Page 44 of Still the One

“People are resilient,” Sandra says. “We get over stuff. That’s what we do.”

“Not Mac. Not over this.”

“Is that why she jumped into bed with you the first chance she got?”

“You don’t have to convince me, San.”

“I have to convince both of you. Mac to not be so stubborn and you to fight for her, damn it.”

“Fight for her? How am I going to do that?”

“You’ll figure it out. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.” Is she hearing herself?

“You just got married. You might be seeing the world in too romantic a light.”

“The hell I am. All I want is for you and Mac to see what you could have. That what I have with Tyrone is possible for the two of you.”

“Did you tell Mac that?”

“She’s not very receptive to messages like that.”

“And I am?”

“Don’t give up on her now, Jamie. That’s all I’m saying. You gave up on her before and you can’t expect Mac to reach out to you. That has to come from you.”

“I’ve been reaching out to her for weeks. I’ve made it clear how I feel. I can’t do more than I already have. I have to protect myself.”

“Bullshit. What’s the difference now, anyway?” She pauses. “Actually, if you can’t see that, then maybe you shouldn’t fight for her. Protecting yourself should not be your priority now. You need to go all out for Mac. You need to show her that you have a future together and that you’re not afraid, even though she is.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Absolutely not. Mac told me what you said. That you want more than she can give you. That you’re bailing. Again. What is she supposed to do with that? Is she supposed to pursue you now? That’s not how this is going to work.”

“I don’t think she told you everything.”

“She doesn’t have to tell me everything.” There’s a sigh on the other end of the line. “I know I’m giving you tough love. That’s why I wanted to do this over the phone. I’m not sure I could say these things to your face, to be honest, but that doesn’t make them less true.”

“But, San, I don’t—”

She cuts me off again. “I’m the only one who has had a front-row seat to both of your lives for the last twenty years. I’m the only one who has always been there for the both of you. At the very least, you owe it to me to listen and to take what I say seriously. If you love her, do something. Do more than what you’ve been doing. Be more patient. Go out on a limb. Fucking fight for your girl, Jamie.”

I take a deep breath. I wasn’t expecting a lecture, and I have no earthly idea how to go about anything that Sandra is suggesting, but it does offer a glimpse of hope. A different perspective.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll try.”

“Keep me in the loop, please. You hooked up at my wedding and I didn’t even know about it.”

“How’s married life?” I ask.

“It’s fucking fantastic. I can only recommend it.” Her voice sounds completely different than before—drenched in love instead of reprimands.

After I’ve hung up, Alan and Charles are all over me.

“Sandra’s utterly convinced I should fight for Mac.” One thing in particular she said reverberates in my head. “She can’t believe I bailed on Mac again.”

“You didn’t bail on her, darling,” Alan is quick to say. “It’s not the same. You have rights here, too. You have feelings, too. Nothing superhuman is required of you. Besides, you told Mac how you feel about her. You told her what you wanted and she’s the one who can’t give it to you. I don’t believe in totally sacrificing yourself for the sake of love.”

“It kind of made sense when Sandra said it,” I admit.

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