They Want Me Back When It's Too Late (Jessica and Brian) novel Chapter 313

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Chapter 313

Brian returned home, whistling softly despite the uneaten lunchbox in his grip.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Jacob came bounding over, paper fluttering in his hand.

“Dad, check out my summer schedule. Tell me if it works,” Jacob gasped, shoving the sheets into Brian’s chest before catching his breath.

Brian unfolded the pages and scanned them.

Jacob hovered nearby, practically bouncing. “Well? Pretty good, right?” he chirped.

He’d painstakingly recreated Jessica’s old plans and felt sure he’d nailed it.

Brian met Jacob’s hopeful gaze, then tapped the paper. “How about we get you a tutor?”

The schedule was a jumble of random activities–more suitable for a preschooler than a grade–schooler.

Jacob got the implied meaning of Brian’s words, his shoulders slumping. “You might as well say it sucks.”

Brian grinned at the sulky look. “Thought I’d spare your feelings.”

“Too late for that,” Jacob huffed, glaring at him. “You can be so annoying!”

Brian ruffled his hair and blurted, “Finally figured that out?”

Jacob spun on his heel and stomped away.

Realizing he’d gone too far, Brian jogged after Jacob, waving the schedule. “Hey, hold up. First drafts are always rough. No need to pout. I didn’t say anything negative about it.”

The truth was, Brian didn’t care if Jacob spent the summer watching cartoons. As long as he stayed healthy, school could wait. Brian’d hire an army of

tutors if it came to that.

Jacob kept his head down. “You didn’t chew me out, Dad. This is on me.”

A wave of uselessness hit him. Without Jessica, he felt lost. ‘How pathetic that I once thought I was brilliant and she was cramping my style,‘ he thought.

The more he dwelled, the gloomier he got.

Brian saw Jacob’s chin quivering and knew tears were coming. Clueless about how to soothe him, he blurted, “So why’d you whip up this plan?”

Jacob snatched the paper back, lips trembling. “I wanted to do what Mom did. She always planned my summers.” His head fell again, shoulders hitching.

“Hey, no tears.” Brian squeezed his shoulder. “Wanna be like your mom? That’s awesome. She’s an adult and knows how to organize. One botched plan isn’t the end. You’re a kid. You’ll figure it out.”

Brian had seldom bothered with Jacob’s studies before and had no idea Jessica made schedules. But now that he thought about it, he found that sounded like her.

All those years she’d poured into them, and look where they were now–letting her down. A pang hit his chest.

Jacob’s head shot up. “For real? Can I really do stuff like Mom?”

Brian masked his sadness, hands firm on Jacob’s shoulders. “Damn right. Since when do you doubt yourself?”

Jacob shook his head.

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Chapter 313

He remembered Jessica’s lessons—believing in yourself comes before anything, and no quitting before you start,

Brian said, “Exactly. If you have confidence in yourself, just rewrite the plan. No need to cry over a first try.”

Brian knelt down and hugged Jacob, whose eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “I believe you’ll get there. And if all else fails, you can ask your them for advice.”

He paused briefly. “But go easy on bothering her, okay? She can’t tire herself out right now. Got the memo?”

Jacob nodded vigorously. “I get it. Mom’s carrying babies. She needs to rest. I’ll only ask once, I promise. Do you think she’ll be willing to help me?”

His fingers rubbed the edges of the paper.

He ached to see her. ‘Even if she brushes me off, just one glimpse will be worth it,’ he thought. The dread of her shutting him out made his throat tighten,

With that thought, he looked anxiously at Brian.

Brian read the anxiety in Jacob’s eyes and thought for a moment. “I’ll drop you at your grandma’s tomorrow. Talk to her about your plan, and see if she can take you to visit your mom.”

Asking Jessica directly was a non–starter. Stella was their safest bet. He wasn’t about to let Jacob’s hopes crash and burn.

“Awesome! Thanks, Dad.” Jacob’s face lit up.

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