Page 59 of SEAL's Doorstep Baby

“Allison got a job in New York, NYU to be exact. She didn’t want to take it, but I… Well I said some convincing stuff as to why she should.”

“Meaning you acted like a moron?” Naomi interjects, rolling her eyes.

I swallow. “That easy to read?”

“You used to do it all the time. I hoped you’d grown out of it and realized women are able to make decisions on their own.”

I look down, ashamed. “Of course I do. I just… Well, I just wanted her to pick herself.”

“She didn’t really get a fair pick, though, did she?” Naomi says softly.

I swallow hard. “We fought about it a bit, and somewhere in there, I ended up saying some really mean things to her.”

“Did you mean it?” She asks me, brows furrowed as she stares straight into my eyes. “All the mean stuff you told her. Did you mean it?”

“No! Of course not! I didn’t mean any of that, I didn’t even think about any of it for a single moment before I said it. I just wanted to give her a reason to leave.”

Naomi heaves a heavy sigh and she places a hand on my shoulder. “Jacob, I don’t know why I have to tell you this because it should be something you know already, but I’ll still say it. Stop sabotaging your happiness.”

“I’m not sabotaging my happiness. Do you think I don’t want to be happy or I prefer being in this apartment alone? I don’t. I would be a fool if I didn’t want myself to be happy.” I protest vigorously, but Naomi’s only reaction is to shake her head sadly. Her actions only make my emotions flare higher.

“How are you feeling right now?”

“Mad.” I am honest, and even if I wasn’t, my emotions are visible on my face so it would be no use to lie.

“Do you know why you’re angry right now? No wait…don’t answer that. The reason you’re angry is because you unconsciously realize that I’m telling the truth, and it’s a truth you are uncomfortable with. Do you miss her?”

This question is a no brainer because it is evident. “Yes. Of course I do.”

“And do you think she might feel the same way?”

“I hope so.” I think she may feel the same way but I am not certain of it.

“Then the only thing I’ll tell you is to stop sabotaging your happiness and stop taking away her reason to stay. The reason I’m leaving is because I don’t have a home here and I want to look for that, but if my guess is correct, the reason Allison is leaving is because you’ve managed to convince her that she doesn’t have a home here and there is no reason to stay.”

When she says it, it seems straightforward, black and white; but in reality it is never that easy. “I want her here, make no mistake about that, but I can’t help wondering if I’m being selfish and by having her stay here, I could be denying her a much better future.”

“Jacob, you don’t get to make that decision for her. Nobody gets to do that for you, so you don’t get to do it for anyone either. Let her choose her own happiness.”

Her words are enough to give me hope that I can fix things with Allison, but I don’t know how I am supposed to get started on it. “I’ve already made a mess of it. I’ve chased her away and I don’t know how to fix that.” I confess.

A broad smile grows to cover half of her face. “Well, it’s high time I teach you a few things about women and how best to apologize to us. First thing you should know is that we love flowers, and there’s no better way to start an apology than with a bunch of flowers. Besides, that woman is very much in love withyou and the feeling is clearly mutual, so I have a feeling your apology will be accepted…eventually.”

Despite the end of her sentence, I can’t help the excitement that pumps through my veins at the thought that there might be a solution to this; a series of actions that will end with Allison in my arms.

After I’ve hugged them both, and Janice and Naomi leave, I wait around twenty minutes before I realize I’m being an idiot and wasting my time.

Jogging up Sherry’s driveway with Maddie securely in my arms, I ring the doorbell a couple of times to get her attention. Luckily, she is at the door in mere moments.

“Hello Jakey, Maddie.”

“Afternoon, Sherry.” A dry cough from her has me worried about her health. “How are you doing Sherry? Are you okay?”

“I’m good, don’t worry about me, Jakey.” she assures me. “What can I do for you, young man?”

In combination with the hoarseness of her voice, Sherry sounds like something right out of an old Wild West movie. I try to not indulge the mental image my mind conjures of an outlaw version of Sherry in cowboy boots, fiddling with a revolver while she suspiciously eyes a stranger new to town.

“I’m glad to hear you’re good.” I tell her, crushing the amusement before it comes up again. “Can you hold onto Maddie for a bit? I know this is sudden.” She doesn’t even think about it before answering.

---