Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jason ran along a tree lined trail, slowing to a walk when he reached a park. After sitting around his house wallowing in self-pity over the weekend, he needed to get out. And since he didn’t have anywhere to go, he settled for a run. He hated having nothing to do. But he didn’t have a choice until his court date with Richard. He had no idea what he was going to do after that.

Lorelai hadn’t called him today, but he expected as much. After seeing her in a passionate embrace with the man who fed her every day, Jason was pretty sure it was over. He clearly didn’t matter to her. There was nothing he could say to change that.

There was a lake in this park, which attracted several parents will small children who excitedly held bread out for the ducks. Jason kept walking along the paved trail that wound its way through the trees.

“Jason?”

He slowed down and looked around, finding a familiar woman waving at him. His heart gave a little lurch at the sight of a face he hadn’t seen in a while. He waved back and approached her. “Jennifer, hi.”

Her dark blond hair fell just past her shoulders, wisps of it blowing in the wind. She pulled her tweed blazer shut and crossed her arms. He noted she wasn’t wearing a ring and wondered how busy she was today. He’d like to catch up. His mother had introduced them, and he liked Jenny a lot after he got to know her. She was enjoyable company at all the functions they’d attended together.

“You look good,” he said, and he meant it. Her face was slightly thinner, making her look older, or maybe it was because she really was older. She was 30 now, if he wasn’t mistaken.

“Thanks, you look . . . different." 

Jason ran his hands over his bearded face and through his hair. “Uh, yeah. I tried a new look.”She nodded her head once. “I see. So. How are you?” She wasn’t making small talk. There was concern in her light brown eyes.

He tilted his head and averted his gaze, choosing to look out at the children climbing on the playground equipment. Jenny squinted over too, her eyes roving. Her gaze lingered for a moment before she turned back to Jason expectantly.

He asked, “What have you heard?”

“How could I hear from the other side of the country?”

“By listening closely. You’re the biggest gossip I know.”

She smirked. “Thank you. It comes with the territory. And I have trusted sources.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do.” Jason went on, “I’ve asked all three of your brothers how you’re doing and I always get this weirdly smug answer, that you’re just fine. The youngest one, especially, gives me the stink eye every time I see him. I hear military school worked out for him.”

“It did, he’s okay now.”

Jason shook his head. “You would think he’d have seen it coming after they shipped Spencer off,” he said, speaking of one of Jenny’s other brothers.

She shrugged. “Not everyone is as straight-laced as you. The boys in my family like to push boundaries.” She sighed. “They aren’t your biggest fans.”

“Yeah, they hate me. Maybe you could remind them that you were the one to move. I was not the heartbreaker.”

“Oh, ha,” she said, smiling. “About that. Do you tell people your parents scared me off?”

Sheepishly, he said, “Sometimes. And that you went to Alaska.”

“Alaska? Jason,” she scolded

“You did move.”

“To Seattle.”

“And you went to Alaska around the same time.”

“Just for a cruise with the family.” She looked out to the children playing again. “It was terrible, I was sick the whole time.”

“You have to admit, anecdotally it’s amusing.” He looked out at the playground. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Luckily you’re so full of shit no one would believe it.”

Jason involuntarily grinned. He remembered what it was that sold him on Jennifer Dugray. She was nice and polite for the most part, and then she’d say something blunt to your face, unapologetically. He supposed that also ‘came with the territory.’

“My parents were awful to you after they found out I liked you. They thought you were perfect until then.”

She turned a frown on him. “You think that’s why they stopped liking me?”

“Yes,” he said earnestly. “They hate every girl I’ve dated, which makes you a special case since they loved you before that.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t you or me. Floyd and Carol thought I came from a good family, but then they got to know my family.”

“And?”

“And they’re nuts. Grandpa pointed out to Floyd the discrepancies between our respective family’s money and image, outlining how unsuitable you are for our family.”

Jason grimaced. “Janlen did? He’s one of Dad’s oldest clients. I can’t imagine him saying that.”

“Not that grandpa, the mean one. He has no discretion,” Jenny said. “Floyd isn’t the first person to hear it, and probably won’t be the last.”

“Huh,” Jason said, shaking his head at the new information. “Dad kept sending me to the Chicago office for weeks at a time.” But Jenny had called him when he was gone, which made him happy to get back to Hartford. “He kept me away from you, while Mom was busy trying to send you to an early grave. I’m sure they were in on it together.”

Jenny smiled. “They’re too passive to kill me. They probably wanted me to think they were trying to kill me to wear me down psychologically.”

“That’s a good point. You could be right.” Oh, but for the simple days when his parents were trying to kill his girlfriend.

They were silent for a minute. Jenny’s smile faded and she exhaled heavily. “I heard it’s bad,” she said, returning to the present.

He scratched his cheek and smoothed his hand over his beard. He looked back at the kids taking turns on the twisty slide. “It is.” He added, “I can’t work here.”

She touched his arm. “I’m so sorry.” She didn’t offer a useless ‘It’ll be okay.’ She wasn’t big on lying just to spare someone’s feelings.

“I’ll figure something out.” He cleared his throat. “What are you doing in Hartford?”

She glanced at the playground anxiously. “I came to see you.”

He stared. “Why?”

Her eyes moved back to his. “Because I know your career is your life, and it’s over. That’s serious.”

Jason looked down.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

He lifted his gaze to her. “You flew across the country to check up on me? Why?”

Her eyes darted to the kids again. “Because—I care.”

“Still?” He was touched, but it’d been a little over three years ago since they dated.

She frowned. “Is that so hard to believe?”

It was. Her genuine concern for his well-being gave him a warm feeling inside. Even though she didn’t sugar coat his situation to make him feel better, her presence was still comforting. He really did like her. Why did they breakup? Oh yeah, she moved for a job. She was young, it would have been dumb not to take it.

“You haven’t been pining for me, have you?” he half-joked, not sure which answer he preferred.

A boy who’d just slid down the slide called to his mother. Jenny looked over.

“That isn’t what I would call it,” she said. “But I definitely didn’t forget you.” Her eyes darted again. “You should sit down.”

“Why? Are you okay?” She was dodgy all of a sudden.

“I’m fine. But there’s another reason I needed to see you. Sit down,” she repeated, firmer this time. She pulled on his arm to lead him to an empty bench, and she sat down.

To Jason’s surprise, she held out her arms to the little boy who’d just called out for Mommy. It appeared that Jenny answered to the name. Jason felt an unpleasant twinge of disappointment somewhere in his chest as the little boy climbed onto her lap. With a slight frown he glanced at her left hand again. He hadn’t seen wrong, she wasn’t wearing a ring. He wouldn’t have pegged Jennifer as a single mother. Maybe she was divorced.

He joined them on the bench—not too close. “Who’s this?” he asked, hoping to sound friendly rather than thrown off guard.

She told the boy on her lap, “This is my friend Jason. Can you tell him your name?”

The boy had dark brown hair and greyish blue eyes. He looked at Jason to say, “Zavier.”

She glanced over to say correctly, “Xavier.”

Jason nodded. “X’s are tricky.”

She nudged the boy and whispered, “Xavier what?” She eyed Jason timidly.

“Zavier Stiles.” He didn’t quite land the L, but it didn’t render the last name unrecognizable.

Jason numbly stared for a few seconds while the blood drained from his face. He blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

Jenny said, “Show him how old you are.”

Xavier held his middle finger down with his thumb, in an odd way of leaving up three fingers. She suggested he go play some more, and he climbed down to run over to the swings. She looked anxiously back to Jason. “He’s mine,” she said unnecessarily. “And yours.”

Jason leaned over and rubbed his face in his hands. “I need to sit down.”

“You are sitting.”

“I need to sit down more.” He sat up straight, concerned. “Oh my god, I’m Forrest Gump. Jenn-ay,” he drawled. He went on hurriedly, “Are you sick? Are you dying? Am I going to have to raise him by myself? I’m not a kid person.”

She shook her head. “No, calm down. I’m fine.”

He faced her helplessly. “This is a really bad time for me.”

“I know, I’m sorry. But I had to stop putting it off and tell you.” She checked her watch and bit her lip. “I have to go. I’m in town a couple more days. Can we get together for dinner—to talk more?”

“I guess you have a lot to say,” he said wryly.

“Yes.” She pulled out a business card from her pocket. “Here’s my number. We’re staying at my parents’ house.”

“They’ll be thrilled to see me.”

“Don’t worry about them. They’re out of town.” She put the card in his hand and closed hers around it. “Tomorrow?”

XXX

Jason sat at a table for two in a swanky restaurant the next night. It was the kind of place he’d bring a woman for a date back when he was successful at life. Tonight was the first time in weeks he’d had a reason to wear a suit, like he had somewhere to be.

Jenny sat across from him now, on what was not a date. Under different circumstances, it would be. They spoke little, and only commented on the menu items. He didn’t have anything clever or witty to say. It wasn’t like he was trying to get her to like him.

After they placed their orders, Jason poured himself a generous helping of wine and looked over at Jenny. “Why didn’t you tell me three years ago?”

She reached across the table for the wine to pour herself some. She took a sip before answering, “I was already moved when I found out. You would have tried to do the right thing. We both know you weren’t—and probably still aren’t—ready for that.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. You were looking at cars and your mother suggested you get a Volvo.”

He protested, “A Volvo is a family car, I’m not—.” He stopped.

Dryly, Jenny said, “Not ready for that yet?” She nodded. “That’s exactly what you said back then.”

He took a large gulp of wine. “You don’t know that I would have done the right thing. I might be a colossal jackass.”

“You’re not. Unbearably ingratiating at times, but not a jackass.” She looked at him thoughtfully. “People warned me about you.”

He drank more wine and glared at whoever those people were. “What about me?”

“You’re a runner. You date a girl for a few months, and then you end it.”

“Okay, yes, that is my pattern. But you don’t know that I would have with you,” he said. “For your information, I was just in a relationship that I stayed in even though my brain said it was time to go.”

For the briefest second, he thought he saw disappointment in her eyes. “Oh really?”

“Yes,” he said. “When the time came, I couldn’t think of anything that bothered me about her and the relationship, so I knew I shouldn’t run away. I think that’s real growth for me.”

Jenny closed her eyes for a second and slightly shook her head. “I disagree.” She took a deep breath. “So are you still with her?”

“No, that ended a couple weeks ago.”

“What happened?”

“I was in business with her father, and he went back to Floyd with all our clients,” Jason explained. “Then he ruined my reputation, so I have to sue him. That is apparently a turn-off for her.” He added, “I couldn’t have predicted it, since it’s the opposite reason she agreed to date me in the first place.”

Jenny frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Her mom hates me.”

“And that was a turn-on?”

“Yeah. I tried to woo her for a month and failed. Then she got in a fight with her mom and changed her mind.”

Jenny’s expression indicated she was less than impressed, but she uncharacteristically didn’t say anything. Flatly, she said, “I’m sorry.” It was more pitying than sympathetic. “Did you consider dropping the lawsuit?”

Their waiter returned with a basket of bread and a plate with oil.

Jason tore off a chunk of the small loaf and dipped it in the oil. “No. I have to work. You understand that.”

“But maybe she’ll continue to date you if you drop it.”

Jason shook his head. “I can’t, Richard destroyed me. It’s business, and sometimes in business we have to go to court.” He waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t stay here and Lorelai moved on with another man.”

“In just two weeks? That was fast,” she said. “I’m sorry about your breakup.”

He took another drink. “I’m fine. It doesn’t seem as significant now, compared to other things.” He turned serious. “I would have helped you.”

“I don’t need your money.”

“Right, mine doesn’t compare to yours,” he said dryly.

She pursed her lips. After a pause, she said, “Here’s the deal with that. When I went to tell Grandpa he was wrong for what he said to Floyd, I learned some things.”

Jason’s eyes softened. “You went to talk to your mean grandfather about me?”

