Page 50 of The Space He Left
"Has she said anything about needing anything? For the house, for Emma?"
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. "Why do you ask?"
"I just want to make sure they're taken care of. If there's anything she needs..."
"Jack," Mom sat down across from me. "Are you the reason Harper's grocery bill has been mysteriously paid for the last month? And why her car suddenly got new tires?"
I focused on Emma, avoiding my mother's penetrating stare. "I don't know what you mean."
"Jack Henderson, don't lie to your mother. Are you secretly paying for things for Harper?"
The question hung in the air. I could deny it, but lying to my parents felt like another betrayal after everything I'd put my family through. "Maybe," I admitted. "But she doesn't know it's me. I made sure of that."
"How?"
"I have arrangements with old man Reed at the grocery store and Mike at the auto shop."
Dad shook his head. "Jack, what are you trying to accomplish?"
"I'm trying to take care of my family. Harper shouldn't have to worry about money while she's recovering and taking care of Emma."
"That's admirable," Mom said carefully. "But are you doing it for Harper and Emma, or are you doing it to make yourself feel better?"
The question stopped me cold because it was exactly the kind of thing Dr. Cox would ask. Was I helping Harper because she needed it, or because I needed to feel useful? "I don't know," Isaid honestly. "Maybe both. But does it matter if the result is the same?"
I looked down at Emma, who was gripping my finger with her tiny hand. She was so perfect, so innocent of all the adult complications that had shaped her young life. She deserved parents who could put her needs first, who could co-parent effectively regardless of their relationship.
"I love her. I love them both,” I said. “I just want to make sure they're okay."
"We know," Mom said gently. "And we understand the impulse. But Jack, you can't fix this by being Harper's secret guardian angel. You have to fix it by becoming the man she can trust again."
After the visit, I drove back to the apartment above The Copper Fox, thinking about my parents' words. Was my secret help genuine care or another form of manipulation? Was I trying to be helpful or trying to maintain control?
Dr. Cox would say it was probably both, that my motivations were complex and not entirely pure. He'd also say that recognizing that complexity was progress.
Back at the apartment, I pulled out my laptop and reviewed the Henderson Construction schedule for the week. We have five active projects now. Word was slowly spreading that I was reliable again, that I showed up when I said I would, that I completed work on time and on budget.
It was a start.
I opened the co-parenting app and typed a message:Emma was great today. She's getting so much stronger. Holding her head up for longer periods. She smiled at Mom and Dad. Will see her on Thursday as scheduled.
I stared at the message for a long time before sending it. Such a small window into our daughter's life, but it was what Harperwas comfortable with, so it was what I'd accept. I realised I had to wait until Harper was ready to talk before asking for more.
My phone buzzed with a response:Thank you for the update. Glad she was good for you.
Professional. Polite. Completely impersonal.
But she'd responded, which meant she was reading my messages, which meant there was still some thread of connection between us.
It wasn't much, but it was something.
And for now, something was enough.
Chapter 18
Jack
The armchair in Dr. Cox’s office felt less like an interrogation chamber and more like a confessional box these days. After four months of weekly sessions, the drive to the city had become a familiar ritual. I’d spent those weeks dissecting my "hero complex," examining my motivations, and learning to sit with the crushing discomfort of my new reality. I was doing the work, but I still felt like I was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
