Page 34 of Loving Callie
Callie stood in Jake’s arms, tears now streaming down her face and soaking into his shirt. Jake sighed, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, cheeks and finally her mouth. Then he looked deeply into her eyes and said, “I’m giving you space, not because I don’t love you but because I do. I love you enough to know you have got to work this out for yourself. But I’m here, waiting. I’ll always be here.”
Knowing his ability to keep his emotions in check was wearing thin, he turned and strode back to his car, climbed in and drove away. Then, for the first time since Pop died, Jake felt the chill of a tear slowly slide down his own cheek.
Chapter 16
After Jake left, Callie somehow managed to stem the flow of her tears, and was in her bathroom wiping away the last of her makeup. With pajamas on, and her hair in a ponytail she slowly removed the layers of artifice she had painted on before going to the disastrous dinner party.
A knock at her front door had her heart leaping into her throat, as she wondered fleetingly if Jake had returned. But when she opened the door, her tears started flowing once again as she fell into Reagan’s arms.
“Oh honey. Jake just called me and said I needed to get over here right away. He sounded so broken! What happened tonight?” Reagan’s voice was laced with concern, as she folded Callie into a hug.
For a few moments all Callie could do was sob, emotions overflowing within her. She ached with love for Jake as she realized he must have called Reagan from the car, knowing she would need her support tonight. Taking a deep breath, Callie proceeded to tell Reagan what had happened at the dinner party. She shared the insulting words and actions of her mother towards Jake, her guilt building with every gasp of outrage that came from Reagan. Callie was furious with herself, as realization hit her. The heart-breaking loss she was suffering, was her fault.
“…So, then he said he loved me and left, and I guess he called you.” Her voice broke as she felt another piece of her heart fly out of the door after Jake. “What do I do? I don’t want to lose him, but they’re my parents. I don’t know if I’m ready to lose them either.”
Reagan just smiled sadly at her friend, as if she sensed the weight of more than thirty years of guilt pressing down on Callie’s shoulders. “You are the smartest woman I know, Callie Scott. You’re beautiful, independent, and I’ve watched you be strong enough to chase your own dreams of becoming a doctor, despite your parents’ objections. So, tell me why, when it comes to your dreams of love and family, are you so quick to deny yourself the real thing?”
A sad sigh of realization escaped Callie’s body, as the truth of Reagan’s words settled over her in a blanket of painful self awareness. “Because, Reagan, following my dreams may have made me happy, but it also left me lonely. Except for you, no one has ever truly made me feel loved. I suppose I’ve been holding onto some foolish hope that someday, my parents will find a way to love me as their daughter, not an inconvenience. And if marrying the man they choose for me is the only way to make that happen, well then I guess I just haven’t been ready to let go of that chance yet.”
Leaning towards her, Reagan whispered softly, “Honey, Jake loves you as much as I do. Maybe even more.”
Standing up, Reagan pulled Callie into a hug, before moving towards the door, and putting on her jacket. She paused at the front door and turned back to Callie.
“I’m not going to stay any longer. Jake was right about one thing; the answer is in your heart. That means only you can decide what is best for you. Jake can give you all the love that your parents never gave you. It’s not my place to say what you should do, you need to figure that out for yourself. But girl, you’re crazy if you let go of the best man either one of us has ever met, because of false hopes and fantasies. Of course I will love and support you with wine, brownies and hugs no matter what you choose to do. Just please, don’t be crazy.”
* * *
After Reagan left, Callie wandered back to her couch, pulled a blanket over her legs, and sat in the dim silence. Her mind was going a million miles an hour and settling on absolutely nothing. The pain of Jake walking away was still sharp but had been dulled slightly by what Reagan had pointed out.
Jake did love her, and maybe he could be the one to give Callie the love she was missing. Yet the essential question remained. Could she truly, once and for all, give up her long-held desire to win her parents’ approval? Could she give up the only family she had ever known, no matter how cold and dysfunctional it had always been? Eventually Callie moved from the couch to her bed, emotionally exhausted from overthinking everything. When Fred curled up on her chest, the rhythmic sound of his purr helped her to finally fall asleep.
Callie spent much of the next morning hiding in her bed, trying to accept the realization that she had to make a choice between Jake and her parents. Jake and Reagan had both been clear in their opinion that they believed her mother and father would never be capable of seeing her as more than a pawn for their political schemes. Her decision would be so much easier if Callie believed that, but denial was a powerful thing.
Her agonizing thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. With a groan, she saw it was her mother. She regretted answering the second her mother’s arrogant tone filled her ear. However today, there was something different. An unfamiliar thread of excitement was in her mother’s voice.
“Callista darling, you made quite an impact last night at your father’s dinner. I was so relieved to see that you chose to wear that dress, it is so slimming.”
Callie had barely registered the thinly veiled insult, when her mother barreled on ahead before she could say a word.
“I have some exciting news. Joseph approached your father and I after the party last night. He admitted that while your absurd behavior at lunch last week had initially appalled him, he has decided he would be willing to meet with you again. He wishes to take you out for dinner tomorrow night, and I took the liberty of providing him with your phone number and address. He will pick you up at seven o’clock.”
It was a good thing Callie didn’t have a sip of tea in her mouth or she would have sprayed it all over her kitchen she was so shocked by her mother’s statement. She didn’t bother to disguise the anger in her voice as she lashed back at the woman who had treated her like nothing more than chattel.
“What the hell, Mother! It’s bad enough you tried to trick me into a date with a complete stranger once before, but how dare you do it again! Not to mention how can you be so heartless as to totally ignore the fact that you met my boyfriend, Jake, last night? Remember him, you treated him like the hired help?”
Her mother gave a frustrated sigh, before responding in her cold and demanding voice. “Callista Scott, that language will not serve you well, young lady. Obviously your father and I do not think a barman is a suitable partner for someone of your social status. Joseph is a very prominent young man in the Oregon legal system and would be the perfect man to follow in your father’s footsteps. Plus, his family are strong supporters of our campaign. I know that your father’s voters would be very pleased to see you with him at our upcoming campaign events.”
And there it was, just as Jake had said. Callie was nothing more to her parents than a tool to be used to advance their political agenda.
Callie’s mother had no idea of the emotional turmoil swirling through her daughter’s heart, as her voice took on a more decisive tone. “He is picking you up promptly tomorrow evening, Callista. Wear something classy and make sure you have your hair off your face; it is far more elegant that way. You will do this for your father and me. Need I remind you again of your duty to your family? Now I must run. I’m hosting a tea for some of the wives from the country club.”
With a terse goodbye, Laura ended the call. Callie sat motionless, stunned by the way her mother had once again attempted to exert complete control over her life and completely ignored Callie’s feelings.
At last Callie’s answer was clear. She would no longer sacrifice her chance at true love and happiness. Not for two people who clearly did not know the meaning of either emotion. Her future lay with Jake, not with her parents.
* * *
That evening, Callie found herself at Reagan’s house, pacing the floor and fuming over her mother’s attempt to manipulate Callie into being, as Jake had put it, a ‘Stepford Wife’. The time for needing space to think alone was over. Callie now needed the support of her best friend to formulate a plan.
