without Jack…oh, that's right, Sami told me that things may not be all wonderful in that department."
"Well, you would know about things not being wonderful, now wouldn't you? We had our problems."
"So, you and Jack are having problems?"
"Adam, I'm not going to discuss Jack with you."
"Well, I'm here if you want to talk."
"Since when? You never wanted to talk when we were together."
"I just want to show you that I've changed. Since you and Jack aren't together, maybe we could try again."
"Are you serious? First of all, I never said that Jack and I were no longer together. And even if we weren't, I'm not interested in revisiting our relationship. If you'll excuse me, I need to get to work," she firmly stated.
"Come on, Lizzie; we need to go."
"I'm sorry; I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"I'm not uncomfortable around you, Adam. The topic on the other hand is a bit awkward. I'm sorry, but we really need to go."
As Elizabeth reached the gate, Adam called out, "Hey, can we go get a cup of coffee sometime?"
She closed the gate after Lizzie stepped outside, "I don't think so, but I do wish you well."
I don't think so, but I do wish you well…really Elizabeth? What a stupid response. Elizabeth walked away, knowing, without turning to observe, that Adam's eyes followed her as she disappeared down the street.
Once they reached her townhouse, Lizzie ran inside and fell out froggy style on the tile floor in front of the fireplace.
"I know how you feel girl, but this is the last game of the regular season, so maybe next weekend I can lie around with you."
Elizabeth grabbed her bag and headed for the front door, "I'll see you later Lizzie. Be good!"
Thirty minutes later she pulled into her reserved space; the space that was arranged by Jack to make certain that she was safe while he was gone.
"Why would he go to all of this trouble for me just to go back to her? I mean, would he, really? Could I be wrong about all of this? Stop it Elizabeth…why would he be kissing her if he loves you?"
Knock, knock, knock… Elizabeth was startled by a tapping on her driver side window. She forced a smile as she exited her car and hugged Mookie.
"Rosa's going to be upset that she stayed home today. She wasn't expecting you to be here. But wait, I thought you were visiting Jack this weekend," he mentioned before observing a change in Elizabeth's expression. "Oh no, what happened?"
"It didn't turn out like I'd planned, that's for sure."
"Let me call Rosa and see if she can get a ride over here," Mookie stated as he pulled out his phone.
Elizabeth put her hand over his, "Please don't bother her. I'll be fine."
As Elizabeth and Mookie headed through the gate he asked again, "Wouldn't you like to talk to Rosa?"
"I always love talking to Rosa, but I don't want to bother her. I'm sure that she has a lot on her mind with your move back home." Trying to change the subject she added, "It must be difficult to plan when you don't even know, based on the play-offs, when you will be free to go."
"We manage to work it out," he stated as she forced a smile, bid him goodbye and headed down to her seat.
"Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" the usherette she'd asked to cover for her inquired.
"I came home early, so here I am…"
"Did you have a nice time?"
"I can't say that it was fun, but it was enlightening."
Down in the locker room, Mookie stepped off into an office and called Rosa. "Hey sweetheart, Elizabeth's here."
"Oh no, what happened?"
"I don't know, but can you get a ride out here. I think she could use a friend."
"I can't; Preston just woke up and isn't feeling well. He felt warm so I took his temperature and he's running a fever. Will you be here tomorrow?"
"Yes, we actually have three days off before play-offs start."
"Okay, I'll call her and see if we can get together sometime in the next few days."
Back in New York City…
At Citi Field, Jack was doing his best to keep his mind on the game. There wasn't anything he could do about his separation from Elizabeth for the next few days, other than call her and hope she'd talk to him. Following the game today, the team was heading to San Diego to play the Padres and he'd have an opportunity to spend some much needed time with his mom.
As he took the field to practice, Jack attempted to put Elizabeth out of his mind. However, this proved to be no easy feat, as she seemed to have taken up residence in his heart and in his head. However, his team needed him to focus…
In the bottom of the third inning, the Mets were already down by two runs as their first batter stepped toward the plate. On the first pitch he hit a line drive over the shortstop's head and deep into left field. He made it safely to second base as Jack approached the plate.
He swung at the first pitch, losing his focus on a low and outside pitch. Doing his best to re-focus, the next pitch, waist high and straight down the middle, slipped right through…strike two. He settled a little more for the next two pitches, both inside, one low and the other high…two balls. Jack hit the next pitch which slipped passed the second baseman, allowing him to make it safely to first base.
