Page 107 of Smooth Moves
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An hour later, Rafi sat in the living room at his parents’ house, staring at his mom and dad. He hated having to tell them he wasn’t smart. Knowing you were an idiot and having to admit it to those who believed in you hurt.
Jordan had accepted him even when he’d been a troublemaker. And she didn’t seem to mind he was a moron. He still had a tough time believing it, but Cash had been right. Finally confiding in her had been the right thing to do. Telling her about the drugs? Heck no. But in this, the school stuff, he’d done something right.
He just wished his parents, especially his dad, didn’t have to know about his lack of brainpower. They just stared at him. He’d told them everything about his problems learning, including Simpson losing it with him in front of the class. And still they didn’t speak.
Dad finally responded. He frowned. “All this time and you still can’t figure out what the big and little hands on a clock mean?”
“No, Dad.” Rafi glanced away, unable to look his father in the eye.
Having been in business forever, his father lived and breathed numbers. How disappointing it must be to have a son who didn’t.
“Hell.” His father swore again. “Rafi, if we’d known you didn’t understand, we’d have helped. I know Jordan’s got you brainwashed that we’re ogres.”
Jordan flushed. “Dad.”
“But your mom and I love you, Son. You were so full of anger and bravado that we didn’t know what we could do for you. Despite Jordan and you thinking we were just shipping you off to any old military school, I have friends whose children have attended, and those boys came back better than fine. It’s a safe place and still an option if you’d like.”
“No.”
“Okay. Like I said, it’s just an option.”
His mom squeezed herself between him and Jordan on the couch and drew him close for a hug. “Oh sweetie. We love you and miss you. We just want the best for you.”
“So do I,” Jordan was quick to point out.
“But your methods aren’t ours.” Mom smiled. “The Army worked for you, Jordan, for a while at least. So we thought it could help you too, Rafi. But now we can see that’s not what you need. Although someone to kick you in the tail and get you to behave wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
Rafi smiled. “Well, I don’t know that I’d join the Army anyway, Mom. Cash thinks the Marines are much better.”
“Cash?” His mother frowned. “Who’s Cash? A school friend?”
As expected, his sister went off. “Marines? Please. You need a magnifying glass to detect Marine brains.”
“I’m telling Cash you said that.”
“Go ahead. We all know the Army rules.”
“Jordan.” Their dad shook his head. “Rafi, you can come home whenever you want. We promise not to ship you off to Pennsylvania…unless youwantto go. Once you see their brochures, you might change your mind. They have archery there.”
“Really?” He’d always wanted to try that.
Jordan shook her head. “Dad.”
Their father grinned. “Hey, I can try, can’t I?” He studied Jordan. “I think if you’re honest with yourself, honey, part of why you were so against Rafi going away to school is due to what you went through. You trusted your superiors, and they turned on you and your friend. What’s to prevent someone from taking advantage of Rafi?”
“True.” She frowned. “But my biggest problem was you guys dumping him. He needs help.”
“We know that now,” Carl said. “But, honey, sometimes tough love works wonders. It did with me.”
“It did?” Rafi had never heard that story.
His dad cleared his throat. “I was too smart for everything when I was your age. I thought I knew best. I never listened to my parents. They were dirt poor and lived out in the country. So what did they know? But they did me the biggest favor they could have when they kicked me out of the house. It made me grow up and learn to be a man, enough that when I came back to school, I gave it my all.
“Yes, I attended Stanford. And I have never worked so hard to get somewhere in my life. I’ve never been handed anything. I’ve had to work for it. That’s why we wanted you to go out and learn, the way I did. The way Jordan did.” He turned to her. “Say what you want. But it worked for you too.”
“We’re not all you, Dad,” Jordan said, but Rafi could see her thinking about what their father had said.
