Love On the Brain (Corey Crawford)

47| Re-connecting

Jessica

Since Jonny is back in town I can start up with life coaching with him. Like I had to do with Corey, I have to get to know all about him and luckily enough for me we already trust each other. We had a good working relationship so now all I had to do is get to know him better. But unlike Corey, Jonathan wasn't battling addiction or depression, he was battling his demeanor and attitude that makes him have this serious persona he wants to get rid of.

So we hang out in his apartment while Lindsey was at work and Corey was doing Corey things down stairs.

"So how have you been" he asks as he hands me a water.

"I've been pretty good. Got a few things lined up with work I'm pretty excited about and Corey and I have been better than ever. I don't have much to complain about" I shrug.

"Much" he questions.

"There's always something, isn't there" I tease.

"There is. But I didn't expect for you to have a "but" in your life. You seem pretty straight forward like you have everything figured out" he admits.

"I do. I mean... I should" I sigh.

"Do you wanna talk about it" he asks and I laugh.

"I do. But if I tell you before I tell Corey I'll never hear the end of it" I admit.

"Why haven't you told him" he wonders.

"Because he's so into protecting me that if he thinks something's wrong he freaks out on me. Since he's the reason I wanted to stay he takes it very personal if he thinks there's any reason I wouldn't want to be here. And it's really sweet that he cares so much about me, but I don't want him to think that there's a problem that comes from me staying" I explain.

What I was referring to was my mother, and if it's my dad that was keeping me here she was the one that made it a little easier for me to leave. We haven't spoken since my birthday and it's been weird. I wasn't even that mad at her, I was just hurt that something that important was withheld from me.

"Well I think you should talk to him. Make him listen for once" he teases.

"I'll talk to him" I promise.

I go back down to my apartment and find Corey on the couch with Freddie. He had his head in his lap as Corey petted him. As the door closes behind me Corey turns to me with a big smile. Freddie hops up and I pet my good boy the way he deserved.

"You're home" he cheers like a kid waiting for his dad to get home so they can play some catch together.

"I'm here" I smile.

"How was your first meeting with Jonny" he wonders as I sit on the other side of him and I rest my head on Corey's shoulder.

"It went pretty good. It came up that I needed someone to talk to but I wanted that someone to be you" I insist.

"I'm right here for you" he assures me as he places his hand on my thigh and I let out a long sigh. Here goes nothing.

"I don't know what to do about my mom" I admit.

"What about her" he wonders.

"I haven't spoken to her in quite some time and I'm starting to get worried. I usually visit at least once a month and it's been nearly the whole summer since I've talked to her. What if she's given up on me because I was mad at her" I ask.

"She probably thinks you don't want to talk to her" he claims.

"I always want to talk to her" I insist.

"And does she know that" he asks and I pause.

"No, I guess not" I admit.

"Then you should go call her. I know you're scared to know what she has to say but you miss her as much as she misses you. I can assure you that" he claims.

"What do I say" I ask.

"I don't know sweetie, only you will" he insists.

After swallowing my pride I go and pick up my phone. I call my mom before stepping out to the little porch that was attached to the apartment. I dial up my moms number and it rings a few times before she answers.

"Jessie" she asks and I feel my chest tighten. I swallow the spit that got stuck in my throat once I realized what I was doing was kind of a huge deal.

"Hey momma" I reply and I hear her sigh on the other end.

"Hey baby. How have you been" she wonders and I smile. I missed her voice.

"I've been alright" I admit. "And what about you" I wonder.

"I've been missin you" she claims and I smile to myself.

"I've missed you too" I admit.

"Listen, Jess, I'm so sorry about what happened on your birthday. It was never my intention to keep that from you, but after your 21st birthday I tried to give it to you but I just couldn't. You were doing so well moving forward I didn't want whatever was in there to set you back. I was just trying to protect you" she explains.

"I know mom. But I don't need protecting, and especially not from dad. I love being reminded of him" I say.

"You were always a lot stronger than I was" she claims.

"I had eight years with him. You had eighteen" I remind her.

"Yeah. Time sure does catch up with you" she admits.

"So what have you been up to" I wonder. It had been quite a while since we last spoke so I'm sure I missed some things.

"Not much. The summer was great for the garden and it looks beautiful, you'll have to come down to see it. I've taken up painting like your father and that takes up a lot of my days. That and making grandmas special cookies" she says and I let out a long groan.

"I would kill for some of those cookies" I admit.

"Let me know when you can some down and I'll make a fresh batch" she promises.

"That sounds perfect" I smile.

I catch her up on my life and how things are going. Of course she asks about Corey and I assure her he's doing well and is ready for hockey. I tell her work is going great and that Freddie is growing by the second. After a while we hang up and I go back inside.

"I'm guessing she answered since you were out there for a while" Corey starts.

"Yeah. We talked it out and I feel a lot better" I admit.

"Hey, would you look at that. I helped. Look out I might be coming for your job" he jokes.