Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Forty-One

"I don't think he likes me," Garrett said as Finn headed off to the pinball machines at the far side of the bowling alley.

"It just takes him a while to warm up to people, that's all," Julie assured him, although it seemed to be taking an unusually long amount of time in this instance.

"I'm not 'people', I'm his father."

"And he just met you an hour ago," Julie reminded him. "You've just got to give him a little time to get used to you, that's all. Things will get better once you two find some common ground."

Garrett slumped in his chair, picking sullenly at the pizza crust left on his plate, and Julie was struck by the resemblance between father and son. Finn acted the same way when he was upset about something.

"Maybe I could teach him some chords on my guitar," Garrett ventured. "Do you think he'd like that?"

"It's worth a try," Julie shrugged. "Although I should probably warn you, he inherited my ear for music."

"Ugh, that bad, huh?" Garrett cringed.

"Hey!" Julie said, tossing a balled-up napkin across the table.

"C'mon Jules, you couldn't carry a tune with two handles and a U-Haul truck!" he teased, and Julie couldn't help but laugh.

"It's good to hear you laugh," Garrett said softly. "I miss that about you."

Julie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling like prey beneath the weight of his onyx gaze. She glanced across the room to Finn, but he was fully immersed in a game of pinball and wasn't likely to be finished anytime soon.

"But that's my own fault, isn't it?" he continued, seemingly unaware of her unease. He leaned forward and looked at her with burning intensity. "Julie, I am so sorry for bailing on you the way that I did, and I know that I can never make up for that—"

"Garrett—"

"No, wait," he held up a hand to cut her off. "Just let me finish, okay?"

Julie nodded, and he continued.

"I know that I'll never be able to erase the past, but I want you to know that I will never stop trying to make it up to you," Garrett said earnestly. "To both of you."

Julie felt her chest tighten as the simmering burn of rage bubbled up from the pit of her stomach. For twelve years—in spite of her best efforts to the contrary—she'd waited for him to come back and say those very words to her. But now that it was happening, it just wasn't enough, and she wanted nothing more than to spit in his face, to slap him and punch him and plunge a fork deep into his flesh. She wanted to hurt him, to cause him just as much pain as he had caused her, but what difference would it make? It wouldn't change anything. Besides, this wasn't about her avenging her shattered heart... this was about her son. Julie looked across the room again, and Garrett's eyes followed her gaze.

"Make it up to him," she said. "That's all that matters."

Garrett turned back to face her, and then rolled slowly up from his seat. For a moment, Julie thought he might leave, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. He didn't speak as he sorted through the coins, picking out the quarters and jamming the rest back into his pocket. When he'd finished, he took a deep breath, ran an anxious hand over his expertly-crafted facial hair, and then crossed the room to go play pinball with their son.