Page 85 of The Long Way Found

"He was such a good-looking boy!" Mrs. Garrison said. She set her glass down, her expression softening with memory.

"Still is," Jack said. "A very handsome man, now."

The Colonel mumbled, "Mm-hmm."

Jack wondered how they could be so nonchalant about Luke, his high school boyfriend. They'd never had a confrontation about it, but still. He decided it was more important to focus on the present and, maybe, the future when talking about Luke.

"I remember him coming by the house that summer before you left,” Mrs. Garrison said. “He was so polite, but you could tell he was carrying something heavy. His mother had just... well, she wasn't very present, was she?"

Jack shook his head. "No. She wasn't."

"I tried to talk to him once," his mother continued. "I asked how he was doing, if he needed anything. He looked so surprised that anyone had noticed." She smiled. "It sounds like he had to find his own way in life, and he did. That's impressive."

"He did," Jack said quietly. "He modeled in Los Angeles and around the world for a few years, and now he runs a successful business. He's done really well."

"How long do you think you'll stay here, Son?" The Colonel asked.

“I don't know yet,” Jack answered. “Hallicks wants a decision. I'm still weighing some options, thinking about my next step."

"You're 42 years old, Son," Jack's father said. "What are you waiting on?"

“Fair question, and I’ll tell you,” Jack said as his thoughts coalesced around his father’s directness and his mother’s warmth. He would try to be as frank and kind as they were.

The Colonel seemed ready to speak again during Jack’s pause, but his mother set her glass down and said, “Let him take his time, dear."

She nodded at Jack and looked at him confidently.

“I’ve had a rocky entry into civilian life here,” Jack began. “My own fault, and that’s OK. I’m trying to change. The job side is fine, but… well, I’ve realized that I’ve been managing my life like a military campaign since I was eighteen. And I’m exhausted. I need a new approach to making decisions about my life.”

“You need time to reassess,” his father said. “It’s a wise man who can see his own needs, Son. You know what to do more than we do.”

Jack caught his mother's eye.

“When we left here and retired, we went through similar adjustments,” she said. “It’s part of life. I don’t give a lot of advice, but I will tell you this, Son. Lighten up a bit. Have some fun.”

She reached for his hand and said, “With Luke.”

They shared a smile.

Jack’s father said, "That's the one who took off his shirt in the magazines?"

"He was a model, dear. He got paid to do that." She turned back to Jack. "You were so happy whenever you were with him. Even your father noticed."

"Mm-hmm," the Colonel grunted. "Guess I'd take off my shirt, too, if I got paid."

Jack appreciated the humor and said, "But not in here, Dad. Not tonight."

"Mm-hmm," his father murmured again, scanning for the waiter. "Where's that boy with our meal?"

After dinner, the Colonel stood and stretched. "Walk with me, Son. Work off some of that steak."

Jack's mother waved them off. "I'm going to sit here with my coffee and people-watch. Go work it out between the two of you."

Outside, the November air was sharp and clear. They walked in silence for a moment, their breath forming clouds before them.

"You still play golf?" the Colonel asked.

"Not in a while. Been meaning to get back to it."