“Yeah. They’re so out of line, those people,” Jenny said. “And I’m being generous by calling them people.”

“When did you do that?”

“The next time I saw him, at some party my aunt and uncle hosted,” she answered with a shrug, like it wasn’t a big deal, when it was. “I found out that the grandchildren at the top of the succession line get more scrutiny.”

“How close to the top are you?”

She held up two fingers in a peace sign. “And Number One took a break from life this year.”

“Isn’t he in college now?”

“Yes.”

“He needed a break from college?”

She nodded and shrugged. “Yeah.”

“I don’t recommend working for family. In my experience it doesn’t mix well.”

“I’m not working for them. I’m just on standby in case my cousin completely flakes out,” Jenny said. “I was flattered, and surprised the family was overcoming generations of sexist ideas about women and work. But it actually means he wants me available to them, not you.”

Jason’s brows furrowed.

“You were your dad’s heir, so I’d be tied down to you if we got married,” she explained. “Heaven forbid we both work. Who would send out the invitations to the cocktail parties?” she asked in mock horror.

“I actually make corporate wives obsolete.”

“Really? That’s terrific. I told Grandpa we weren’t ready for marriage. And then I cried.”

“Because we weren’t getting married?”

“No, I was hormonal.” She chuckled. “But you should have seen his face. He did not know what to do.”

“So it wasn’t because of money?”

“Oh no, he still thinks yours is chump change.”

Jason took a drink. “I can’t believe you confronted him.”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, ignore it.”

“That’s not my style.” She asked, “Is that how you’ve handled Floyd since you quit? Ignore him?”

“No, we saw each other a couple times. But it was in public, so we were civil. We don’t have anything to say to each other.” Jason casually took a drink.

She looked at him thoughtfully as she chewed a hunk of bread. Her lips stretched into a smile. “Yes you do. You just don’t know how to say it. It’s that patented Stiles passive aggression.” She drained her glass and held it over for him to pour more. He did, and then poured himself more, too. “That’s enough shop talk. You have a kid and I took three years to tell you. Will you forgive me?”

He considered her for a moment and delayed his answer by drinking more wine. “Can I have some time to think about it? I’m still in shock.”

“I understand. Take as long as you need.”

He lifted his glass. “The wine is helping.”

Jenny rested her arms on the table in front of her. “Do you want to know more about Xavier?”

Xavier. His son. He had a son. Unbelievable. “Okay, yeah. Tell me about him.”

Chapter Text

Jason nestled into the pillow that he had his arm around and sighed. His eyelids slowly lifted to see a sliver of light shining at the place the curtains met. As he gradually became cognizant, he noticed the light pink wallpaper was not his, nor was he in his bed. And most surprising of all was that the pillow he was holding close was no pillow, but a woman.

He blinked a few times as it slowly came back to him.

He and Jenny finished off their bottle of wine last night, after which they ordered another and he forgave her entirely for not telling him about their son. They talked and drank until the restaurant closed. Then things got friendly in the backseat of a cab. When they got to her stop, she wasn’t ready to say goodbye, and since he wasn’t finished forgiving her, they carried on.

Another glance around the room had Jason trying to remember what the building looked like when the cab dropped them off last night, but his attention had been elsewhere. What hotel was this? No, that wasn’t right, his foggy brain remembered. And then it hit him—she was staying at her parents’ house, which made this her bedroom. Her childhood bedroom. Oh God.

There was something seriously wrong with him, that much was clear. His life was in complete disarray. He just found out he had a child with this woman, and he slept with her—at her parents’ house, no less—during her brief stay in town. He wasn’t even sure how he slept in an unfamiliar bed with another person, or how he could do so soundly, for that matter.

Jenny sighed heavily and slid her hand over his arm. He instinctively intertwined his fingers in hers as he wondered if it meant she was awake. He wasn’t sure what to do now, make awkward conversation and cutesy pillow talk? He didn’t know how to do the morning after. He didn’t do the morning after. The only thing Jason knew how to do was be polite and courteous by making breakfast down in the kitchen—after they groomed and dressed separately.

He wondered what the protocol was for a one night stand with an ex-girlfriend who was also the mother of his child. It wasn’t to say he necessarily wanted it to be a onetime thing, and he didn’t really like to think of her as an ex-girlfriend. Ex indicated a negative connotation for him. They didn’t have a nasty breakup. She moved, so they parted amicably. Former girlfriend was a more apt term for her. Now she lived on the other side of the country and he didn’t know when he would see her again. He didn’t really like the idea of not seeing her again. Then he wondered if that was the normal sentiment in these one night stand situations.

“Did you sleep at all?” Jenny asked without turning around, startling him out of his reverie.

“Yes. How did you know I was awake?”

“I figured you never fell asleep and only stayed until morning so you wouldn’t seem like an asshole—which, you would be.”

He nodded once. “Ah.”

“And also because you think loudly.”

“It’s in my head. How can I do it loudly?”

“I don’t know, you just do,” she said. “But you slept okay here?”

“I did. I feel bad for asking, but did you slip me a roofie last night?”

“What? No.”

“But I can’t sleep with any distractions. How did I sleep here if I wasn’t drugged?”

“I don’t know,” she said through a laugh. “You probably wore yourself out.”

Doubtfully, he said, “I don’t know.”

She shifted to her back so she could see him without twisting around and touched his cheek. “Is now a good time to talk about your face?”

“What about it?”

“It’s kind of mossy.”

He rubbed his face, her hand lightly brushing over his. “You don’t like it?” His put his arm back over her, his hand comfortably holding her side.
She tilted her head at him thoughtfully. “I’m getting used to it. But you do need a haircut. You’re really unkempt right now.”

“I’ve had a lot going on.”

“Lately?” she asked, the corner of her mouth upturned.

“Thank you for the reminder.”

For a second Jason forgot he was unemployed and that they were in her parents’ house and had a kid and that she—no, they—would leave in a couple days. It was like he was still dating her, and he didn’t mind lying here in bed with her the morning after. It was nice even.

He gazed down at Jenny, who was looking up at him still with a small smile. He closed the gap between them as his lips descended on hers.

XXX

Tristan pulled a plaid button down shirt over the grey V-neck one he already had on and brushed a hand through his hair. He glanced at his image in the mirror before he left his bedroom. He walked down the hallway and opened the door to one of the other rooms to find his nephew on the floor next to the bed, playing with a collection of toy cars.

“Hey, when did you get up?” Tristan asked, lowering himself to the floor on the other side of the cars.

“Five thirty,” Xavier answered.

“Really?” Tristan asked with a smile, noting the absence of a clock in the room, or his nephew’s ability to tell time. “You’ve had a whole day already.” He chose a red car and drove it around the floor, providing a long vroom and squealing tire sounds.

He put the car back and asked, “Why don’t you get dressed so we can hang out today?”

Xavier complied, getting up and going to his small suitcase. They picked out shorts and a polo shirt, and Tristan helped him put it on.

“Can we go swimming today?” Xavier asked hopefully after his head popped out of the neck of his shirt.

“We just opened the pool. It’s still pretty cold.”

“I won’t be cold,” he insisted.

Tristan shrugged. “Okay.” He’d be pulling a shivering boy from the pool later, he knew. “Let’s have breakfast first, are you hungry?”

The little boy nodded and they headed out. Xavier held up his arms and looked at his uncle expectantly.

Tristan smiled down at him and shook his head. “I’m not going to carry you. You’re a big boy, you can walk,” he said, heading for the stairs.

When they got to the next door, Xavier stopped. “Is Mommy awake?”

As he started to reach toward the doorknob, Tristan heard muffled voices from inside his sister’s room. He knew she went out last night, but didn’t hear when she got in. Right now it sounded like she wasn’t alone, and they were in the middle of something. Horrified, Tristan quickly snatched his nephew’s hand away and pulled him down the hall. “I think she’s still asleep. Come on.”

XXX

“I would make you breakfast, but this isn’t my house.” Jason eyed her bedroom.

She hoped he wasn’t too freaked out about being there. It wasn’t like she had any childhood memorabilia on display at this point. It was just a room she stayed in occasionally when she was in Hartford. “I don’t have time anyway. I’m meeting my uncle in New York this morning,” she said as she pulled out a skirt suit and shell from her closet and hung it from a knob on her dresser.

As Jason sat on the side of the bed and buttoned his dark green shirt that was now wrinkled, he asked, “How long are you in town?”

“Until Thursday morning. Why?” She busied herself at her suitcase, pulling out panty hose.

He glanced at her. “I thought we could maybe have dinner again tonight.”

She stopped what she was doing and stared. “You’re kidding.”

“No.” He frowned. “Was it funny? It wasn’t supposed to be funny.”

She shook her head and went back to her drawer. “I don’t think that would be good.”

“It wouldn’t?” he asked, concerned. “Why not? I thought it could be very good. Was it not good this time?”

She shot him a look. “You’re on the rebound and I am the last person on the planet you should rebound with.”

“I’m not on the rebound.”

She scoffed. “You just got dumped by someone you still want to be with.”

“I don’t want to be with Lorelai anymore. That’s over.”

“For her. You tried to get her back four days ago,” she reminded him. “You’re on the rebound.”

“It’s a new day. I’m much more interested in you now.”

“Oh, I know. You compared me to her last night,” Jenny said.

“You started it.”

“Not intentionally.” She’d just wanted to make it clear that she choose romantic partners based on the person’s merits and her attraction, not by outside factors that neither of them could control. She hated the story of how Lorelai Gilmore came to go out with him. She wanted him to have more self-respect.

“Either way, you came out way ahead,” he said.

“I don’t know how I managed. She sounds otherworldly.” Even while Jenny was winning the comparison, it unnerved her to listen to Jason talk about his ex-girlfriend. When he let it slip that the woman had a daughter, a lump rose in Jenny’s throat. She swallowed it down hard and drank some more.

“She isn’t.” He stood up to face her. “This turned quickly. You liked me when we woke up.”

Jenny stopped what she was doing to look over at him and sighed. “I flew across the country to make sure you’re okay at a time that you are feeling lost and alone. I’m sure I could make you feel better. But then what?” she asked. “I’ll get my hopes up and you’ll walk away when you’re done with me.”

He couldn’t believe it was possible that he could have that effect on someone. “You don’t know that.”

“I can’t take that chance.”

He protested, “But I slept here all night with you—in the same bed. I didn’t think I could do that. Don’t you think that means something?”

“Yes. It means you thought you couldn’t do something and proved yourself wrong by actually trying. It didn’t have anything to do with me,” she said, picking up his shoes and handing them to him. “Go home, figure out your life, and we’ll talk.”

“About us?”

“About your son and what your involvement will be in his life, which doesn’t have to be anything if that’s what you’re comfortable with. No pressure.”

He took the shoes. “Oh. Okay,” he said slowly. 

XXX

“Are you going to drink you milk?” Tristan asked his nephew, who was sitting on the stool next to him in the kitchen.

“I want it in a little glass.”

“It’s already in a little glass.”

“No, more little.”

Tristan’s brows furrowed as Xavier held his hand two inches above the counter to indicate a shorter glass. Humoring him, Tristan got up and opened a cabinet door to look at the glassware it held. “We don’t have any smaller ones.”

“Grandpa has some. I saw him.”

“Grandpa has little glasses?”

“Yeah, really little, like for kids.”

Tristan thought for a minute with a deep frown before going to a corner cabinet. He took out a ‘little glass’ and held it up for Xavier to see.

The boy nodded. “Yeah, that one.”

It was a shot glass.

“You want to drink milk from this?”

“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly.

“It’s not for kids, it’s for—.” Tristan shook his head. “Never mind.” It probably wasn’t worth an argument. He went back to the counter and poured Xavier’s milk from his normal glass to the tiny one. Appeased, the boy happily took small sips.

The kitchen door opened and Jason Stiles stopped at the sight of people in the room. “Oh. Tristan, hi.”