The next batter loaded the bases with a single down the first base line. As Jack and his two teammates stood perched on their respective bases, the next batter hit a low, down the middle pitch over the right field fence…Grand Slam Homerun.
Jack managed to focus enough during the game to catch three fly balls, and he threw a runner out at second. As for his other times at bat, he didn't fare as well, with a strike out, ground out and a base on balls.
The Cardinals never challenged further, and the game ended with a 4-2 win for the Mets.
Following the game, the players showered and changed, immediately flying out to San Diego for the next three days. As he sat in the airport fiddling with his phone, he contemplated calling Elizabeth. However, he didn't want to do anything that may be viewed as pushy.
He pulled up the "Message" app on his phone and sent her a text…
"We really need 2 talk. I'll b n San Diego 4 3 days, can we talk when I get home…?" He pushed 'send' before joining his fellow teammates as they made their way down the ramp and onto the plane.
Jack sat in his seat by the window wishing that she was beside him, her hand in his as her head rested on his shoulder. He kept monitoring his phone until the flight attendant asked him to place it on 'airplane mode.' One last glance…no response yet!
Back in Baltimore…
It was now 3am on Monday morning. Elizabeth, still unable to sleep soundly, wrestled with thoughts and visions that continued to confuse her. She reached for her cell phone, but remembering that it was left on her kitchen table, she made the trek down the hall, stopping at the bathroom on her way back to bed.
Sitting in bed she observed the notification from Jack on her phone. Even in her anger, disappointment and confusion, she had to admit that she missed him. As thoughts of him filled her, she couldn't help but be thankful for the return of the fluttering butterflies. They always seemed to make her feel so alive.
She pushed the 'Message' app… "We really need 2 talk. I'll b n San Diego 4 3 days, can we talk when I get home…?"
Not certain how or if she wanted to respond she decided to think about his request before answering.
In San Diego…
Monday morning on the west coast, Jack lay in bed in his private hotel room. He managed to sleep a few hours only to check his phone to see that she still hadn't responded to his text.
His phone rang, startling him, "Good morning mom."
"Good morning, Jack. Do you have time for us to go out and have lunch before your game? I really need to talk to you."
"Is something wrong?"
"I hope not. I just need to talk to you. If you have time, I can come by in an hour?"
"That's great; I'll be ready."
Back in Baltimore…
Elizabeth walked into the office of one of the local elementary schools.
"Hi Elizabeth; I didn't know that you were working here today," Mrs. Parrish, the school secretary mentioned.
"Well, I'm at the high school most of the time, but I have a safety program coming up for the smaller kids, so I'll be here a few days this week."
While sitting in her office, her phone rang and she gladly answered it, "Hey Rosa. Mookie told me that Preston was under the weather. How is he feeling now?"
"He's doing better, thanks. Can we get together for dinner in a couple of days? I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure, come over to my place and I'll cook."
"Thanks Elizabeth," Rosa replied. She hated to imply that she had a problem and needed to talk, but knew Elizabeth well enough to know that if she asked her what was wrong, what happened during her trip away with Jack, that she wouldn't be as apt to meet with her.
Back in San Diego…
Jack met his mother downstairs in the hotel lobby. She wouldn't tell him where they were going, and he assumed that it was her favorite place, Ambrogio15. They talked about the weather, both in New York City and San Diego, and she reminded him of his need to come home for Thanksgiving and dare she assume, Christmas too.
Jack wasn't paying attention until they pulled into the driveway of his family home, "What are we doing here? I was taking you out for lunch. Really mom, is something wrong?"
"Jack, I know you're back with Selma; why didn't you tell me? Is it because you know I don't care for her?" she asked the questions, but gave him no time to respond. "She isn't the type of woman you need, honey. You need someone who cares about more than the fashion of the day or who will look good on her arm. You need to find a woman who…" she stopped suddenly as she observed his expression change.
She turned off the car, "Come on; let's get inside."
The front door had barely closed when she observed tears slip from his eyes. "I'm sorry Jack. I just love you so much and I want someone for you who is deserving of your kindness. I'll try to like her; if she is that important to you, I'll try…"
"Why do you think I'm with Selma?"
