The New P.D. Member ↠ will halstead

It's Not Because Of It That She's Hard To Love. It's Quite The Opposite

Teresa and Jay were eating a late breakfast before going to the district, inside Jay's car since it was too cold to be eating outside.

"So, Tom called me and told me that Julia is back."

"Julia, you mom?" Jay confirms. "Back as in, back in your house?"

"Yup. She came back last night, probably because it was too cold wherever she was staying, and Tom called this morning asking me what I wanted to do."

"And what did you tell him?"

"What else? Let her stay in the house. Make sure she doesn't steal anything... Make sure she doesn't do anything too crazy, and if she does to call me."

"I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with her."

"I don't... And as soon as she messes up again and leaves, I will look at myself and see how stupid I was to let her stay in the house. But I guess it's just what I do. I tell myself 'never again' and then let it happen again and then beat myself up and repeat."

"I really don't understand how you give those people second chances," Jay says shaking his hand.

"You can say it — I'm a dumbass," Teresa says with a grin.

"No, no. You just have a heart way too big for people who don't deserve it."

"... and I'm a dumbass."

"Maybe just a little bit," Jay jokes with a chuckle.

Teresa sighs and rubs her face.

"I seriously don't know how you even do it," Jay says. "Like... I get it, it's your mother, just like I look after my dad despite everything. But... Julia... she left you on your own or with your drug addict of a father, she... she just never cared."

"But it was ups and downs. She'd left me and Toby for days or months and we thought she didn't care one but about us and then she'd come back us to places we'd never imagine, put us in our neighbors pool in the middle of the night... I think I got used to never expect anything from her."

"It takes a lot of forgiving to do that."

"Forgiving and finding excuses for her poor behaviour and being a shitty mother."

"You excuse her because she's bipolar, is that it?"

"I guess... It's not like I can hold that against her."

Hay shrugs since he never experienced what Teresa had, but thinking that, in her place, he'd definitely not give someone like Julia the time of day.

"It's not because she's bipolar that she's hard to love," Teresa confesses. "It's quite the opposite, trust me."

"If you say so."

"I'm making a huge mistake," Teresa exhales.

"You're doing the best you can, and the best you can is more than most people would do."

"You kind of know what it's like. With your dad..."

"Well, he's not bipolar like Julia, so..."

"We should hurry," Teresa says changing the subject. "Ruzek and Atwater are working on that ex-cop Ray?"

"They were meeting him today."

"Maybe they got something. Finish your food and let's go."

"Hey, hey. Hold on. Don't rush me when I'm eating."

"You can eat at your own pace if I drive," Teresa suggests hopeful.

"I already told you, you aren't driving my car."