Tristan didn’t try to hide his pained expression. “Digger,” he said, stilted.

Jason cringed, but didn’t correct him. “You must be home for summer.”

“Yup.”

Jason’s eyes darted to Xavier. “Hi,” he said, clumsily holding up his hand in a motionless wave.

Xavier glanced up and waved.

Tristan was always amazed by Jason Stiles. He didn’t know how one person could be so weird. Just awkward. He turned his head to his nephew. “Do you know who that is?”

Xavier nodded. “Mommy’s friend from the park.”

“Oh, okay. Are you finished?” When the boy nodded again, Tristan said, “I think Grandpa has a new car for you in his desk. Do you think you can find it?”

Xavier’s eyes lit up and he nodded. He jumped off the stool and ran out of the kitchen.

Hesitantly, Jason said, “Sorry, I didn’t know I was a father.”

Tristan looked back to him. “Don’t worry. You’re not.”

Jason had no defense to that. He changed the subject, “Your sister said I could use the phone in here—to call a cab. I would use my cellphone, but it’s in my jacket pocket, and my jacket is either at the restaurant or the cab we took last night. I’m not sure which."

Tristan didn’t say anything. He just pointed to the other side of the kitchen to the phone that hung from the wall.

“Thanks.” He went over and made the call, and then pointed to the door. “I’ll just wait out here, so I don’t miss it.”

Tristan nodded down into his plate silently as Jason made his escape.

A half hour later, Jennifer came in. Tristan watched his sister walk across the kitchen to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. He eyed her as he took a sip of his own coffee. “You look very professional today,” he said casually.

“Thank you.”

After a pause, he said, “If I hadn’t seen for myself, I never would have believed that your baby daddy did the walk of shame a short time ago.”

Jenny winced. “Shut up.”

“You know, I had to stop Xavier from walking into your room this morning on our way downstairs. He was going to walk in on you two.”

She slowly looked up from her cup with wide eyes. “How long ago was that?”

“I’d say about the time Digger woke up,” he said.

She blushed. “He doesn’t like it when people call him that.”

“I don’t care.” He went on, “When you said you were going out to dinner last night, you didn’t say it was with him.”

“You know I came out to see him.”

“I didn’t know you’d be entertaining him all evening.”

“I didn’t know that either.”

“He looks like the Big Bad Wolf. And Little Red Riding Hood let him follow her home,” Tristan said. “How can we be sure the rumors going around about him aren’t true?”

“Because I know him, and I know it isn’t true. How many times do I have to tell you not to believe everything you hear through the grape vine?” she asked. “Please keep in mind that I was the one who owed him an apology, and nobody owes you anything. So cool it.” She asked, “Did you let him use the phone?”

“Yes. It was awkward for all of us.”

“All two of you?”

“No, all three of us.” He nodded to the plate and glasses next to him.

“Xavier was here,” she stated.

“He was. And it looked like he doesn’t know Mommy’s special friend is his dad.”

“That’s because he doesn’t,” Jennifer said. “And you won’t be the one to tell him since it isn’t your place. As I’ve told you before.”

“No, you’ve told me it isn’t my place to clue Digger in to the fact that he knocked you up,” Tristan said. “There have been no guidelines regarding what I should or should not tell Xavier.”

“Well, let me clear that up now. Don’t tell him anything,” Jennifer said, getting irritated. “I will tell him Jason is his father when the time is right.”

“So in another three years?”

She glowered at him.

Tristan took a sip of his coffee and said, “I’ve always thought Digger Stiles was too weird for you. Where do you think Xavier gets it from?”
Her jaw dropped. “My kid is not weird.”

Tristan reached over to hold up the shot glass. “He wanted to drink his milk out of this.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. “Oh yeah, I forgot to warn you about that.”

“Yesterday he talked in quacks for three hours. I mean, it was funny and I laughed about it later. But you have to admit, that’s weird.”

“We went to the park yesterday when we got off the plane. There were ducks,” she said. “By little boy standards, he’s normal.”
Tristan held his hands up. “Whatever you say.” He stood up. “I should go find the little professor. I sent him to look for a toy car that isn’t in Dad’s desk. Now I owe him one.”

“I think he has enough cars.”

“A boy can never have too many Hot Wheels,” he argued. “Are you going to make it to dinner tonight? Mom and Dad are getting in today.”
“Yes, I’ll be back by then. Are you sure it’s okay for Xavier to tag along with you today?”

“I’m sure,” he said. “That’s what X-Men are for.”

Before he left the room, Jennifer asked, “Hey, did you know Jason was dating a mom? A Lorelai Gilmore.”

Tristan looked over at his sister and shook his head. “Not until recently.” He added, “But I wouldn’t have told you anyway, if I had known.”

“Why not?”

Because of the look in his sister’s eyes right now. He shrugged. “It’s not like it ever lasts long with him. And true to form, they split.”

She nodded once. “Oh.” It didn’t look like he made her feel any better.

Tristan asked, “Are you going to see him again before you go back?”

She looked down at her coffee cup. “No. He has some stuff to figure out.”

Chapter Text

Jenny removed a small bowl out of her microwave and took it to the table where Xavier was waiting patiently in his booster seat. She stirred his oatmeal and blew on it, telling him to be careful. She picked up a newspaper from counter and took a seat next to him.

When Xavier reached for his plastic cup to pour his milk into a shot glass, Jenny took it from him, twisting off the lid. “I’ll do it.” She was about to take a bite of her bagel when the doorbell rang.

The nanny’s early, she thought with a glance at the time on the microwave as she got up and went to the door. She was surprised to find not the nanny on the other side, but Jason. He looked more put together than he was a few days ago.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.” She’d told him to let her know what he ended up doing. She thought he’d just call.

“I’ve been thinking where I should go, and now it seems like a really easy choice.”

“Okay,” Jenny said slowly. “Somewhere is looking good?”

He nodded. “One place is. Seattle.”

“Seattle?”

“Seattle,” he repeated.

“Are you sure? It’s only been a few days.”

“I know, I’m sorry I took so long.” He said, “You never asked why I left my dad’s company.”

“That’s because I’ve met Floyd.”

“Yes, you have. I quit because I don’t want to be him. I don’t hate him or anything, but he’s cold and distant, as far as fathers go.” His eyes darted to the kitchen. “And that still stands. I really don’t want to be him.”

“So, Seattle?”

“Seattle.”

Seeing his determination, Jenny stepped aside and opened the door wider. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“No, I just got in,” he said, following her inside.

She turned to the table in time to see Xavier wiggle down from his chair. “Hey, where are you going?”

He pointed to the living room. “I want to go play.”

“Wait.” She grabbed a wash cloth from the sink to scrub off his face and hands. “Remember Jason? Say hi.”

He looked up to say hello.

“Hi, Xavier,” Jason said, and then obviously didn’t know if he should say anything else, and if so, what.

“You can go play now,” she told her son. She gestured for Jason to have a seat and went to the cabinet for a plate. She toasted him a bagel and poured him a cup of coffee before returning to the table.

“Thank you.” He frowned at the tiny glass that was clouded from milk. “Do you guys do shots for breakfast?”

She nodded into the living room. “He does. It’s how he likes it.” There was a hint of a smile on her otherwise straight face.

Jason glanced into the living room too, where his son was in the middle of a running dialogue. “Who is he talking to?”

“Himself.” She added, “It’s normal.”

“Okay,” he said, like he wasn’t sure she was telling the truth.

“So what’s your game plan?” she asked, returning to her cooled breakfast now that everyone else was taken care of.

He finished a bite of his bagel before he answered, “I have to find a place to live and look for a job.” He added, “I’ll have to start over—at the bottom. I’ve done it before, it’s just been a while.”

“Yeah, and at your dad’s company,” she said, licking some cream cheese off her lip.

“What does that mean?”

“You were on the fast track to the top. Do you think you’d have moved up as quickly if you weren’t the boss’s son?”

Jason thought about it for a moment as he chewed. He tilted his head to concede. “I did have an advantage. But I like to think I was capable of every position I had there.”

“Now’s our chance to see what you can do in the real world.”

“Oh, so now I wasn’t even in the real world? Thanks.”

She smirked.

“I’ve never actually applied for a job,” he said. “Even when I went to talk to Richard, I asked to be his partner. I didn’t have to prove my knowledge or abilities.” He had another thought. “And I can’t exactly ask my last boss for a recommendation. Everyone I’ve ever worked with thinks I lack integrity.”

“That’s not true,” Jenny said. “My parents don’t believe everything they hear. Call my mom. She’ll know who will say positive things about you.” She stacked their plates together with Xavier’s bowl on top when they were finished eating. “I need to get ready for work. You can go in the living room if you want.”

Jason’s eyes darted to the room indicated and then back to her, deer in the headlights. “I don’t know how to talk to kids.”

“That’s okay, he can do most of the talking even when there isn’t anyone to talk to.” She called, “Xavier, come here.”

Jason grabbed her arm. “Wait, don’t tell him who I am yet. Maybe we should ease him into it.”

Sure, she thought, Xavier needed the easing. She firmly gripped his wrist. “It will be okay.”

When the boy joined them, she pried Jason’s hand off her arm. “Will you let Jason play with you?”

Xavier glanced up at him and nodded.

“He hasn’t played with toys in a long, long time. Can you share yours and to show him how to play?”

Xavier was intrigued by the concept. “Yes.”

She took her son’s hand and put it in Jason’s. “Go ahead,” she said, more to the grown man than the boy.

“They’re over here,” Xavier said, leading Jason to his toys.

When Jenny returned to the living room a little later with shoes in hand, the boys had all the cars posed in a demolition scene.

“This is elaborate,” Jason commented. “I hope these guys have insurance.”

“What’s insurance?”

Jason glanced at him. “Do you have a day?”

“He does, actually,” Jenny said. “If you aren’t doing anything.”

“Oh, uh, I have some things I need to do today—namely picking up the pieces of my life. But another time.”

“Fine,” she said. “But stay to meet the nanny at least.”

XXX

The Dugray’s came through for Jason, speaking with some German-Driscoll employees and clients. Jenny’s mother in particular stuck it to them, asking what they thought of Jason before Richard Gilmore lied to everyone about him. Not only did she cast seeds of doubt about the validity of the rumors Richard started, but a half dozen people gave him positive recommendations before he sat down for an interview. He was happy to be gainfully employed again, at a respectable Seattle insurance company.

His position was lower on the food chain than he’d had in recent years. It was humbling, but he was up to the challenge of rising up the ranks. He was determined to prove to himself—and whole list of people—that he could do it. He also thought it was a good example to set for Xavier, to be resilience in the face of adversity.

He found a place to live that wasn’t too far from work or from Jenny’s place. There was a bedroom for Xavier, in case he ever slept over, which he probably would eventually. The room was pretty utilitarian at the moment, with only a small bed covered with a blue comforter and a dresser. Jason didn’t know what three-year-old kids liked. It was a long time since he was that age, and his nephew was younger.

Jenny gave him a key to her apartment one day. She wasn’t weird about it at all. They were in her kitchen one day and she picked it up handed to him. Just like that. It might have been the most effortless and graceful thing he ever saw. There was no awkward speech that required clarification later. She just handed it over and told him he was always welcome. So he had one made for her. He was getting copies for his cleaning lady and Xavier’s nanny anyway. It just made sense to give Jenny one too.

He was proud of himself for playing it cool when he gave it to her. She smiled put it on her key ring immediately, not knowing that his heart was thudding.

“Thanks,” she’d said. “I’m going to come over all the time when you aren’t there and mess with your stuff.”

He grinned. “That’s exactly why I gave it to you.”

The only thing he still had to do was tell his parents they had another grandchild. He ran it by his sister-in-law when he told her he was moving to Seattle, asking if she remembered Jennifer Dugray. She was shocked to learn of the secret Stiles out in the world. Jason asked if she could picture him as a dad, and she had said yes, after only the slightest hesitation. He was sure she was just trying to be nice.

