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As the bathtub filled with water, David watched his normally unself-conscious son be very self-conscious about undressing and make an effort to hide the fact he wasn’t wearing underwear. If David hadn’t known Jacob was commando, it might have gone unnoticed, since Jacob was quick to shove all his clothes into the hamper.
He obviously didn’t want David to see and ask questions, which made his heart hurt.
For what might have been the first time, ever, he was completely uncertain how to proceed with his son. On one hand, David wanted information, but on the other hand, he didn’t think Jacob would be very forthcoming.
Still, David knew he was going to have to dig a little.
After Jacob got into the tub, David sat down in his usual observation spot next to it, with his back against the wall. Normally, Jacob would play with his toys until it was time for his hair to get washed, but today, he was more interested in washing himself than he was in playing, a fact that didn’t escape David. It was difficult to watch, especially knowing the reason behind it, but he didn’t want to draw undue attention to it and make Jacob uncomfortable, so David simply waited for Jacob to finish and finally turn his attention to his toys before addressing the visit with Ashley.
“So, how was your weekend with your mom?” David asked, wading in gently and pretending like he didn’t already know.
Jacob shrugged.
“What does that mean?” When Jacob didn’t answer right away, David leaned over the edge of the tub until he was making eye contact with Jacob and repeated the question. “What does that mean?”
“It was … okay.”
“Really?” David slowly pulled back, resuming his position against the wall. “Are you sure? Because you seemed kind of unhappy when you got home.”
When Jacob remained silent, David continued. “Did something happen while you were there that upset you? Because if something did, you know you can tell me, right? Because I’d want to know about it, so I could make it better.”
When Jacob still didn’t say anything, David decided to try a different angle. “Your mom said you guys went to the park this afternoon,” he said, and even though he knew it hadn’t been fun, he asked anyway, because he normally would have. “Did you have a good time there?”
Jacob’s narrow shoulders tightened, and then, to David’s shock, Jacob nodded vehemently, a reaction completely at odds with his anxious expression and locked-up frame.
David swallowed hard, the lie hanging between them like a dark cloud.
Chapter 46
David left Jacob to finish getting dressed and headed into the kitchen. Paige was getting everything on the table, but stopped when she saw his worried expression.
“What is it?” she immediately asked.
He quickly and quietly recapped his conversation with Jacob during his bath. “I honestly don’t know what to do. I know he was lying to me … and he never lies to me.”
Paige took a breath and released it slowly. Everything she’d just heard had reinforced her belief that Jacob was being abused in some way. “He’s obviously trying to hide something—something that makes him ashamed, or afraid. Or both.”
“I know.”
She bit her lip for a moment. “Can I suggest something?”
“Of course.”
“I think Jacob should talk to Lauren.”
It took David a moment to register the name of Paige’s therapist. “Oh. Really?”
“Yes.” Paige could see by his expression that the gravity of the situation was being hammered home at the mention of Lauren. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger about things you might not want to talk about,” she said gently. “And Lauren is really good at getting people to open up, especially kids.”
David was quiet for a long moment, then sighed. “Okay.”
Relieved at his response, Paige enfolded him in a hug. “You sure?”
He nodded, hugging her back. “I’m sure.”
Just then Jacob came into the kitchen, and the two of them quickly broke apart.
Flustered, Paige cleared her throat, then smiled brightly. “Perfect timing,” she told Jacob, noting how sweet he looked in little gray sweat pants and a blue shirt. His hair was damp and his cheeks were tinged with pink, which was better than his pallor from before. “Everything’s ready.”