"Well, you seem to keep me in the dark about the women in your life, but Page Six TV ran a story the other day and there were pictures of you two together. It's a shame when I have to depend on a reporter to tell me what's going on with my son."
"Ma, it's not what you think."
"Jack, there was even a picture of you walking out of her apartment building carrying an overnight bag…really Jack, you should show a bit more discretion. Just the term 'overnight bag' speaks volumes," she stated as they sat on the sofa, her hand on his back rubbing up and down attempting to soothe him.
"Mom, I've messed everything up. I don't know how it happened," Jack stated as he stood up and started to pace the floor.
"Jack sit down here and talk to me," she pleaded. "What is this about? How did you mess things up? I mean from the pictures I saw, I had the impression that you and Selma were pretty close."
"Mom, I met this amazing woman while I was playing in Baltimore." As his chin rested in the space between his thumbs and index fingers, he continued, "She's perfect. She's beautiful, kind; she's so compassionate. Did you know that she was going to work on the Education Foundation with me?"
"Honey, this is the first I've heard about her, so no, I didn't know that. So, how did you mess things up?"
"Elizabeth…"
"Elizabeth is a beautiful name," she interjected as she interrupted his thought.
"What? Oh yes, it is and she is a beautiful woman. Mom, you'd love her, I just know you would."
"I'm sorry; I'll be quiet; how did you mess things up?" her heart broke as she observed the sadness in his eyes.
"Elizabeth doesn't trust easily, but she trusted me, and I wasn't careful with it; with her."
"What do you mean? You've never been disrespectful to a woman. So what did you do?"
"Elizabeth asked me about Selma and pictures she'd seen of us out to lunch."
"You went out to lunch with her? Why?"
"She was supposed to bring some things that she wanted to give back to me. I told her she could keep everything, but she was adamant."
"Jack, honey…what about the overnight bag? Did you spend the night?"
"Mom, of course not. It was dad's policeman's uniform that I wore at Halloween last year. That's the only thing I wanted to get back. There must have been a reporter outside her apartment who took the picture."
Suddenly it was as if a light went off in his head. He stood up and walked across the room. "What she must think of me…"
"Who, Elizabeth or Selma?"
"Mom, I told Elizabeth that I met Selma for lunch. She'd seen pictures that someone snapped at the restaurant, but she accepted my explanation. Then…"
"Then what?"
"She was coming up to visit me last weekend and I don't know what happened with her ticket, but apparently Selma got it. We were standing outside the locker room…"
"You and Selma, or you and Elizabeth?"
"Mom, please follow the story…Me and Selma. Anyway, she told me she was leaving for London, and she wanted to hug me goodbye. I didn't see anything wrong with it; she was leaving, and Elizabeth didn't appear to be at the game. So I hugged her."
"Oh Jack, and Elizabeth was there and saw you hugging Selma?"
"No, it's worse than that."
"You kissed her goodbye?"
"No ma'am, but she kissed me, and Elizabeth walked through the crowd just in time to see it."
"Now I understand. So, did you explain?"
"She won't let me. Mom, I don't know if she will ever forgive me, and I just feel sick over it. But at least I know now why she's so upset. But it's not what she thinks."
Mrs. Thornton felt that all too familiar knot in her stomach that appears when there is something wrong with your child and you have absolutely no control over the outcome. "How serious were you and Elizabeth?"
"She told me that she loved me."
"And you? I think I know, but how do you feel about her?"
"Mom, I love her; she is truly amazing and everything I've ever wanted in a woman. She's perfect for me. Look, here's a picture of us when we went on a dinner cruise," Jack pulled his phone from his pocket and showed her a selfie of them on deck with the Baltimore skyline in the background.
"Here's another one," he stated as he showed his mother a candid shot of Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling through the camera lens as she watched the fireworks explode in the sky.
"She's beautiful…"
"Yes she is, but she's beautiful on the inside too."
"Okay, so what are you going to do to get her to talk to you?"
"All I can do is call her and text her and hope she'll talk to me."
"Jack, if she's as important as you say, you have to make her listen. When can you go see her?"
"I don't know. It depends on the game schedule."
"Jack, don't let too much time slip past before you make this right. Anger has a way of festering, and if she's made you so happy that being without her makes you miserable, don't give up. Sometimes we have to really fight for what we want."