XXX

“Oh my goodness, I am the winner,” Jenny said with a smile. She shook Xavier’s hand. “Good game.” She turned to Jason and did the same. Addressing her son again, she said, “You should have warned Jason that I’m so good at this game. I always win.”

Jenny and Xavier were spending the evening at Jason’s apartment. They came a couple nights a week since he got settled. He’d make them dinner before they played a game, and watch a movie if it was the weekend.

“She always wins?” Jason asked Xavier, handing over his cards after he had them all facing the same way. “That’s not right.” He tilted his head toward the boy conspiratorially. “Maybe if we team up we could beat her. Do you want to be on my team?”

Xavier grinned at him and nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah.” He scooted to the edge of his chair to be closer to Jason.

“Here,” Jason said, grabbing the side of the chair to bring him over to his side of the table.

Jenny sat the game up and sang, “I’m still going to beat you.”

“Nuh-uh, we’re going to win this time,” Xavier said. He and Jason huddled over their cards, Jason whispering behind his hand and smiling over at Jenny. Xavier did the same, though his smile was more a smirk.

Jenny gasped when the boys made their last move, ending the game. “No!”

Xavier smiled widely and laughed. “We win! Yes!” He and Jason high-fived over their victory before taking turns shaking Jenny’s hand.

She sighed. “Good job.” Then she smiled smugly. “The winners have to clean up. That’s the rule.”

When the game cards and pieces were all in the box, they moved to the living room. Xavier handed Jason a video before going to Jenny at the couch and whispering in her ear.

“You have to ask Jason, it’s his dog.”

Xavier did as he was told, walking back to pat Jason’s shoulder. “Can I pet Sirius?” He glanced at his mother and quickly added, “Please.”

“Sure,” Jason said, looking over at the little dog that sat quietly in front of the fireplace, just as he had in his Hartford condo.

Xavier went over and knelt down next to the beagle, patting him on the head. Sirius licked Xavier’s face, which made him giggle and scratch behind the dog’s ears.

Jason joined Jenny on the couch and commented, “I didn’t know he was so affectionate.”

“Well, he’s a three year old boy and that’s a dog,” she said.

“No, I was talking about Sirius.”

“Oh.” She laughed lightly. “Maybe you aren’t affectionate with him.”

“Hey, I pet him.” Jason watched the two for a moment. “Probably not as lovingly as that.”

They let the boy and dog enjoy each other’s company for a few minutes before Jenny asked if they were going to get this movie started. Xavier said yes and came over to the couch.

Jason held up the remote to start the movie, but before he could press play, Xavier asked, “Mommy, is Jason my X-Man?”

Jason froze. He was pretty sure the world stopped.

Jenny gave him a look, and then focused on her son. She lifted him up to sit on her lap. “Well, no. Your X-Men are my brothers. Spencer and Brody and Tristan are you uncles. Jason isn’t your uncle.”

“Oh,” Xavier said with a frown, trying to figure out who the new male presence in his life was.

Jenny looked at Jason again, raising her brow slightly before gently addressing Xavier again. “Jason isn’t your X-Man, but he is your dad.”

Jason watched the little boy and held his breath.

Xavier sharply tilted his head up at her with a smile he was trying to hold back. “He is?” he asked in a high pitched voice.

“Yup. He’s your dad.” She added, “That’s why he comes to our house sometimes and we come over here.”

Xavier peered over at Jason as he leaned into Jenny, still trying to keep his grin under control. “I have a daddy?”

“Yup.”

“You never told me I have a dad.”

“I never told Jason has a boy.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “I’m a chicken.”

“That’s silly.”

“Yeah, I was.” She hugged him and he snuggled closer to her, suddenly shy. After the movie started, he repositioned himself in between the two adults on the couch, slowly inching closer to Jason. By the time the credits were rolling, he was asleep, his little frame resting against his newfound father and his thumb in his mouth.

Jenny looked down at Xavier. “I tell him he looks like a baby when he sucks his thumb.” Her eyes lifted to Jason. “He does not care.”

He chuckled softly.

“I think he’s happy you’re his dad.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” she said with a soft smile. “He likes you.”

“I’ve been worried that he wouldn’t.”

She took his hand in both of hers. “He doesn’t know you very well yet.” She tried to bite on her smile.

He tilted his head. “Your heart is as cold as your hands.”

She smiled widely and shook her head. “No, it’s ‘cold hands, warm heart.’ It’s a saying.” She let his hand go. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“I’ve never thought of myself as dad material. In fact, no one ever has.”

“You’re doing well so far. Love him unconditionally and teach him right from wrong. Beyond that, and feeding him, I can’t say I know what I’m doing,” she said. “It’ll be years before you have to worry that you’re teaching him to shave wrong.” She brushed Xavier’s brown hair with her fingers. “I’m going to the station to do some work for a few hours tomorrow. Why don’t you keep him here tonight and spend the morning with him?”

“Here? Just the two of us without your supervision?”

“You’re a grown man, Jason. You don’t need my supervision.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“You are,” she said confidently. She got up and started to scoop Xavier up, but Jason did it for her. He looked down at his boy in his arms, and it was like he was a big baby. They managed to tuck him in without waking him.

“Just so you know, from now on your name is Daddy. Try not to freak out when I call you that,” Jenny said as they walked back down the hallway.

“Uh, okay,” he said, a little uneasy. “Are you going to call me that when it’s just us?”

“No, that would be weird.”

“I agree.”

Back in the kitchen, she glanced at the game on the table. “You know I let you guys win.”

“We won fair and square,” he argued.

She shook her head. “I was going easy on you.” The corner of her mouth lifted.

“Oh, I want a rematch.” They grinned and shared eye contact for a little longer than necessary.

Before she left, she put her hands on his shoulders and looked at him sternly. “You can do it.”

But she was wrong, he couldn’t. Jason dialed Jenny’s work number quickly the next morning, hoping she didn’t let it go to voice mail. Thankfully, she picked up. “You have to come back,” he greeted her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Once Xavier figured out his mommy abandoned him with a strange man, he sat down and started crying. Pretty soon I might join him.”

“Oh, now that’s something I’d like to see.” He could hear her smile.

“Then get over here and you will,” Jason said, nervously glancing to the living room.

“I can’t, I’m busy,” Jenny said unhelpfully. “You aren’t a strange man, you’re his dad. Give him a hug and remind him.”

“A hug?”

“Yes, a hug.” She paused. “Do you know how to hug another person?”

“It’s not that I don’t know how. I’m just not good with people in emotional distress.”

She sighed. “Oh boy, we’re going to have to work on you. I lied before, you are a strange man.” She continued, “Go distract him. We’ll work on hugging later.”

Jason was not prepared for this. He was flailing. “You should have stayed. We’d both feel much better if you had stayed.”

She sighed heavily. “You will get through this. Think of something, I have to go.”

Jason looked down at the phone after she hung up on him. He put it back on the receiver and anxiously looked in the living room again. He glanced from dog to boy. To his amazement, Sirius hastened over to Xavier and started licking his face.

Xavier’s sniffling stopped and he turned away. “I don’t want to pet you right now,” he pouted. But the dog persisted until crying turned to laughter and his head was being rubbed.

Sirius was officially a better dad than Jason. How was that even possible?

Jason went over and joined them on the floor. “You know, since Sirius is my dog, and I’m your dad, that means he’s your dog too.”

Xavier’s little brows arched as he continued to rub the dog’s head. “I never had a dog.”

“Well, now you do. He can do tricks, want to see?” When Xavier nodded and sat back, Jason said, “Sirius , a little to the left.”

The beagle shifted down a step.

The boy smiled, to Jason’s great relief. After teaching his son to say the command, Jason said, “He doesn’t know how to go the other way yet. Do you think we can teach him today?”

Xavier’s eyes lit up. “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Jason signaled to take his exit Friday afternoon, with his mother in the passenger seat next to him. He stopped by his parents’ house when he went back to Hartford to take care of his legal matters. Richard settled, as Jason thought he might, so it was all behind them. He persuaded his mother to come visit him. He didn’t mention why. He just insisted she come out for a couple days and made airline arrangements.

He went to see her during the day, so Floyd wasn’t home. Jason wasn’t sure if they were speaking. The last time he tried, his father didn’t what to hear anything he had to say.

Jason’s stay in Connecticut wasn’t long. He wanted to get back, preferring the company of people who liked him.

“Why Seattle?” Carol asked. “It’s so dreary all the time, and it’s so far away.”

“You know I had to start fresh somewhere else,” he said, not for the first time. It was like she forgot what happened with the business. “But everything is fine. It was a good time to have my career destroyed.”

“That’s very optimistic of you.”

They left her luggage at his apartment before hitting the road again. He was apprehensive about seeing Xavier today. The last time they saw each other, they had an incident. Xavier got away from him while they were outside. He ran out into the street and almost gave Jason a heart attack. It was when Jenny got there that things got worse.

“Did you give him a time out?”

“No,” Jason said slowly.

“He did something he shouldn’t have, so he has to sit out for a few minutes.”

“But I want him to like me,” Jason protested. “Could you do it this time?”

She glared. “No.” She looked like she was thinking about putting Jason in a time out. “I’m not going to be the mean one.” She called their son over.

Xavier looked up at them as he approached.

Jenny quietly instructed Jason. “Tell him what he did wrong and why it was bad.”

He reluctantly knelt down. “When you ran into the street today, that was dangerous. Someone driving by might not see you and they could hit you. You could have gotten hurt.” He glanced up at Jenny, and she nodded for him to continue. Jason turned back to Xavier. “So you have to sit in a time out.”

Xavier’s bottom lip quivered and his eyes were wide. Jason was about to cave.

It was the worst thing he ever had to do. The three minutes stretched on forever. When it was finally over, Jenny said, “Now give him a hug.” She said it with such authority, Xavier thought she was talking to him and lifted his arms up to his father.

Jason knelt down again to accept the hug. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. . . I love you.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

Jason couldn’t recall ever saying that to someone before.

As he and his mother got out of the car, he asked, “You remember Jennifer Dugray moved here a few years ago, don’t you?”

“Yes, it was when you were dating her.”

“Right, in the fall.”

“Her mother says she’s doing well.” Carol stopped, and he had to turn back. “Please don’t tell me you looked her up just because you live in the same city.”

“She was the first person I came to see, actually.” He continued, “You really liked her—Dad too. You were the one to introduce us, remember?”

“I had to. You dropped by the hotel when the Junior League was setting up for a fund raiser. Jennifer walked right up to us to ask me a question,” Carol explained. “It would have been rude not to introduce the two of you. But it didn’t mean you had to date her.”

He gaped.

Carol crossed her arms warily. “You aren’t seeing her again, are you?”

“Why, would that be a problem?”

“Surely there are other women here you could date. You don’t have to settle for the one you already know.”

He gave her an inquisitive look and said, “You and Dad loved Jennifer Dugray. What made you hate her?”

“We do not hate her.”

“You set up a lunch outing with her and then told her the wrong location so she was sitting in the restaurant alone—and then you insinuated that she was the one to make the mix up.”

“That was a mistake.”

He continued, “Every time I brought her over for dinner you’d serve oysters or crab—and shrimp—even though I kept reminding you that she’s allergic to shellfish.”

“She was so dramatic about it, always wanting to know if the other food touched the fish.” Carol went on, “She should know it was insulting to the hostess to pick at her food the way she did.”

“She wasn’t trying to be rude, she didn’t want to have an allergic reaction.” He asked, “Do you and Dad have some agreement to hate anyone I like?”

“Of course we don’t.”

“Then why did you turn on her?”

“Her grandfather said terrible things,” Carol finally said, shaking her head. “Your father wanted to hit him, I’m sure of it. He’s never hit anyone in his life, but he wanted to when that man said you weren’t good enough for their family.”

