Beautiful Mistakes

While they ate, Julie talked about her paper, the obscene amount of studying college students were expected to do, and she mixed in just a bit of complaining about Jack, who was completely unconcerned with her education.

"I know he doesn't understand, and he isn't intentionally insulting me or annoying me, but I feel like his blatant disregard for what I'm doing is sort of a blatant disregard of me, too." She shook her head. "I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe I'm anal. He does tell me sometimes that I'm too anal."

Matt smiled, shaking his head. "I don't think you're anal, I think you value the education that you're spending your time and money on, and I think that's completely respectable. I have more respect for you than someone who spends all that money on college and then neglects to put in any effort."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Nobody understands that. I was beginning to think I was alone in the world."

"Well, if you are, I guess we're alone together. I always took my studies seriously—maybe not quite as seriously as you, but still."

"I want to make the Dean's List," she confided, then smiled, blushing slightly. "That probably sounds dorky. Jack tells me I'm a dork, but I do."

Shaking his head, Matt said, "I'm sorry, but your boyfriend sounds like a real jerk to me."

She thought it was probably disloyal, but she couldn't make herself defend Jack. "He's… very self-involved, but most people are. He’s a little narcissistic. He has no patience for topics that he doesn't care about or personally believe in, and pretty much a general disregard for anything that doesn't concern him. My college experience, for example. If he went to my school and had my classes, he might care a little bit, but since he doesn't, he doesn't want to hear about it."

"As I said," he responded, using his fork to cut his last ravioli in half.

As if sensing that he was being talked about, Julie's cell phone started ringing and she picked it up to see Jack's cell number. Sighing unintentionally she started to answer the phone, but hesitated with it halfway to her ear.

"I'll call back after dinner," she decided, pushing ‘ignore’ on her phone and slipping it back into her pocket.

Anna was rubbing her eyes, making them all red, and she was starting to get fussy.

Julie automatically stood, walking over and lifting Anna out of her high chair. "Let's get you changed for bed, then we'll read a story. You want to pick out a story?"

Anna didn't answer, just rested her little head on Julie's shoulder.

"Do you want me to take her up?" Matt asked, getting to his feet. "You're not even on duty, you don't have to do that."

"I don't mind," Julie said. Even though she wasn’t technically on the clock and Anna was his daughter, she always felt awkward letting Matt do the things that were part of her job description when she was there. She felt like he would think she wasn’t doing her job or something—he might wonder what he paid her for.

"Well, okay. I can just clear the table. Did you want seconds?" he asked.

"Oh no, I'm full. Thank you."

"No problem," he said, leaning in and kissing Anna on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, baby."

She smiled sleepily at him before closing her eyes.

"I'll be back soon," Julie said with a smile.

Anna was asleep by the third page of her bedtime story, so Julie tucked her into bed and listened to her voice mail from Jack before going back downstairs.

"I'm home," he stated without greeting. "You're not, of course. Obviously you know that, since I called your cell phone. Uh, if you're going to be home soon, give me a call. If not… call me anyway. If you don't call soon, I'm probably just going to leave, so maybe you can get me on my cell. I didn't realize you were working so late," he added. "Well, call me. Later."

She flipped her phone shut, a little annoyed, and decided not to rush and call him back. She slipped the phone back in her pocket and went downstairs, figuring she should probably gather up her stuff and get going. Since she had accomplished so much on her paper, she didn't feel a bit guilty about no more studying for the night. She should probably try to catch Jack before he left so he didn't go out and do something stupid.

Not that she should have to babysit him, she thought with irritation. He wasn’t a one year old; he should be able to be trusted to look after himself.

"Whoa, what did that book do to you?" asked Matt.

Julie looked up in surprise, not even realizing he had followed her down the hall. He was standing framed in the doorway, a half smile on his face.

She attempted to get the annoyed look off her face and handle her books with a little less violence. "The book didn't do anything."

"Then whose face are you picturing on the cover?" he returned with a grin.

She had a mental image of Jack's face on the cover of her book, and in her daydream it was pinned up on the wall and she was throwing darts at it.