How Far Should You Go To Help A Friend?

I was sitting in the kitchen looking at the picture of Jenna that Heather gave Jordan; I was trying to see if she looked either bit like Heather. Besides the blond hair, Jenna looks like Jordan.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Jordan asked as he leaned in over my shoulder and looked at the picture.

I nodded, “She’s very pretty. So are you ready to go?”

“No,” Jordan took the picture from me. “I don’t want to go over there at all; I’m not looking forward to it. But,” he turned the picture around and pointed to it. “Jenna isn’t a dirty secret; I want everyone to know she’s my daughter.”

“That’s good Jordan,” I hugged him. “And you never know, maybe it won’t be as bad as you think it will be.”

He laughed as he followed me to the front door, “Yeah I’m sure my father will just be so proud of me that he’ll suddenly be nice.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

I wish I could say that the even started out good but it didn’t. We were late. And if there’s one thing Jordan’s dad hates, it’s when people are late. He started in on Jordan as soon as he stepped foot into the house, “Did all the clocks in your house die? You were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago! Dinner is always at 6!” I turned towards the sound of John’s voice; he was standing just beyond the wall so we couldn’t see each other. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

I could tell Jordan wanted to say something to him but he never did. Come on Jordan, stand up for yourself! “I’m sorry,” he said as he looked away from his father.

“You should be!” John snapped, “You know Nick and Amy made it on time, in fact they were early. Amy is eating for two; she shouldn’t be left to starve because you can’t get here on time.”

“And you know that Jordan has to work until 6 John,” I walked up to Jordan and slipped my arm around his waist, I could feel the tension in his body. “He got home as early as he could.” I glared at John, “He could’ve not taken that shower, I guess.”

“Anna!” John smiled at me as he pulled me into a bear hug. “How is my favorite daughter?” He glanced at Jordan, “Boy when are you going to come to your senses and marry this one?”

I felt bad for Jordan, I hated that John treated him like he’s a big disappointment when he was the only one of his children who actually made anything of themselves. Jordan was the only one who went to college, he’s the only one with a trade and he’s the only one who can provide for himself, he doesn’t need to ask his parents for anything. But yet, John treats him like he’s a failure, he always had.

I wanted to give John a piece of my mind but Harriet came out of the kitchen at that moment, “Oh Anna!” She made her way over to me. “Jordan didn’t tell me you were coming with him.”

“That’s because I invited myself,” I lied. They didn’t need to know that he asked me to come to support him.

“Hello Jordan,” his mother gave him a hug and a kiss of the cheek. “I’m so glad that you could join us!”

Harriet told us to go sit in the living room as she pulled John into the kitchen to help her with something. The moment they disappeared Jordan groaned and pulled out the picture of Jenna, “She’s the only reason I’m here.”

“I know Jordy,” I took his hand and we walked into the living room to join Nick and Amy.

When Jordan sat down, Nick started to fire off questions about Jenna. Jordan showed him the picture and told him the same thing he told me last night about reading to her and the bath. He was in the middle of telling Nick about putting her to bed when his parents came back in the room. He snatched the picture out of Nick’s hand and hid it against the arm of the loveseat we were sitting on.

“What’s going on?” John asked as he looked back and forth between the two boys.

“Nothing dad,” Nick said. “We were just talking about work.”

John stared at the both of them for a while, it was clear that he didn’t believe Nick but he wasn’t about to call him a liar; but if it was Jordan who said that he would’ve. “Your mother has dinner ready,” he stated before turning on his heel and heading to the dining room.

Dinner was alright, Harriet wasn’t the best cook in the world but she tried. I guess that’s a good thing. The conversation around the table focused mainly on Amy’s pregnancy, with Harriet putting in her own personal experience. John didn’t say much, he seemed to be a little preoccupied by what was going on in the living room when he walked in because he kept looking back and forth between the boys.

I had finished my dinner and went to reach for another store bought roll when Harriet gasped. “Oh my word Anna,” She glanced back and forth between Jordan and me, “Is there something you two needed to tell us?”

Jordan turned to look at me with a confused look on his face and almost choked when he realized that I was wearing the eternity ring that Josh gave me, on that finger.

“No,” Jordan cried though his coughing.

Everyone stared at me. “What do you mean ‘no’?” His mother leaned in and grabbed my hand. “Honey that looks like an engagement ring to me!”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge grin appear on John’s face. Great, I thought. The first time he even seems to be a little proud of Jordan and it’s not even what they think.

I turned to Jordan; he looked at me over his glass of water. What should I say? Do I lie? I asked him silently.

He put his glass down, his eyes didn’t leave mine. I could tell he saw the look on his father’s face and I knew that he so badly wanted his approval. He cleared his throat and stood up, “Mom, dad.” He paused for a moment and I reached up to take his hand in mine. “Anna and I are….”