So it was true, it wasn’t because he liked her.

“Your father is a very proud man,” she said.

“Yes, I’ve run into his pride,” Jason said. He led her up the stairs and down the hall. “You guys need to realize Jennifer wasn’t the one to say that—she went to her grandfather and told him he was wrong. So it really wasn’t fair to send her to the ER.” He went on, “She has a son, actually. This is where she lives.” They reached her door and he pulled his keys out to open it.

“What are you doing?” Carol asked, startled. “You can’t just walk into someone else’s house. Why do you have a key to her apartment?”

“It’s okay, she gave it to me. And the nanny knows we’re coming.” He opened the door and walked in. His mother very reluctantly followed. He told her to have a seat in the living room and make herself comfortable, so she proceeded to perch on the edge of the couch, looking as anxious as a home invader. Jason went to Xavier’s room, and greeted the nanny. To his relief, his son got up and approached, happy to see him. It was like the ugliness of the time out never happened. Xavier really was a Stiles.

He took the boy’s hand and led him back to the living room, over to the couch. He sat down, allowing a gap between him and his mother, where Xavier leaned back against his leg. Carol watched them, and two little creases formed between her eyebrows.

“Mom,” Jason said. “This is Xavier.”

She slowly said hello and looked at the boy for a long moment, like she was trying to work out a puzzle. “He’s Jennifer’s?”

“Mm-hmm. She had him in April—after she moved, which makes him three.”

“Spring,” she breathed. “She was your girlfriend before that . . . he must be. . .” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “Her mother always shows me pictures of their grandchildren. I thought they were both Spencer’s kids.”

“No, he has one.”

Xavier turned toward Jason to pat his leg, to which he leaned in closer. Xavier slid his arm up around Jason’s neck to ask, “Are we going to your house?”

“Yeah, we’re going to go soon.” He pointed at his mother. “This is my mom. That means she’s your grandma.”

Carol’s eyes brimmed with tears that she tried to blink back. Jason hoped she wouldn’t openly cry. He wouldn’t know what to do about a crying mother, and Cyrus wasn’t here to assist. She took Xavier’s small hands in hers and swallowed hard. “You look just like Jason when he was your age.”

“Jason’s my daddy.”

She nodded and glanced at her son before looking back at Xavier. “Yes he is.”

XXX

“Did you see that?” Jenny asked Sunday evening after they’d put Xavier to bed. “Two days away from me and he didn’t want me to read his bedtime story. ‘I want Daddy to do it’,” she quoted. “He doesn’t need me at all.”

“He needs you,” Jason reassured her, following her to the kitchen. “I do, for sure.”

“So how did it go?”

Jason accepted a glass of wine she offered him and took a sip as they both headed for the living room couch. Then he nodded. “It went well, after the initial shock wore off—which was much faster for Mom than it was for me. Xavier called her Grandma and that was pretty much enough to have her wrapped around his finger.”

While he didn’t know what a kid’s bedroom should have, his mother was more than adept. Xavier was set with clothes, toys, games, and two kinds of super hero bed sheets. Jason now had a step stool in his bathroom for the sink. He never would have thought of that on his own.

When she wasn’t buying things for her new grandson and getting misty eyed every time Jason answered to ‘Daddy’, she was telling Xavier about his grandfather and aunt and uncle and cousin. She was already making lists and plans for Christmas.

Jenny smiled. “Good. He figured out that Grandma and Grandpa are the people who will spoil him rotten. So I’m sure he’s happy to know there are more people who go by those names.”

“Shrewd,” Jason commented with a nod.

She took a sip and sobered. “And what does Carol think of me these days? I couldn’t get a read on her at dinner last night.”

He took a sip. “She didn’t really say much about you.”

Jenny leveled him a look, not buying it. “She thinks I’m a terrible person.”

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly.”

Jenny cringed.

“Don’t worry, she’ll forgive you. You didn’t have to apologize so profusely last night.”

She stared. “Yes I did. She walks around with a picture in her purse of your nephew taking his first step. She missed three years and it’s my fault.” She added, “Mom has a ton of pictures. I’m pretty sure she’s just been waiting for me to get my act together and tell you. I wouldn’t be surprised if she meets Carol at the airport with a box.”

He swirled the wine in his glass. “She’ll like that.”

“Did anyone tell Floyd?”

Jason shrugged. “She called him, but I don’t know if she told him the big news.”

“It’s more of an in-person kind of conversation,” she said. “I wonder how he’ll take it.”

“I couldn’t guess what he’s thinking if I tired,” Jason said. “I know because I have tried, and I was very wrong. Given that he’s a sociopath, maybe it’s better that I don’t know how his mind works.” He said, “Here’s a good story. My mom did not mean for me to date you at all. She only introduced us to be polite.”

“Mm, right, I remember,” Jenny said, lifting her finger from her wine glass to point. “We were getting the ballroom ready for a benefit, and I needed her ‘expertise’ about the floral arrangements for the centerpieces.”

“You remember what your question was about?”

“Well, yeah, I made it up. I wanted to find out who the pleasantly handsome man talking to Carol Stiles was, so I needed an excuse to interrupt.” She added, “Then I just had to casually ask if the second ticket they gave me was supposed to be for a date.”

“The second ticket is always for a date.”

“I know,” she said with a smirk. “It was not my first foray with the Junior League.”

Jason nodded his head once and smiled. “You orchestrated the whole thing. The truth comes out.”

She continued to grin. “And as you can see, my plan worked beautifully. She served you to me on a silver platter and I got your DNA.”

“I refer you back to the sociopath statement. The Stiles DNA might be a little questionable.” He grinned. “But you’re quite the mastermind.”

“It’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

He took a sip of wine before he said, “We never got around to talking about us.”

She gave him a wary look. “What about us?”

“We like each other, and when I like someone, I date them.”

“I can’t date you,” she said, a little sadly.

“You don’t want to?” When she took a sip of wine to stale, he said, “Oh, you don’t like me.”

“That’s not it.” She sighed. “If you were just some guy who wanted to casually take me out once in a while, then I could. It wouldn’t matter if things fizzled after a few months.” She continued, “But you aren’t just some guy.”

Jason saw her swallow hard. He argued, “I told you, I didn’t—”

“I’m not Lorelai Gilmore, so you can’t say for sure you’d be able to talk yourself out of breaking it off when the urge hits,” she said. “That’ll put you in the awkward position of dumping the mother of your child—or not, out of guilt. I didn’t want you to feel trapped four years ago. I’m not going to do it now.” She blinked quickly and averted her gaze.

He didn’t know what she was upset about, he was the one getting rejected. But it was hard to argue.

She went on. “You came here to so you could be Xavier’s dad, and that’s great. I’m glad you did. You should focus on that.”

While his mother was busy making plans for Christmas, Jason asked her not to serve shellfish. When she worried that Xavier had a food allergy, he reminded her of Jenny’s. She returned to her question from before, asking if Jason was seeing her again. There was a long pause before he answered no. She didn’t press him any more than that. She only gave him a thoughtful look and changed the subject.

XXX

When Carol got home she found her husband in the den, reading in his pajamas. “You weren’t waiting up for me, were you?” she asked, taking a seat on one of the sofas.

“What if I was?” he asked without looking up from his book.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

They were quiet for a moment before he asked, “How was your trip?”

“It was good,” she said. “Jason’s doing well. He’s all settled and has a job.”

Floyd continued to read, as though he wasn’t interested in anything concerning their son. She had asked him if it was necessary to go after Jason, and he insisted it was. It was business. She didn’t believe that. He took it personally when his own son quit.

She told him, “I’m going to invite the Dugray’s over for dinner this week.”

“Janlen, I hope.”

“No, Jennifer’s parents.”

Floyd finally looked up, perturbed. “Why? Didn’t she move?”

“Yes, to Seattle about four years ago.”

“Digger isn’t dating her again, is he?” He added, “That’s just the kind of thing he’d do, to spite us.”

“He says they aren’t together.”

“Good. Why are we inviting her parents to dinner then?” he asked, lowering his gaze back to his book.

“She had a baby after she moved, Floyd,” Carol said. “A boy. He’s three now.”

Floyd looked back at her again, staring.

“Jason’s son,” she vocalized for him. “Just wait until you see him, he’s darling. His name is Xavier—Xavier Stiles.”

“And Jason went there . . . to Seattle.” In that second, Carol was sure some of Floyd’s anger toward their son faded, just a little.

She nodded eagerly. “He’s bringing him here this Christmas, and insists we invite Jennifer, too.”

After a moment of thought, Floyd turned to his book again. “She’s going to be hungry. We always have clam chowder on Christmas Eve.”

XXX

Floyd and Carol did invite Jennifer to their holiday gathering. Jason hadn’t seen his father that pleasant since the night he announced his intention to sue. Carol never nagged Jason about marrying Jenny, like he thought she might. He assumed they still had a problem with her. However, that apparently was not the case.

Before they left Hartford on New Year’s Day, Carol suddenly said, “We’re so lucky Jennifer Dugray had your baby and not Lorelai Gilmore.”

Jason stared at her for a long moment, not knowing what to say. It was unexpected, considering his parents had only met Lorelai once when he was dating her. It was strange, but at the same time, it was the nicest thing one of his parents had said about Jenny in a long time. Far be it from him to question why his mother said it.

He worked it out eventually, after reading Straub Hayden’s obituary in the Courant.

During the time Jason had been Richard’s business partner, the man’s favorite subject was clearly his granddaughter. He would proudly boast how well she was doing at school—a Bulldog, just like him. She was going to be a great . . . something or other, one day. Jason would grin and nod politely.

This was in contrast to the decades Richard worked at Gehrman-Driscoll. He hardly said a word about Lorelai or Rory. Carol would remind Jason and Floyd to inquire about the girls, but only after major holidays. It would be rude to bring them up any other time. It would only remind Richard that he never got to see his granddaughter.

The anticipation for the weekly dinners Emily felt were described as something akin to torture by her daughter. If there was one thing Jason knew about Lorelai, it was that she wanted to keep her mother out of her life, telling her as little as possible. For 16 years, that included their granddaughter’s life too. Jason didn’t know if her paternal grandparents saw her at all.

Floyd and Carol had missed three years with Xavier, but they never complained. Even with a country between them, they knew they had it pretty good.

Chapter Text

Jenny glanced down at her cellphone sitting on the table and bit her bottom lip. She and Jason were seated at his kitchen table on a Sunday evening, when Xavier approached them, smiling excitedly.

“Come look what I made,” he said, pulling on Jason’s hand.

Right as the two of them got to the living room, the tower of blocks Xavier had stacked up into a tower came crashing to the floor. The boy looked down at the scattered blocks and his shoulders dropped. His brows furrowed and his jaw fell. Jenny knew what was about to happen. Her son was about to have a tantrum. He prided himself on being a big boy now, but it was getting late and he was tired. Tears were sure to fall now that his masterpiece was destroyed.

“Uh-oh,” Jason said.

“It was so tall,” the boy complained, holding his arm up to demonstrate. “I wanted to show you.”

“It’s okay,” Jason told him, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Let’s build it again.”

“But I already built it.”

“You can do it again. You just have to start over. Come on.” He sat down on the floor and brushed the blocks away to start a new tower. At the hesitant Xavier, Jason pulled on his arm to come closer. “I need your help. I think we can make it taller this time.” The boy finally fell down to his knees to join his father in stacking the blocks and eventually forgetting about the fallen tower.

Jenny watched the two of them from her spot in the kitchen. A couple nights a week Jason picked Xavier up from school and they went to his house. He’d invite Jenny to stay for dinner when she came for him, always claiming he made way too much food anyway. Maybe he was just being polite, but it seemed like a deliberate excuse to get her to stay. Either way, she never said no. They all sat down and talked about their day.

