“Michelle said you were here and since Brent told her the name of his business that night, we looked up the address. You said we had to apologize in person, so here we are.”
Jamie’s talked to her parents? She hadn’t mentioned it to me. “Mother, I said it had to be verbal. You could’ve called.”
“Well, we’re here. Get over it,” Mr. Alexander gruffly tells her. I’m completely positive he doesn’t want to be here.
Mrs. Alexander elbows him in the stomach, but he doesn’t acknowledge her or the hit to the gut. “Is there some place we can sit down?”
“Yeah, we can go to my office.” I lead the way with the three of them following me. They couldn’t have actually come all this way just to apologize to us. I don’t believe it. Not to mention, the weather isn’t the best and it’s the evening. They could’ve waited until the weekend, or as Jamie said, called.
Her parents forgo the couch and take
the two chairs across from my desk. Jamie hesitates for a minute before I grab her hand and lead her to the chair behind my desk. I like that there’s a barrier between us and that this is happening where I’m most comfortable. I decide to stand behind Jamie, my hands resting on the top of the chair.
“Well?” I ask when they don’t speak quick enough for me. Jamie gives me a look of warning, but I dismiss it. Someone had to start the conversation.
“Right,” Mrs. Alexander begins. “We’ve done some thinking and Michelle has explained some things to us. We know we’re a little harder on you, Jamie.”
“A little?” she retorts skeptically.
Mrs. Alexander continues as if Jamie hadn’t spoken at all. “But it’s because we feel as if you need that extra push. You’ve always needed a lot of help and some nudging to succeed, even when you were a little girl.”
“Please don’t go there.” Just like that, the anger slides out of Jamie’s voice and is replaced with a beg. A plea tainting her voice in such a way, I’m not sure I want to hear it ever again.
“Fine, but you know it’s true. Your father and I only want what’s best for you, and Michelle pointed out what we want isn’t always what you want. She also mentioned all of the things we failed to learn about Brent. While we’re still a little worried, we’ve decided to support your decision. We came here to apologize to you both for our behavior that night.”
“Thanks, Mother,” Jamie says quietly.
“And you, Mr. Alexander?” He hasn’t said a word and I want to hear him apologize too. He shouldn’t make his wife do it for him.
He glares at me, and inside, I’m smiling like a cat who caught the canary. “As my wife said, we’re sorry for our actions.”
“Thank you.”
Mrs. Alexander smiles. “Great.” She clasps her hands together. “Now, have you had dinner yet?”
“No. Brent and I were going to grab something on the way home.”
“Good. Then you’ll come eat with us?”
Jamie glances up at me. I want to go with her, but there’s one thing standing in my way. “I promised to have the car finished by morning,” I tell her.
“You’re picking work over my daughter?” Mr. Alexander criticizes with a shake of his head.
“Father!” Jamie exclaims.
“I’m choosing to keep my word,” I correct him.
Jamie turns in the chair and faces me. “How late will you be here if you did go?”
If I hadn’t stopped working when Jamie got here to fool around a little bit in my office, I could probably be done in the next two hours. But we wasted a lot of time. And ‘wasted’ only in the sense that it was time that should’ve been spent working; I honestly don’t care how late I’m here tonight because that time in my office was the best thing that’s ever happened in this room.
“Late enough, but if you want me to go, I’ll go.” I don’t care how late I’ll be here, but everyone else, including Jamie, cares. She can make the decision. Jamie hesitates, so I add, “Say the word, hon.”
She shakes her head. “Stay. I don’t want to add to why you’re here so late. It’s already my fault you’re behind.” She flashes a smile.
“Are you sure?”
“Completely.”