Page 114 of The Affair
“No, it wasn’t nearly that simple,” she said. “I was given his name through the tutoring department. I needed help in math, and he was looking for some additional income. It seemed like an easy solution. But when I called him, he outright refused my request. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one. He hadn’t taken a single student all year.”
“Why?” I was totally intrigued now.
Hearing her tell this story was like taking a step through the looking glass to see my brother in a completely new way. He’d always been a bit of a mystery to me.
“I think, in theory, tutoring seemed like a logical way for him to make money. He was smart, and others could benefit from that. But the realization that he’d actually have to interact with others was more than he could handle.”
“So, how did you get him to change his mind?”
“I showed up at his door every day for a week straight. At first, I thought he was an odd duck. He was timid yet confident. Quiet until he had something to say. It took me three attempts before he even let me in, but I was seriously failing and was basically desperate for help.”
“You wore him down,” I replied.
“Yeah, but it took time—the wearing down. He might have agreed to tutor me after that first week, but the actual process of getting him to open up? That is an ongoing project—one I never stop working on.”
“And it’s worth it? The constant work?”
She smiled, placing a tender hand on her belly. “Yeah, it’s definitely worth it.”
“I have to admit,” I began, “I never really understood you as a couple. I always thought he married way up as far as you were concerned.”
She smiled. “It’s the other way around, I think. I definitely won the lottery when it comes to husbands. But the honest truth is, we fit together. Like—”
“Two halves of a whole?”
“Yeah.”
I thought about her words long after our conversation ended.Had I ever given much thought when it came to my brother’s actions?Ever since he was little, I’d always treated him like a sort of outsider.
A part of the family but not worth my time.
It was how Sawyer’s family had treated him, growing up.
Feeling like a total ass, I sought him out while Bethany was making dinner. He was in his study, putting together a spreadsheet or something along those lines.
In reality, I had no idea what he did as a career.
It had something to do with numbers, but beyond that, I was clueless when it came to truly knowing my brother. It made me no better than the Gallaghers.
And it needed to change.
“Hey,” I said lamely, taking a step into the room. The decor reminded me of an old men’s club; dark leather upholstery, expensive mahogany cabinets, and massive amounts of books covering every inch.Had he read all of these?
“Hello,” he replied, a touch of formality in his tone as he looked up from the computer. Or maybe that was annoyance.
“I want to apologize for what I said earlier. I know you were just trying to help her, and I’m sorry I couldn’t see that.”
“Well, thank you,” he answered, the formal tone still in place, although I did notice it’d softened slightly. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you—finding out that way.”
“No,” I acknowledged. “But I know you—”
My words were swallowed up by Bethany’s voice, booming from the foyer. “Jack!” she yelled. “Help!”
With a sharp look of panic, he darted for the door with me quickly behind him.
“What is it? Are you okay? The baby?”
I’d never heard so much emotion pour from the man’s mouth as he looked up to see Bethany standing at the top of the stairs.
