He swallowed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “It was my mother, Daphne.” His voice was flat. “It was my fucking mother.”
I stared at him, taken aback and unable to comprehend what he was saying. “Your mother is trying to reach out to you?”
He didn’t answer.
“For how long?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
I took a step toward him, but he moved away from me, almost as if he didn’t want me to touch him.
“I don’t understand, Jason. Why won’t you talk to her?”
“I don’t want to have this conversation,” he snapped.
I swallowed. I’d hit a nerve, but I didn’t know how to let it go.
“She’s your mother.”
“No, actually, she’s just the woman who gave birth to me.” A look of anger crossed his features. “Not every mother was like yours, Daphne. Not every mother cares enough to pen a heartfelt goodbye to her only child. Some of them just walk away without so much as a goodbye.”
I bristled. “I didn’t share my mother’s letter with you so you could throw her words in my face in an argument.”
“Are we arguing? Over my mother?” He rubbed at his temples. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Daphne. I’m just…not interested in talking to a woman who abandoned me.”
“But she wants to talk to you, and it’s probably something important.” I couldn’t understand it, or him. If I had a chance to talk to my mother, I would…I would take it without a thought.
He went to the door and held it open for me. “I don’t want to talk about this,” he said. “Just…go back to sleep.”
I wanted to argue, but Jason’s face told me the subject depressed him, so I went back to bed. I couldn’t go back to sleep, though. I was pissed at him for closing the door on any discussion about his relationship with his mother. I’d convinced myself we shared everything, and it was a blow to find out he was keeping something from me.
He didn’t come back to bed, and after a while, I sent Amy a message to see if she was awake.
You up?
Yes. What’s up? Are you okay? Is Jason okay?
Yes, we’re fine.
Okay good. It’s three o’clock in the morning, Daphne.
Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I just really need to ask you something.
Fire away.
What do you know about Jason’s mother?
Her replies had been coming fast, but after my question, the typing signal didn’t come on for a long while. When it finally did, it took a minute before she sent the message.
Whatever you do, Daphne, don’t go there. I can’t imagine there’s a subject that hurts Jason as much as that of his mother.
I sighed. I already have. She left him a message, and he’s refusing to talk to her. I just want to know why, and he’s not talking.
Give it time. I’m sure he’ll tell you when he’s ready.
Give it time.
Jason didn’t come back to bed, and after waiting and waiting, I finally fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a note on the nightstand telling me he had left early for work.