Page 27 of Something Like Forever

“It’s fine,” Tim said,kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll be in my studio.”

Ben smiled at him inappreciation. When the house was his alone, he exhaled and shookhis head. He was out of his element. Allison, despite all hersuccess as a counselor, seemed incapable of finding a solutioneither. Although hedidknow someone who dealt with people like Jason on adaily basis. Michelle, Jace’s sister and Emma’s mother. The hourwas late, but she was forgiving. Usually. Ben went upstairs to theoffice before calling her, keeping Jace’s photo near as a good luckcharm.

“Perfectly normal,”Michelle said once Ben had explained everything. “A lot of thesekids are in survival mode for so long that it’s only when they’refinally secure and happy that all the bad stuff comes out. Theycan’t afford to deal with it while still in the midst ofeverything, you know?”

He didn’t, but he wasstarting to get the picture. “When I asked Jason what had changed,he said we shouldn’t have adopted him.”

“Breaks my heart,”Michelle said, not sounding surprised. “It’s sunk in by now that hehas a family again. Jason already knows what it’s like to losesomeone he has romantic feelings for. I saw how upset he was whenthings fell apart with Caesar, and while that devastated him, hebounced back. Losing family… I wasn’t working at the home when hismom died, but I know they couldn’t place him with a new family formonths. He was a wreck.”

“Do you know anydetails?”

“Only what his formercaseworker told me. She wasn’t the nicest person. She advised me tolet him age out of the system, claiming he was too broken tofix.”

Ben grimaced, feeling guilty for being sofirm with Jason earlier, but he didn’t know how else to help him.“So what do I do now?”

“The same as any parent.Smack sense into him with one hand while guiding him with theother. I mean that figuratively, of course. Don’t actually slap himaround, no matter how tempting it might be. He’s too old forspankings, but you can try taking away his toys.”

“If only it were thateasy,” Ben said.

They commiserated a littlelonger before he thanked her and hung up. Then he sat and stared atJace’s photo, trying to imagine What he would do if forced tochoose between his family and the man he loved. No brainer. Benwould have chosen Jace every single time. His family would be finewithout him. They had their own lives, so that decision was easy.Especially now that Ben knew the agony of being without Jace. Asfor Jason, he had lost his mother and assumed that such pain onlycame from losing family, when in truth, it could apply to anyonewho was taken away too soon. Death was the most potent ofheartaches.

He’ll come back for me.

Ben had an idea, one thatdidn’t sit easy with him. Regardless, he still wanted to find outhow the other half of this story was doing, and it wasn’t quite aslate on the West Coast yet. He placed another call, the voice thatanswered sounding concerned.

“Hello?” William said.“Ben? Is everything okay?”

“That’s what I was callingto ask.”

“Oh. I’m all right. How’sJason doing?”

“He’s upset. At himself,mostly.” Ben rested an elbow on the desk and pinched the bridge ofhis nose. “I’m sorry if we got your hopes up. I really thought hewould make the trip.”

“It’s fine,” William saidamiably. “I’m coming home anyway.”

“Jason said you might bevisiting soon.”

“No, I mean for good. Ithink it’s for the best.”

“You can’t quit the CoastGuard,” Ben said.

“I’ll have to finish outthe year, but when that gets close, I’ll talk to my COand—”

“If you aren’t happy, Iunderstand,” Ben cut in, “but if you’re quitting just to be withJason, then you need to think again.”

“He’s more important,”William said firmly.

“More important thansaving lives?”

The line crackled beforethe answer came. “Yes.”

Ben practically tippedbackward in his chair. Talk about dedication! He knew Williamwouldn’t say something like that lightly. This was getting out ofhand! Ben weighed what he needed to do, not liking it but pressingon. “I don’t think you should. In fact, you shouldn’t come home atall. Not even for a visit.”

“Why?” Williamasked.

“Because that’s what it’sgoing to take. We both know Jason’s original plan was the best one.You get to return to active duty, and he gets to broaden hishorizons.”

“Yeah, but what would Itell him?”