"I know what you're saying and I know you're right. I just don't want to push her."
"Talking on the phone and texting is fine, but nothing beats face to face contact. You do whatever is necessary to get her to listen."
With time passing quickly, they had barely enough time to eat before she took Jack to the stadium. Lunch was good, but the talk was more nourishing to his soul, and her words of encouragement did wonders in helping to drive him.
Once at the stadium, Mrs. Thornton parked the car and followed Jack through the gate. He got her seated before heading to the locker room.
Her encouraging talk, and possibly the fact that she was in the stands watching, lit a fire in him and his game improved dramatically. Unfortunately, the Mets still lost 5-4. However, Jack didn't feel as though he carried the weight of the loss solely on his shoulders.
The following night, Jack followed his teammates off the bus and into the stadium. Standing just inside the gate were reporters from various newspapers, magazines and television stations. Doing his best to avoid them he headed for the locker room.
"Jack…Jack Thornton…"
Jack heard his name and turned around to find Carlos Greer of Page Six TV running toward him.
"WOW, what are the chances that I would actually find you? I'm Carlos Greer from Page Six; do you have time for a short interview?"
Ordinarily not someone who enjoyed entertainment interviews, Jack turned it around, hoping to set the record straight, "Sure, step in here."
Jack, Carlos and the cameraman stepped into the hallway leading to the locker room.
"Jack, word has it that Selma Bartucci is on her way to London. Will you be joining her after the season?"
"Carlos, I will be glad to give you an interview mainly because I know Elizabeth watches this show…However, I need to know that this will make it on the air."
"I promise. So, will we hear wedding bells soon?"
"Carlos, I don't know where these rumors started, but Selma and I stopped seeing each other last year. I was actually dating a wonderful woman…
"Who is this mystery woman and why aren't you dating her anymore?"
"WOW, you shoot straight from the hip, don't you? Well, as long as you report what I tell you here, I'll be happy. Unfortunately, we were dating until Page Six ran a story that wasn't true about me and Selma Bartucci, and I'm here now to set the story straight."
"Okay, go ahead…"
"Carlos, the show ran pictures that were manufactured to imply something much more than it was. It hurt me, and the woman that I love."
"So Jack, who are you dating?"
"Her name is Elizabeth, and that's all that I'll say, because in dating me, she wasn't expecting all of this."
As the cameraman put away his equipment, Carlos pulled Jack aside, "I'm sorry, Jack, but the information we obtained was from Selma."
"I understand, but I just wish someone had contacted me to verify the information."
Back in Baltimore…
It was now Wednesday evening, 6:30pm, when Elizabeth's doorbell rang. She pulled the Lasagna from the oven, and headed for the door.
"WOW, it is so good to see you, Rosa. I know you couldn't come to the game the other night, but I really wanted to talk. Enough about me, you said that you needed to talk to me. Is something wrong?"
"No, actually Mookie told me that you needed a friend…" Rosa took Elizabeth by the arm and they headed into kitchen where Rosa opened the bottle of wine she'd brought and poured two glasses. "Okay, what's going on?"
Thankful to have someone who understands the complexity of this relationship, Elizabeth began to spill her emotions, "You remember I told you that Jack was dating Selma…"
"Bartucci… yea, I remember, but that's over."
"Maybe not. I went to the game on Friday night, and afterwards I was looking for Jack, and…"
"Did you not find him?"
"No, I found him, but he was kissing Selma."
"No…are you sure?"
"Why is it that everyone asks if I'm sure? I know what it looks like when two people are kissing."
"Elizabeth, he loves you. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his relationship with you."
"Rosa, I would like to think so, but Page Six TV has pictures of them at lunch and their quite cozy. There was even a picture of him leaving her luxury (she stated with a snooty expression) apartment with an overnight bag. Just the term 'overnight' makes my stomach churn…what am I supposed to think? Why are you laughing?"
"I'm sorry but don't you remember when I was dating Mookie and he was the talk of the Mets?"
"I remember."
"There were pictures of him and his old girlfriend that surfaced and they plastered them in the paper as if they were new news. I was so upset and told him that I didn't want to see him anymore. If I recall correctly, I believe it was you who convinced me that I needed to talk to him."
Elizabeth remained silent.