After Jason felt more comfortable being alone with Xavier, he had really come through. He joined Jenny every Tuesday night for dinner with the nanny. He went along to visits to the pediatrician and they both went on interviews at private schools when it was time to enroll Xavier in kindergarten. He insisted on paying tuition. It made Jenny guilty for not telling him about Xavier sooner. It had been selfish of her, to think in terms of their relationship rather than what would be best for their son.

Jason wasn’t just there for Xavier, either. If Jenny needed a ride to or from the airport, Jason took her and picked her up, even if he had to leave work early. He surprised her over a weekend when Xavier was sick. She called to let him know they were staying in, and he was off the hook. But he came to hang out with them anyway, building a tent in the living room so Xavier could sit in it with the humidifier. Then when the boy was better, she caught what he had. So Jason kept him and the nanny at his apartment, and checked on Jenny. He came during his lunch hour to make her soup and stocked her cabinets with everything she needed.

He listened to how her day was and fixed her a drink if she had a bad one. Once he even put his arm around her and gave her a hug when she was upset over something at work. It wasn’t that he wasn’t able to be comforting, he just never learned. Considering his upbringing, it wasn’t that surprising. She had pulled away from the hug, thanking him for the shoulder to cry on. They shared a look for a little too long and moved back toward each other until their lips were locked in a kiss—then she pulled away. It usually took the a couple awkward days before they got back on track. He never suggested they date again. Even after the two or three times they accidentally kissed, he didn’t bring it up.

And so it went for three years. They would have their near-misses at random and unromantic moments, and then pretend nothing happened.

It was like they were a little family and she had to remind herself they weren’t quite. The distinction became more evident to them recently, now that Xavier was in school. Previously, his life included two parents and a nanny, with occasional appearances by extended family. Last fall he was suddenly thrust into a classroom full of kids his own age that came from different family situations. Jason and Jenny had not counted on this, until one day they had to address it.

Xavier was innocently explaining why he and his classmate, Anthony, were such good friends. They liked to share their toys and they played the same games at recess. “But,” he said, “Anthony’s daddy lives with him.” Then he asked Jenny, “Why doesn’t Daddy live with us?”

She stared. “Well, Anthony’s mommy and daddy love each other. So they got married and they all live together.” She said, “Your daddy and I aren’t married.”

“You and Daddy don’t love each other?” Xavier asked, eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?”

They both stared at him. Jenny clenched her jaw. Jason opened his mouth and nothing came out at first.

She avoided eye contact with Jason and said, “We both love you.”

Jason nodded. “That’s all that matters.” Then they changed the subject.

“Are you expecting a call?” Jason asked when he returned to the kitchen table. “You keep checking your phone.”

“No. I just have a voice mail I haven’t responded to,” she said. She bit her lip again and averted her gaze. After a minute, she turned back to ask, “Have you ever dated someone with a kid?” She caught him off guard.

He furrowed his brow. “No.” It took him a moment before he gave a quick shake of his head. “No, that’s wrong. I dated Lorelai Gilmore, she has a daughter.”

“You forgot? That doesn’t seem like something you would forget.”

“Well, her daughter was in college, so she was more like a roommate who wasn’t around much,” he said. “At least, that’s what I told myself.”

She restrained the urge to roll her eyes. “I don’t think that counts.”

“Yes it does. Lorelai had a kid and I dated her. So I dated someone with a kid.”

“No, she had a young adult who was almost finished. Did her having a kid have any effect on your relationship?”

“No, but—”

“That’s what I meant. A woman with a little kid can’t give you all of her attention—because a small person is completely dependent on her. You aren’t the center of her world, her kid is,” she said. “They can’t drop everything for a spontaneous outing—or spend the whole night away. They might have to cut a date short to get home to relieve the baby-sitter.”

“You have a nanny on-call,” he argued.

She ignored him. “And they don’t let their kid meet the guy they’re dating unless it’s really serious because the guy could be their new dad someday.”

That shut him up for a minute. “Okay, fine. I’ve never dated anyone with a kid. Why are you asking?”

She took a deep breath. “We had a consultant at work for few weeks and his last day was yesterday. He left me a voice mail. He wants to take me out to dinner.”

A long pause stretched between them. Finally, Jason said, “Oh.”

“I haven’t answered yet.”

He looked down at his coffee cup and asked, “What have you done before?”

“Before what?”

“Before now. How have you handled dating, as a single mom?”

Jenny crossed her arms and averted her gaze again. “I haven’t.”

“You haven’t let Xavier meet any guys you’ve dated?”

“No, I haven’t dated.” Her face warmed.

There was another silent pause. Again, “Oh.” It was heavier this time, as it sunk in. “You haven’t dated at all, since—”

“Since you, no,” she finished quickly.

“Why not?”

“Because I work a lot, and I have a kid—a little kid, who depends on me for everything. Men haven’t exactly flocked to me.”

There was another uncomfortable pause. “Yeah, but I’m here now to help you with that. You aren’t doing it all by yourself.”

“Right. You are here,” she said, pushing her dark blond hair behind her ear. “So, it’s fine. I’m getting way ahead of myself. I haven’t even gone out with the guy or anything.”

“But you can, if you want,” he said, hastily.

“Yes, I can,” she said. The idea of this conversation made her anxious, and now having had it, she didn’t feel better. She hadn’t been sure if she wanted to take up the offer to go on a date, what with her having a thing for her kid’s dad. But she probably needed to let it go.

XXX

Jennifer Dugray was not a single mother, Jason thought. Single mothers were fully responsibility for their child because the deadbeat father was absent. Jason Stiles was not a deadbeat dad. He was here, doing everything he could for Xavier—and Jenny. The three of them spent a lot of time together, because they were a family and that’s what families did.

And she was wrong. They did spontaneous things even though they had a kid. Just last week they took Xavier to see a movie and stopped for ice cream after—totally unplanned. And just because Jason had Xavier over for the weekend didn’t mean she couldn’t join them. She did all the time. They weren’t a divorced couple who couldn’t stand to be in the same room. It threw Jason for a loop when this was pointed out to him by a recently divorced dad. Their kids were friends, and Jason was invited to poker night. He was game, so he went.

“Have you always gotten along so well with your ex?”

Jason didn’t even know who the man was referring to at first. He didn’t think of Jennifer as his ex, so it was weird for someone else to put her in that context. He frowned down at his cards. “Oh, we aren’t divorced. We were never married.” He meant it as a correction. Jenny wasn’t his ex-wife, she was his best friend.

But the other man took Jason’s answer as an explanation and nodded. “Ah.”

Great, Jason had thought, now he was going to have to explain to Xavier that his parents weren’t married, nor divorced. Because looking around the divorced dad’s apartment, it was strikingly similar to Jason’s. He didn’t want Xavier making the wrong connection there.

He liked having people who cared about him, and they were more important to him than anyone ever had been. He had someone to tell when he got promoted at work. He never had anyone to share that with before, but now that he did, he liked it. The three of them had their routine down. Things were going well. Xavier had two parents, like a kid should have. He didn’t need any more.

Everything was going to shift with Jenny dating. Not that Jason hadn’t dated, he had. He dated a couple of women since moving to Seattle. Both were brief, which wasn’t saying much for him. The single moms at the park found him especially attractive. It was odd, and maybe even a little ironic that he was popular among women when he wasn’t interested in them. For one thing, the single moms had kids. Jason happened to be lucky, getting an awesome kid. But that didn’t mean he was eager to spend time with other people’s children.

In the three years since he moved there, he and Jenny had their moments where it seemed like something could happen, just for the moment to pass, or more likely for it to be stopped in its tracks. It sucked that she wouldn’t date him, but her reasoning was solid. So he had to respect that. The last time they accidentally kissed—he had a momentary self-control issue and just did what he felt like doing—he was the one to remember he wasn’t supposed to be doing that, and pulled away before she could.

Not too long ago—the week of Xavier’s sixth birthday—Jason drove Jenny home after she had some dental work done. She was loopy from the drugs and needed his assistance getting changed and back into bed. After he had the covers pulled up around her and was about to leave, she asked rather helplessly, “Will you ever want to marry someone?”

The question made his heart pound, and the scary part wasn’t just what she asked, but her tone. She had told him she couldn’t let herself get her hopes up, but she did anyway. It sounded like that hope was waning. It gave him a panicky feeling. He’d turned back, not having any idea how he was going to respond, but she was sound asleep. As far as he could tell, she didn’t remember it later.

A couple months ago his mother told him about Lorelai Gilmore’s divorce from Christopher Hayden. Emily had been so happy for the family to be together after all this time. It was 20 years later than she’d hoped, but better late than never. Jason didn’t know why she would want Chris Hayden for a son-in-law, but he never had figured out Emily Gilmore.

He knew the childhood sweethearts had been married a few months. Jenny subscribed to the Currant to keep up with the goings-on back home, and there was a notice in the paper. He half expected his mother to mention how nice it was for the family to be together, dropping a passive aggressive hint. However, she didn’t. It wasn’t until the end of the Gilmore-Hayden marriage that she wondered aloud if Christopher had waited too long. Too much time had passed for them to make it work. Jason argued that there were probably other factors—such as Chris’s prolonged absence, or his general ineptness.

There was a silent pause, then he added, “I’m not Chris Hayden.” He wasn’t sure if he was telling her or himself, but he meant it in every sense.

Jason was on edge these days. Life had been going smoothly, and now it was starting to grind uncomfortably. Jenny was dating some guy for the past month because he reminded her he was there to co-parent. Good job, Digger. He regretted pointing it out to her as soon as he said it, which wasn’t to say she shouldn’t date. He couldn’t believe she went so long. He knew he had no right to be upset. But he was. She was out on a fourth date with a guy who wasn’t Jason, and he didn’t like it. Plus, unless she changed her rule, he knew what happened on the next date.

“Where’s your backpack?” he asked Xavier Sunday morning, checking the kitchen table and chairs.

The boy looked around, frowning. He ran to his bedroom and came back a couple minutes later. “I can’t find it.”

“You need it for school tomorrow.” Jason checked the time. It wasn’t too early, Jenny should be up by now, he thought anxiously. He was driving her to the airport later that day. She was headed back east for a family emergency. It wasn’t an emergency by normal standards—no one was sick or dying. Her cousin was just MIA after losing millions of dollars a few weeks ago. Her uncle asked that she be there for the damage control.

“I think I left it at home,” Xavier said.

At home. That phrase bothered Jason more than it should. No matter how much time his son spent here, it was still just ‘Daddy’s house,’ not home. Home was with Mommy, not that Jason could blame him. His divorced-dad apartment was not cool, and no flat screen TV could change that.

“We’ll have to go get it, “Jason said. “We can make your mom breakfast while we’re there.”
Jenny was surprised to see them when she opened the door to find them on the other side. And not good surprised. She frowned at Jason and asked what they were doing there.

“Xavier forgot his backpack,” he answered. “And since I’m driving you to the airport later anyway, it works out.”

Xavier squeezed through and headed to his room, so she had to let Jason in too. Her glare turned icy when he glanced around the living room and kitchen.

“Have you eaten yet? I’ll make you breakfast.”

“What are you doing?” Jenny asked, her brows lowering further somehow. She followed him into the kitchen.

“I’m going to make you breakfast,” he answered, opening her refrigerator. “You haven’t eaten today, so I’m feeding you.”

“No, what are you doing?” she asked again, more forcefully. “You could have gotten his backpack later this afternoon and you know that. Why are you here now?”

He opened his mouth to come up with an explanation he didn’t have—or didn’t want to say out loud.

Jenny crossed her arms and shook her head. “You do not get to come over here the day after I go on a date to check in on me—to make sure I’m home alone.”

“That’s not—”

“Don’t lie, I saw you look around. Whether or not I stay at my own house or bring a date back here is none of your business.”

“I think it is my business if you’re going to have a strange man in your house, where my son might see him.” That was the wrong thing to say, he could tell right away.

