Chapter 78

Jill's essay hadn't been on her hero as she'd threatened but on politics. She'd been asked to write about one of the propositions in the California special election. She chose one that was going to make union members agree to have their dues used for political purposes. The present scene was the opposite. The unions could take their dues and support any candidate or proposal they wished unless the member jumped through hoops to stop it. The teachers union had gone crazy and gone 10 million dollars in debt to place ads telling of the great conspiracy by big business and George Bush to stifle the teachers in California. One section of her essay just went through all the points that were made in the various unions' ads, those of the proponents of the measure and the final section was what was actually written on the ballot. It was as if each section was on a totally different subject.

Once our homework was done and we had a snack, we got ready for bed. We lay down under the blankets and hugged each other.

I could feel the love flowing into me as we hugged. When we kissed, we fit together as if by design. She pulled me tight when the kiss was over.

"So, did I pass?"

"Pass what?"

"The jealous girlfriend test?"

I had to think a moment before I realized she was talking about Patty inviting me to the dance and my whole routine about getting her permission.

"Yes, you passed. But I wasn't thinking about making you jealous. I was just teasing you like you and the girls did to me all weekend. But now that you mention it, I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you. I know you won't do anything to betray me. I guess I didn't completely trust you before. I do now."

"I'm glad."

I pulled her in to me and we kissed again.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"I talked to Daddy today."

"That's what I figured."

"I don't know what to do."

"About what?"

"The two of them."

I kissed her. "Jill, you're going to have to tell me what he said. I have no idea what you're talking about."

She pulled tighter, burying her face in my chest. I could smell her shampoo as I held on to her. She backed off and drew in a deep breath, shivering as she did.

"He said he feels terrible that he hurt me but he likes Wanda."

I could have told her that on Sunday night.

"Go on."

"He doesn't want to hurt her."

Again, she buried her face into me. I held on to her. I could feel the sobs before I heard her sniffle. I gently stroked her hair.

She pulled back and wiped her eyes and then under her nose with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry."

"Shhh."

"He's always liked Wanda. Before you and your mom came along, they'd be talking all the time at the games or on Sundays. He really enjoyed being with her and talking to her. He didn't think she was anything more than a good friend. He told me he never thought about her age. It wasn't like she was a kid who was nice to talk to. But as far as he was concerned, she was a friend who was almost part of the family and was around a lot.

"Then you came into my life and the next week your mother came over. Daddy has stayed away from women since my mother left. Not that he doesn't like them or anything, he just didn't want to put himself out there and get hurt. And that's a real big part of his attitude.

"Well, your mother didn't just leave him alone or ignore him. She told him off. But the big thing to him was she showed him that she cared. Nobody had ever cared enough to talk to him like that.

"He figured he had a chance of building something with your mother. And your mother went along with him. She wasn't madly in love with him but she went out with him and talked to him as an equal and they had a good time together. When she told him she liked him but didn't think anything permanent would come of it, he was hurt. But he decided to try to make her fall in love with him. After a while, he realized it wasn't going to happen. He still enjoyed being with her but he knew there'd never be anything serious between them.

"He told Wanda how he was feeling about your mom on the way over to Charlie's. Wanda talked Charlie into coming to the barbecue after she saw Mary all alone at the football game. Anyway, on the way over there, Daddy was telling her how he'd let himself go and it didn't work out and she told him all the good things she noticed about him, that he was a good man and he deserved better. And before he knew it, she was holding his hand.

"So, he picked up Charlie while she was talking to his parents and he took off without even thinking about her. You remember what happened then."