"Hey, it's hard to see what needs to be done when it's your feelings that are being shredded. I was lucky that you saw things clearer than I did."
Rosa continued, "So, are you sure that the pictures are new?"
Elizabeth placed her hands on the table, released a frustrated breath before glancing at her washed out appearance and bloodshot eyes in her dining room mirror. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to him."
"Don't you think that you should?"
"What about the kiss? I saw that with my own eyes."
"Don't answer my question with a question. Just stop for a minute…in your heart, don't you think you should give him a chance to explain? I mean, maybe he is back with Selma, or maybe Selma orchestrated everything, and you're delivering Jack to her on a silver platter."
Rosa grabbed some tissues from the counter and dabbed them on Elizabeth's watery eyes. "I don't mean to make you cry, but I love you, and I've seen you with Jack. There is so much love in that man's eyes when he looks at you. Elizabeth, you have to know that he would never do anything to jeopardize that…I don't care who the other woman is."
"But I saw him…I saw him kissing her. If he's so in love with me, why would he do that?"
"Did he kiss her or did she kiss him?"
"Why does everyone seem to think that matters? His hands were on her and their lips were locked. I think that's all I needed to see."
"Let me ask you this…what if you were out and, what was that guy's name you once told me about?"
"Who, Adam?"
"Yes, Adam…what if you were out, let's say at the ballpark, and he walked up. There you are trying to be your usual nice self and he leans in and surprises you with a kiss. Jack sees it and well there you have a misunderstanding."
"The kiss wouldn't mean anything. Besides, he knows how I feel about Adam, so it's not the same thing?"
"Why…why is it different?"
"Because I would never kiss Adam…"
"And Jack would kiss Selma when he has you? Think about it Elizabeth; you were going to visit him, and I'm sure that he had no idea that Selma was even at the stadium."
Elizabeth collapsed onto her loveseat, "I don't know what I believe anymore. I was just so hurt…"
"I know; when it happened to me, I was hurt too. But honey, you need to put that aside and give him a chance to explain. If it happened to you, you'd want the chance, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
Back in San Diego…
Following a Wednesday afternoon game, the team boarded their charter bus for the trip to the airport. Jack stood away from the bus and the noxious fumes saying his final goodbye to his mother.
"I love you Ma; thanks for everything."
"Did you talk to her yet?"
"No, I'm trying to give her the time she needs."
"Jack, if you don't do anything else, talk to her in person. Texts can be misinterpreted," she leaned into his embrace.
"I'm going to go see her soon."
"Okay, I expect to see you at Thanksgiving; bring Elizabeth with you."
"I'll do my best."
Back in Baltimore…
The following morning, as Elizabeth checked in at the main office, she advised Mrs. Parrish. "I have a very special visitor coming in today. When they arrive, will you bring them down to my office?"
"Who is it?"
"You'll know when they arrive," Elizabeth smiled as she stepped out into the hallway. Detective O'Halloran was scheduled to bring in McGruff the crime dog to discuss the assembly at the end of the week.
Elizabeth was in the middle of completing several posters when Mrs. Parrish called her from the front office. "Your guest is here. WOW, you sure do know important people."
"Thanks, can you send them down here?" Elizabeth asked, thinking that McGruff is popular, but she never really thought of him before as important.
Knock, knock, knock… "Come in," Elizabeth called out as she stood up and came out from behind her desk. As the person stepped inside her office, Elizabeth was stunned.
"Hi, I'm Selma Bartucci."
"I…I…know who you are. What are you doing here?"
"Before I start, you are the Elizabeth Thatcher who dates Jack Thornton, right?"
"I did date Jack, but that was before…"
"Before I stepped in?"
Elizabeth nervously smiled, "How did you find me?"
"Jack told me about you."
"When?"
"Pretty much anytime I talked to him. Thankfully there are only three of you in the Baltimore area phone book. I started yesterday, and well, I guess the third time's a charm. Luckily your next door neighbor recognized me this morning and told me where I could find you. I hope I'm not bothering you."
"I just don't know that we have anything to talk about."
"Elizabeth, may I call you Elizabeth?"
"Of course…"
"Please call me Selma."
Oh, I have plenty of names that I could call you right now… "What can I do for you?"
"Look, I'm leaving for London and I'll be gone for a little while."