She shot daggers at him. “You need to go.” She pointed at the door.

“What about your flight?”

“I’ll get myself to the airport,” she said. “The nanny will bring Xavier back to your house tonight. Now go home, Digger.”

He flinched. Jenny never called him that, she knew he hated it. She even told his dad to stop calling him that at Xavier’s last birthday. It was in front of his family, and she just said, “Stop calling him Digger, Floyd. I don’t like it.” Now she was looking at Jason like she didn’t like him.

Regretting his overstep, he turned to go without another word.

Chapter Text

Jason’s phone rang in the middle of the night, startling him awake. “Hello?”

He blinked a few times and looked to the other side of the bed, where Xavier was sound asleep. He was clutching his favorite stuffed animal—a plush tiger Jennifer’s father had given him when he was born. Sometimes he came to sleep in Jason’s bed because he had a bad dream, or got scared at night. Other times he just wanted to sleep in here, for no other reason than to be near his dad. Jason couldn’t really say no. It usually resulted in him getting kicked awake a couple times during the night, but as long as the boy was okay, he could fall back asleep.

“What the hell is your problem?” the caller asked as greeting.

Jason frowned and switched the phone to his other ear. “At the moment, it’s harassment from anonymous phone callers in the middle of the night. Who is this?”

“Tristan.”

Jason sat up and squinted at the clock. “Do you have any idea what time it is here?” Dumb question, it was probably intentional. He quietly got out of bed and left the room.

“I just talked to Jennifer. She’s unhappy and it’s your fault,” Tristan said, ignoring the question.

“She got there okay? She didn’t call me, she usually calls when she gets there.”

“I have to let you in on a secret, Digger.”

“It’s Jason.”

“I am not invested in your happiness, at all. I’m only care about Jennifer and Xavier,” Tristan said. “You do not get to make her feel bad for dating. I know for a fact you’ve been with women while she was raising your kid all by herself.”

“Hey, I get that you hate me for that, but I didn’t know I had a son. And I’ve been making up for that for the last three years,” Jason said. “Is Brody around? He’s more reasonable and I like him a lot better than you.”

“Nope, he isn’t here,” Tristan said. “It’s just me.”

“I’ve always thought it was a shame Jenny has such a punk kid for a younger brother.”

“At least I’m only 22. You’re a punk and you’re pushing 40,” Tristan said. “If you don’t have feelings for Jennifer or aren’t attracted to her, that’s fine. But you can’t to decide you like her now just because she’s dating someone else.”

“I did not just decide,” Jason said. He stood in the dark kitchen, not sure where he wanted to be for this conversation. He didn’t like that he was having it at all.

Tristan went on, “I know you might prefer more exciting women now. Jennifer’s never made out with her kid’s teacher in the middle of the school day, and she probably never will. She isn’t that kind of girl.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Jason asked. “Xavier’s kindergarten teacher is a woman, and I know Jennifer likes men.” He shook his head. “I didn’t just decide anything.

She won’t date me, and she has good logic backing her up.”

“As much as I’d like to believe that, she would date you, and you know it.”

“You think I haven’t tried? She turned me down.”

Doubtfully, Tristan asked, “Why?”

“Because I’m her kid’s dad.” When Tristan was silent, Jason went on, “And I run away from relationships after five months. The one time I didn’t, I had no idea I wouldn’t be able to think of any reason to breakup. So I have no way of knowing what would happen with Jenny.”

“Digger, this is why you’re a punk,” Tristan said. “You already dated my sister. Why were you going to dump her back then?”

“I don’t know, she moved before the itch came over me. Although, if I’d known about your family, that probably would have done it.”

Tristan muttered, “I hate you so much.” Then he said, “You can’t take them seriously. Why is five months your threshold?”

“I don’t know, it’s a subconscious thing.”

“Well, consciously think about it.”

Jason did for a minute. “Dating is fine and fun at first—you flirt, you go to dinner, you—.” He stopped.

“I know how Xavier got here,” Tristan said.

“Right. So that’s all good, but if the relationship goes on much longer, more is expected.”

“Like what?” Tristan asked impatiently. “Marriage and kids?”

“Well yeah, that’s generally what women want.”

“But with you?”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “Yes, with me. I don’t want to lead anyone on.”

Tristan considered this for a moment. “I thought you dated Jennifer for six months.”

“No, it was four,” Jason argued. “Then she moved. You must be thinking of the functions we went to when we first met.”

“That didn’t count toward her time?”

Jason contemplated it. “No, there’s no pressure when you’re friends. It didn’t count.”

“Whatever. So if you dated her again, would she get five new months or would she just finish out the one month she didn’t get before?”

“I don’t know. But you pose some good questions.”

Exasperated, Tristan finally said, “You’ve been there three years, and Jennifer already had your kid.”

“That’s true.”

“She already knows if she wants to marry you, and I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“What?” Jason frowned. “Did she say that? She told you she doesn’t want to marry me?” Tristan was messing with him, he knew, just trying to rile him up. Except Jenny probably figured out he was a lost cause.

“I can’t tell you what she said specifically, we have brother-sister confidentiality. If she did, then you’re off the hook.” Tristan said, “You don’t have to think up any excuses if you’re afraid of a long term commitment to them. Feel better?”

Jason was paralyzed speechless. The panicky feeling was back. It was a pressure bearing down on his chest.

“That covers all I had to say,” Tristan said somewhat awkwardly at the continued silence. “If you’re having trouble thinking of the perfect graduation present for me, I won’t turn down a car.”

The call ended, and Jason didn’t know what to do with himself. He wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep, and not only because it was nearly dawn. He went over to the couch and sat down with a heavy sigh.

He must have wakened Sirius when he was talking to Tristan, because the dog was now sitting in front of the fireplace, looking at Jason expectantly. He signaled for the dog to come over to the couch, which Sirius was happy to do. He rubbed the dog’s head behind his ears and said, “You’ve changed.” He used to be such a good and quiet little dog. Now he was a whiner. Whenever Sirius’s boy wasn’t here to shower him with love and affection, he whined. The dog never would have been allowed on the couch before. And here he was now, living the high life.

Tristan was right, Jason had been here three years without ever looking for an escape. He had responsibilities, it never occurred to him to run from them. In the recesses of his mind, he vaguely recalled that an aversion to the idea of anyone being dependent on him. Jenny could obviously cope without him just fine, but he liked helping her whenever he could. He wanted her to come to him when she needed something. And it was really nice knowing she’d do the same for him, even if it involved flying across the country.

Jason sat like that until Xavier walked into the room, bleary eyed and still holding his tiger. When he sat down on the couch, Sirius abandoned Jason to crawl over to his preferred Stiles.

In five months, it would be October. Xavier would start first grade and probably grow a little taller. He seemed to do it overnight. One day he was going to wake up and be the one asking for a car and Jason wasn’t going to know where the time went. He already didn’t know. But he knew he would be here for it—both the first grade and the driving lessons.

Oh.

He needed a convincing way to prove it. Reassuring words didn’t seem like enough. He had to make his intentions very clear. And now.

Jason looked over at his son. “Do you want to go car shopping with me?”

XXX

Jennifer was gone for a week. Jason texted her before she got in, making sure he was still picking her up from the airport. It was with relief that she said yes. But there was a follow-up message. She needed to talk to him. He couldn’t sleep her last night away, worried about whatever it was she had to talk about. He needed to talk to her too, but he didn’t preface it with an anxiety inducing warning.

He and Xavier waited at the baggage claim on the day of her arrival, the boy watching for his mother’s luggage, Jason watching for the woman herself. He felt like it was an eternity before she appeared. She knelt down to hug her son and then stood up to face Jason. He handed her flowers.

“What’s this?” she asked with a frown.

“It’s an apology—for barging in last week. I was a jerk.”

“Oh, yeah, you were. Thank you.”

Xavier pulled on her hand. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Jenny let him lead her away, Jason following with her suitcase. “What did you guys do this week?” she asked.

“I went to school and we got some stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“You’ll see,” he said excitedly, pulling her to walk faster.

In the parking lot, she tried to steer him away from a black Mercedes he was going towards. “Where are you going?”

“To our new car.” He asked Jason, “Can I press the button?”

“Sure,” Jason said, handing over the remote.

Jenny frowned at him. “Was there something wrong with your car?”

“Yeah, it was too small.”

Xavier pressed the trunk button and smiled widely. “Look Mommy, I got a bike!”

She looked into the trunk and saw a small black bicycle. “Cool, and it’s the same color as Daddy’s new car.”

“I know.”

Jason put her suitcase in and shrugged. “I thought we could both get new wheels.”

“I see. It’s like the Grand Canyon in there,” she said of the trunk.

“Look, it doesn’t have training wheels,” Xavier said, pointing at his bike. “Those are for little kids.”

“And you’re so big.”

“Yup.”

She tilted her head toward Jason to forcefully whisper, “He’s my baby, and he always will be.” Then she said, “You guys got cool stuff and I just got flowers?”

“No, we got you stuff too,” Xavier said. He looked at Jason and his hand flew to his mouth, covering a smile.

Jason shook his head. “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it.” He opened the passenger side seat for Jenny before going to his side.

She twisted around to look at Xavier in the backseat. “Wow, I could cross my legs back there.”

“And read the paper,” Jason added. As he drove, he felt her eyes on him. She either got the message, or was wondering if he was sending one.

Once they were inside her apartment, Xavier asked, “Can I give Mommy her present now?”

Jason reached to check his pocket and nodded. “Yeah—yes. Go get it.”

While the boy ran down the hallway to his room, she opened the refrigerator. “Can you stay for dinner?”

He pulled her away from the appliance, closing the door. “Actually, could I talk to you?”

She paled. “I thought we could eat first.”

He shook his head. “No, it can’t wait.”

She sighed. “Fine. Let’s sit,” she said, leading him to the living room sofa. She looked at him seriously, but he rushed to talk before her.

“I need to go first.”

“First?”

“Yes. I have something I have to say and it can’t wait. It’s important.”

She frowned. “Oh, all right. What is it?”

“I don’t want you to date other men.” Her frown turned confused, and then annoyed. He held up his hand and kept going, “Because I want us to be together. I want to take you out to dinner tonight, just us. And at the end of the night when we kiss I don’t want you to pull away, and I don’t want to either.”

Jenny softened, but still looked concerned. Xavier returned then, handing her a long black velvet box. She accepted it and asked, “This is from you?”

“Yes. I picked it out. Open it.”

She glanced at Jason before looking down and prying open the box. “Oh my,” she said, lifting a diamond necklace. “It’s beautiful.” She hugged Xavier and thanked him, though her eyes were on Jason. “You really picked it out?”

“He has a knack for it,” Jason said.

Xavier pulled away from his mother. “It had to match Daddy’s.”

“Match his what?” she asked.

“His present for you.”

“Blabbermouth, shh,” Jason said quickly, putting a finger to his lips. “I haven’t gotten to that part yet.” He turned his attention back to Jennifer. “I know it seems like I’m just jealous because you’re dating—which I am, but that isn’t why I want to go out with you.”

Her eyes were starting to water. “It isn’t?”

“No, Jennifer, I love you. I want to be in a relationship with you.” He pulled a small black box out of his pocket. “This is for you, it matches the necklace.”

She stared at it. “What’s that?”

“What do you think it is?”

She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but couldn’t find the words, or was afraid to guess wrong.

“That’s what it is.”

She weakly asked, “Earrings?”

“Nope,” Xavier said smugly. He put his hand up next to his mother’s ear, “It’s a—”

“Hey,” Jason said, grabbing the boy’s arm and pulling him over. “What are you doing?”

“I want to tell her what it is.”

“We talked about this, remember? You said you wouldn’t tell.” He added, “She knows what it is.”

Xavier looked to Jenny, brow arched. “You do?”

