The Wrong Way Back To You

Ch. 17

"So, you are not even going to give us a chance? You are just going to keep that door bolted shut?"

"Jake, that is not why I came here. I am still questioning why I came here because I really did not want to. Dom and I are doing fine on our own, We have each other. I made a stupid promise to Steve that I would tell you the truth one day. My dad was the one that coerced me into coming here. It was not something that I was ready to do. But here I am. I am here so that you can get to know your son. So your parents can get to know their grandchild. That is why I am here."

"You are honestly telling me that you do not have any feelings for me? You can't tell me that you did not feel anything when I gave you that hug, I could feel your heart pounding against your chest. You cannot sit there and tell me that not a single feeling from back then resurfaced."

"Yes, I can," Allied lied.

"Woman, why are you making things so damn difficult? "

"Jake, listen to me. Please. I mean really listen to what I am telling you. I am here so that you can have the opportunity to get to know your son and be a part of his life. That is it. That should be the only thing on your mind. I am not going to entertain any notion of you and I getting back together and becoming some happy little family. That ship has long sailed. I am done talking about it. Now, if you want to know anything about your son, I will be more than happy to tell you everything about him."

"We are not done. I refuse to believe that we can't rekindle what we had."

"Do you want to know anything about your son or not?" Allie was getting agitated that Jake was so focused on her and not their son. That just solidified her thoughts and opinion that Jake was really not interested or ready to be a father.

"Fine. We are not done discussing this, though."

"Yes, we are. What do you want to know?"

"You mentioned tuition. What kind of school does he go to?"

"It is a private school for accelerated learners. You would not believe how smart he is. I know that every parent says their kid is so smart and everything but Dominic actually is that smart. Even before he started kindergarten, he knew his name, address, phone number, my name, Steve's name, and our phone numbers. He could write them. He knew his ABCs and his numbers. He was learning to read and is actually reading at a fifth grade level right now."

"What grade is he in?"

"He will be going into third grade this fall. His school gives him the attention and the motivation that he needs. The school he was in noticed that he was getting bored, even in kindergarten, and suggested testing his learning abilities and such. When the results were done, we spoke with the school and they suggested the private school. They were able to offer him more opportunities than the public school would. The school was worried that he would get lost in the shuffle or get so bored that he just gave up and they didn't want that to happen."

"Is it expensive?"

"Somewhat. That was my biggest worry when they mentioned it, but Steve had some investments and things that he liquidated and moved around to where Dominic's tuition is paid until he graduates. I don't ever have to worry about not being able to afford that."

"Seems like he thought of everything."

"He was just planning for the future. Circumstances change all the time, and he wanted to make sure that Dominic would not be affected academically by any changes or unforeseen circumstances. That is one less thing on my plate that I need to worry about. I have to pay for any extras that he wants to do, if and when he decides to do them, but the basic school portion is all covered."

"What if he decides it is not a place that he wants to go to anymore? What if you move?"

"It is not paid in full until he graduates. Steve calculated out the amount and each year the account makes the payment to the school. It is done on a yearly basis."

"Is there anything that he is really interested in?"

"You mean this week? This week it is space. Last month he was really into dinosaurs and fossils and swore that he was going to be an archeologist. We watched a space documentary a few weeks ago and now he is learning everything he can about astronomy. He is seven, his interests change like the weather. Who knows what it will be next week."

"I know nothing about either."

"Don't worry. He will educated you."

"This is kind of intimidating."

Allie could see the panic starting to set in on Jake's face. "Jake, relax. He is seven."

"Is he like a genius?"

"No, just very intelligent and he loves learning things. When he finds something that interests him, he wants to know everything about the subject. Once his brain is satisfied, he moves on to the next thing."

"I am going to feel like some stupid hillbilly talking to my own son."

"I promise you that he will not feel that way. He may be smart but he is not arrogant and condescending towards people. I raised my son right and with manners. I always told him to never think that he was better than someone else. I do not tolerate that kind of behavior at all."

"What can I possibly teach him that he would be interested in? I am legitimately scared, Allie. What if he looks at me and is so disappointed as to who his father actually is? What if he is embarrassed that I am his father?"

"He will not be disappointed or embarrassed. I know my son. He is not like that. I will kind of mediate things with the two of you in the beginning, but you know you are going to have to interact with him one on one."

"I am not sure if I have ever been so scared before in all of my life."

"Jake, he is a seven-year-old child. Your son. There is no reason to be scared of him."

Jake heard tires on gravel. "I think that they may be back."

"Time to face the music."

"Allie-"

"I will be there in the beginning. I will get you two introduced and stuff. Don't worry, I won't leave you alone with the scary child."

"Very funny."