"You aren't here to ask me to take care of Jack for you while you're gone, are you?"
"Look, I'm not proud of my actions, but I'm trying to make things right."
"What things?"
"Elizabeth, Jack loves you. It hurt me to hear it, but the truth is he never loved me, not really. That kiss you saw…I kissed him."
"Does it really make a difference who kissed who? I didn't see him back away."
"You shouldn't have run off; you'd have gotten an earful. He was angry and hurt and it's the first time that I've ever seen him cry," Selma admitted. "I care about Jack, but he was right…"
"About what?"
"I wanted him because he had moved on without me."
"What about the overnight bag?"
Selma laughed softly, "You assumed that we slept together, didn't you."
"I have to admit that the thought had crossed my mind."
"It held his father's policeman's uniform. He wore it to a Halloween party and that's the only thing he wanted back."
"So he didn't spend the night?"
"Elizabeth, Jack is a great guy, and I'm telling you if you don't already know that, you're liable to push him into the arms of another woman. Trust me; you don't want to do that."
Elizabeth didn't know what to say; her mind was reeling and she had trouble slowing her thoughts down enough to formulate a coherent sentence.
"Please forgive me. I've already apologized to Jack, but he was so angry, I don't think he wanted to hear it. I really do wish the two of you the best of luck. He deserves to be happy, and I know Jack, you are the one who makes him happy."
Before Elizabeth knew it, Selma was gone. She'd breezed in, torn Elizabeth's world apart and left her reeling amidst the shattered pieces of her life.
Throughout the day, Elizabeth did nothing but think about Jack. Instead of calling him, she decided to make plans to drive to New York City to see him and either make things right, or call it quits.
"Anger serves no useful purpose. It brings about feelings and emotions which send you down a dark and deserted road, often leaving you alone and confused. As you attempt to make your way out of the maze of jumbled expectations and assumptions, you are often left with nothing but the memories and the realization that perception is not always reality.
Memories, both good and bad, cause us to reflect on our prior relationships and experiences, excited for the happy moments, but realizing that in all good things some rain must fall. Maneuvering through those rough times, we must consider our feelings, giving them credence, but not allowing them to solely determine our path.
Unfortunately, in the absence of the truth, we jump to conclusions. These snap judgments lead us to believe what we think we know, when in reality, we couldn't be farther from the truth. We allow the hurt, anger and embarrassment to consume us, as we lash out or close ourselves off. We say things we truly don't mean in an attempt to make others feel our wrath, spreading our hurt and anger around assuming that we will feel better. However, we rarely do.
The truth is that life is quite ironic. It takes sadness to truly appreciate happiness; noise to respect silence, and your absence to value your presence."
Elizabeth closed her journal, pulled up the Mets schedule on her phone and made a decision that she hoped she wouldn't regret.
She dialed Brenda's phone number, "Hey, are you busy this weekend?"
"Not if you finally made the decision to go talk to that man of yours. If so, I'll be glad to take care of Lizzie."
"Well, I can't say that he's 'my man,' but I do need to talk to him. The Mets should be back in town through the beginning of next week. I thought maybe I'd go and…"
"Don't think about it, just do it."
"Well I can't leave until my elementary school safety program is done tomorrow morning, but I could still get there by 3, and travelling early in the day I shouldn't hit any traffic."
"Sounds great," Brenda stated as she stepped outside her front door. "I picked some apples today and I have some for you. I'm on my way over."
"Oh, thank you so much. That was so sweet."
As Brenda started across the small side yard which separated their townhomes she asked, "Have you talked to Jack at all?"
"No, not yet. I'm hoping that I haven't ruined everything."
"I think you'll get your wish."
"I hope so. He won't know I'm coming, so I hope he'll want to see me."
"Oh, he will…trust me."
"Well I hope you're right. Oh, you won't believe who came to see me at school today…"
Brenda stopped at the edge of Elizabeth's driveway, "I don't know, but I'm sure I could beat that."
"What? Oh just come over, you can tell me when you get here. The door is unlocked, just come on in."
The doorbell sounded…
"Hush Lizzie," she called out to her unusually excited dog as she headed for the front door.
"You didn't need to ring the bell. You could have just come in…" she mentioned as the door slowly opened.
"I'll remember that next time…"
"Hi Jack…"
To be continued…