She nodded, and then frowned when Jason re-pocketed the box without opening it. “What are you doing?”

“Putting it away. I’m not giving it to you today. That would be crazy.” He was giving it to her in October, which seemed far away. He asked, “So will you go to dinner with me tonight?”

She asked Xavier, “Could you go to your room and let me talk to your dad?”

Crap, Jason thought. That could not be good.

After the boy reluctantly left them, Jenny looked at him desperately for a moment. Then, “Jason, my cousin is out.”

His brows moved together and he took a second to switch gears. “Still? I thought he came back from Las Vegas.”

“He did. He came into the office, and he wasn’t fazed by all the lawyers, but when he saw me and found out why I was there, he looked hurt,” she said. “I could see in his face, the realization that there was always a backup plan. I felt kind of bad for him. He looked at his dad and said he couldn’t work for him anymore. Then he calmly walked out.”

“I started a trend,” Jason said. “So what does that mean for you?”

She exhaled and looked down at her hands for a second. “It means I’m on a five year plan and Mom told me to move back. They’re expecting me in two weeks.”

“Oh.”

“I’m going to let Xavier stay to finish out the school year . . . and then move him,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry for anything,” Jason said. “Is that all?”

“Well, yeah.”

He put his hand to his heart. “Thank God. Where did we land on dinner tonight? You still haven’t answered.”

She stared at him. “What’s the point?”

He frowned and pulled the black box out of his pocket. “I thought this was the point.” Her eyes followed the box as he put it in his pocket again.

“But, did you hear what I said?”

“Yes—moving back home, five year plan.”

“Aren’t you mad? I’m taking Xavier and going back to Connecticut. So you won’t see him as much.”

He frowned. “I’ll see him as much as usual—probably more if you agree to dinner.”

“How will you see him more if he’s on the other side of the country?”

“I’m not going to be on the other side of the country,” Jason argued. “I’ll be on the same side.”

She blinked a few times. “You would have to move. Are you moving?”

“You just said we are.”

“You’re coming with us?”

“Aren’t I? I’m here because of you guys. Why would I stay without you?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but words didn’t come out immediately. “You work here, so, there’s your job.”

He waved a hand. “I’m trying to marry rich if you hadn’t noticed.”

She stifled a laugh and bit down a smile.

“No, there are other jobs. I’ll get a new one, or I’ll just transfer.”

“So we’re all moving,” she stated, letting it sink in. “All three of us.”

“Yup. I’ll call the movers in the morning. Now, are we going to dinner or what?” he asked. “I already talked to the nanny, so she’ll be here soon. I realize that may have been presumptuous, especially now that you’re withholding your answer.” He muttered, “Tristan was right. I hate that.”

“What was he right about?”

“You already know whether or not you want to marry me. And this is your long and drawn out way of saying you don’t.”

“Tristan doesn’t know anything.”

“So that’s a yes, we’re going out?”

“Yes. I’ll go to dinner with you.”

The weight lifted from his shoulders. He smiled at her. “Okay, I have to go home and change, but I’ll be back in an hour to pick you up.

“In your sexy family car?”

His brows shot up. “That’s what I drive now, yes.”

“You’re so practical,” she said, looking at him like she was about to kiss him. “I don’t have anything provocative to wear,” she said. “But that will only serve as misdirection.”

Chapter Text

Jason and Jennifer sat at a table outside a café with a stroller parked between them. A breeze rustled the orange leaves in the trees, blowing a few onto their table. Xavier picked them up and examined them before tossing them on the ground. He hopped up to rush over to the stroller.

“What are you doing?” Jenny asked.

“I saw some leaves fall in. I’m getting them out,” he explained. He was wearing an overcoat, which wasn’t odd at the moment, as they were outside. But he wore it inside as well. It didn’t matter what he was doing—eating, watching television, playing in his room. He had on the overcoat. Jenny didn’t even know where it came from. He just seemed to have found it in the back of his closet one day and put it on for the long haul.

Why don’t you take off your coat and stay a while, she would ask him. He preferred to keep it on.

“You’re such a tentative big brother,” she told him when he went back to his seat. “Are you finished with your breakfast?”

“Yeah. Can I have more juice? I’m still thirsty.”

“All right, I could go for some more too,” she said. She asked Jason, “Do you want more coffee?”

He sat down the newspaper down so he could lift his cup. “Yes, please. Do you want to split a muffin?”

“Sure.” She looked at their son to ask him to come help carry it all. She followed him inside the café and placed their order. A woman came in behind them and took her turn when they’d moved to the side to wait. She had dark brown hair and dazzling blue eyes. Jenny recognized the woman from her large engagement announcement a couple years prior. She had taken a close look, knowing exactly who Lorelai Gilmore was.

Floyd mentioned her on occasion. Jenny wasn’t sure if it was to make her crazy, or if he was just making conversation about his colleague’s daughter. Considering it was Floyd, she assumed it was the former, which wasn’t to say it wasn’t perfectly good gossip. She’d be lying if the femme fatale didn’t intimidate her. Jason hadn’t wanted to breakup with Lorelai Gilmore.

Jenny had to remind herself there were flaws in his logic. He wasn’t as mature as he thought he was at the time. There had actually been more than one notice of matrimonial news about the woman. It would seem she had some difficulty settling down. It was silly to worry that Lorelai was ever serious about Jason. If anything, their commitment fears fit together comfortably.

At the counter, Lorelai was talking a mile a minute, explaining why she really needed something that wasn’t openly available at the moment. She pleaded and asked for an exception to be made for her until the man behind the register stuck his head in the back to ask someone else. When he returned with something in a brown paper bag, Lorelai was all charm and smiles.

Xavier turned to hold Jenny’s arm with both hands, bringing her back to the present. “Can I get some coffee?”

“Mm, why don’t you ask Dad for a ship of his and see if you like it first.”

His shoulders quickly dropped and he pouted. Jenny mirrored the face back at him.

Nearby, Lorelai watched the interaction. She commented, “I think my daughter was up to a half a pot a day by the time she was his age.”

Jenny looked up at her, offering a modest smile. “That sounds very grown up for a seven year old.”

“She’s actually always been the grown up between the two of us. Now she’s an actual grown up. She just turned twenty-four. She has a real job and everything—she’s been following Obama’s campaign for an online magazine,” Lorelai said proudly. “She’s a big time journalist now.”

“Exciting.” Jenny opened her mouth to mention her brother was the same age, but she was cut off.

“It really is,” Lorelai said, blue eyes shining. “Everyone—and I mean literally everyone who knows her—we all knew she was going to go out in the world and do great things, and now she is. She’s doing it.” Lorelai smiled in amazement of her daughter.

Jenny said, “The campaign is ending soon. Does she know what she’s going to do next?”

“She’s keeping her options open,” Lorelai said with a smile. “But she won’t have any problem finding her next adventure. With a national campaign under her belt, any newspaper editor with half a brain will be clamoring for her to come write for them. I’m going to be beating them off my front porch, I’m sure. I’m investing in a big stick, actually.”

That wasn’t the reality in the journalism world, Jenny knew, but she forced a tight smile and held her tongue. “Well, wish her luck.”

“She won’t need any, but thank you.”

When Lorelai’s smaller order was finished first, she picked up her coffee cup and looked down at the name that was scribbled on the side. She smiled tightly. “You almost spelled my name right, too.”

Jenny glanced at the cup, seeing ‘Lorelei’ in black marker. The woman went over to the counter where the sugar and creamer were located.

“Stiles,” the barista called, setting a cup tray on the counter, along with a muffin on a plate.

Lorelai had been mid-sip, but stopped and coughed. She looked around to see who answered to the order and covered her mouth as she coughed a few more times.

“Are you okay?” Jenny asked as she and Xavier joined her at the counter.

“Oh, yeah. I just heard your name and thought you were someone I know. But I was wrong—different Stiles.” Lorelai didn’t stop there. “Unless you got a sex change.”

Jenny frowned slightly, wondering if she really just said that. “No sex change. I’m not Jason.”

“Jason Stiles, right. Are you related to him?”

“Kind of.” Jenny ripped open a pink packet and took off the lid of Jason’s coffee to stir in the sweetener.

Lorelai looked at Xavier again, more closely now. He was pulling more napkins than necessary from the dispenser. Her brow creased as she tilted her head. “Wow, he looks just like Jason.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh I remember, he has a nephew. You must be married to his brother.”

“No, but you’re getting warmer,” Jenny answered, picking up the tray and heading for the door. Xavier went first, backing into the door since his hands were full, and held it open for her. He politely stayed in place to allow Lorelai to follow before he went ahead to their table.

Lorelai saw Jason accept the muffin and shifted her gaze back to Jenny. “Oh. You’re married to Jason.”

“I am, since last December. We dated previously,” she added, providing the only explanation for their older son, not wanting it to sound like a cheap soap opera plot. At the sound of a baby starting to cry, Jenny looked over quickly. Jason peered into stroller and lifted the baby out, cradling her in his left arm.

It was on that first date that Jason had asked, “How many kids do you want?” He was browsing his menu and asked as though inquiring if she wanted to order an appetizer.

“What?” she’d asked, surprised.

He lifted his gaze then to repeat the question, and added, “Please don’t say four.”

She smirked. “So five? I get it, you’re fertile, that doesn’t mean you have to show off.”

He nodded with a grin and took a sip of wine.

She thought about it and said, “Two.”

“Two more, or two total?”

“Total.”

“So only one more. That sounds reasonable.”

Intrigued, she asked, “Are you going to change diapers?”

He leveled a look at her. “If I say I don’t know how, will that get me out of it?”

“Has it ever before?”

“No.”

She grinned slowly. “That’s right.”

At the sight of the baby’s light pink onesie and white cap, Lorelai’s eyes softened. She stated, “You have a baby girl.”

“Yes we do. She’s almost three months old.”

“You didn’t waste any time,” Lorelai commented.

Jenny smiled warmly over at her family. Their table was under the branches of a couple trees that lined the sidewalk, the orange leaves swirling around a bit. It was a nice day for fall, sunny though cool enough to pull her tweed blazer over her cable knit sweater. It still wasn’t cold enough for a damn overcoat—fully buttoned!

Jason said something to Xavier, and the boy pointed to the two women. His eyes found Jenny first, and then they shifted to Lorelai. He waved in surprise at his ex-girlfriend, and she smiled and waved back. When the baby fussed again, he turned his attention back to her, reaching for a pacifier from the stroller.

“Uh—wow,” Lorelai said, still shocked by the sight of Jason Stiles sitting at a table with small children. “You have a beautiful family.”

“Thank you. I should get back,” Jenny said, holding up the tray of drinks.

“Oh, right, of course,” Lorelai said.

Jenny walked over and reclaimed her seat.

Jason glanced up at her and accepted his coffee. “What did you talk to Lorelai about?”

“Not too much. She did most of the talking.”

He nodded and looked back at their daughter, adjusting the blanket around her little legs. “That sounds right.”

She looked over at Xavier. “Did you ask him?”

“Ask me what?”

He looked at his dad. “Can I try your coffee? I can have some if I like it.”

“Absolutely. Here you go.” Jason handed over his fresh cup. He and Jenny both watched their son take a drink. His nose scrunched up and he reluctantly swallowed.

“Do you like it?” Jenny asked, poorly hiding her smile.

Xavier was still for a second, before slowly nodding.

Jason asked, “Do you want a whole cup?”

The boy lifted his head to nod again, but then shook his head instead.

Jason took his cup back. “You probably like yours black.”

Once recovered, Xavier asked, “Daddy, what’s a sex change?”

Both adults stared at him. The corner of Jenny’s mouth quirked up.

Jason asked, “Where did you hear about—?” He closed his eyes for a second, pained. “Lorelai?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jenny said. “She tried really hard to work out who I am. I’m almost sure wife was going to be her third guess. Now, the boy asked a question.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Go ahead.”

Fin