Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 29018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 145(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Once his face is cleaned and the bunched-up fabric is beside his steaming tea, he gestures an open hand my direction. “You were saying?”
“Years ago, the mother of my children took an unexpected chance on me, the same way I’m here, prepping to take an unexpected one on you.”
His forehead crinkles in confusion.
“The only thing my girls want for Christmas is for you to have a better life.”
The expression deepens.
“Yeah. Rainne’s even given up wanting a puppy – thank fuck for that – just so that Santa knows how fucking serious she is. Literal words she said – minus the swearing.”
“I…” Bewilderment bursts through his blue gray gaze. “Fuck…I don’t… I don’t know to say.” He immediately leans forward and rushes to reassure, “I didn’t tell them to say that shit! I swear. I fucking swear, man! I would never try to use someone like that! Especially not kids.”
“I believe you.” Having a sip of my water occurs prior to me softly grinning. “Plus, I know my angels. They’re…not so easily persuaded. Hence why I’m fucking here. Trying to give them the one thing they keep asking Santa for.”
Jedd finally indulges himself in a gulp of tea.
“Why don’t you look things over, decide what you wanna eat, and we’ll go from there.”
He has another drink, places it back down, and proceeds to open the menu, immediately being reassured to take as much time as he needs.
Retrieving my work cell reveals a couple missed emails but nothing major, which is a bit of a shock given how busy the holiday season is for us.
Well, everywhere in retail. Ever worked in it during the season? It’s a goddamn nightmare.
Post checking one device, I check the other, this time spotting a missed text from Maggie. Seeing early photo proofs of my two girls laughing and playfully tangled up in Christmas lights soothes the unsettling feelings trying to convince me to let this go.
To simply feed him a hot meal.
Have that be enough to fulfill him having a “great Christmas”.
Jaye took a much bigger chance on me than my kids are asking me to take on him. I can do this. I should do this. At the very least, I need to hear how he got to where he did. See how much of it was on him and how much of it was something he couldn’t fight.
After Christina walks away with our lunch order, I waste no time commanding, “Tell me, Jedd. How did you end up like this? Drugs? Drinking? Gambling debts? Another lost veteran who didn’t have any other options?”
He pushes his half-finished tea to one side and drags over the hot chocolate next. “I wish the latter was my case.”
“You don’t.”
Rather than begin an argument he might lose – and trust me, he certainly fucking would – he swallows his nervousness.
“What happened to you?”
“Few years back I got laid off my tech job.” The single shoulder bounce I’m given is so innocent. Defeated. “They were…downsizing.” His eye roll is attached to a headshake. “I tried to get work elsewhere and no one bit. For some jobs I was underqualified and for others, I was over. Between a new house, new cars, private school, and a wife that refused to work, our reserves didn’t last long. I went from bringing home almost six figures to almost not being able to feed my two girls with the temp jobs I managed to land. In a desperate attempt to keep from losing everything, I…” Jedd’s volume noticeably drops, “borrowed money from the wrong people. And when I didn’t pay it back like I should’ve they came to my home.”
There’s no stopping the twitch of anger that occurs in my expression.
“That shit scared my wife, so she did the one thing she thought she had to do. She packed up her shit, our kids, and left to go to North Dakota to her parents’ house – without me.” He offers me another somber shrug. “I didn’t blame her then. Fuck, I don’t blame her now. She did what was best for our girls, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“What happened to the house?”
“Foreclosed.”
“Cars?”
“Repo’ed.”
“Items inside?”
“Sold to pay as much back as possible on what I borrowed.”
“And it wasn’t enough?”
“They broke three of my toes and my pinky.” He lifts his hand to wiggle the crooked digit. “Not ideal for holding a guitar, but I make do.”
Not the best backstory.
Not the worst.
No substance abuse problems which is good.
That shit is so easy to get swept up in especially when you’ve lost hope in everything else.
“Got any priors?”
Jedd’s reluctance is expected. “Couple.”
“Drunk and disorderly?”
“More disorderly than drunk but whatever gets you in the tank, ya know?”
“Too cold out.”
“And the shelters were full.”
“They typically are.”
Which is the real problem that needs to be tackled. Over the years, Jaye and I have done what we could. Volunteered at shelters. Donated both materialistically and financially. Assisted in setting up new ones. Hell, we even voted on laws that we thought might help – although they were never actually passed. We do what we can. And the fact my kids are trying to too, well, it makes me proud.