Chapter 16 - What Christine Knew Before She Married Me
At twenty two, Jake asked for the full story of how Christine and I met.
He was old enough.
Christine and I sat together.
Not because reconciliation.
Because he deserved one account with both.
Christine began:
“Grandpa saw your dad’s name on a guest list.”
“My cousin worked with your dad.”
Harold recognized Walker from Nightglass.
He told Christine:
“Talk to him.”
She did.
At first, she asked casual questions.
Work.
Military.
Old friends.
I thought flirting.
Some was.
Some wasn’t.
For approximately three months, she relayed pieces to Harold.
Nothing classified.
Then she stopped.
Why?
“I realized my father was using me.”
“Why not tell Dad?”
“I was ashamed.”
Then Harold told her end relationship.
She refused.
We married two years later.
Harold attended.
Why not stop wedding?
“He thought keeping Ethan close might still be useful.”
Christine had not told me that.
She learned years later.
Then Jake:
“So were you spy?”
Christine grimaced.
“For three months, kind of.”
“Mom.”
“I know.”
Then:
“Did you love Dad?”
“Yes.”
Jake looked at me.
“Do you believe?”
“Yes.”
“Then why divorce?”
“Love wasn't enough after trust and what happened to you.”
Jake nodded.
Then he asked Christine:
“Did you know Grandpa killed Caleb?”
“No.”
“Did you know he was criminal?”
“I knew he had done things around Raven that he called illegal paperwork. I did not know full.”
“Why didn’t you tell Dad any?”
“I feared losing marriage.”
Jake said:
“So you kept secret until it almost killed marriage.”
Christine laughed sadly.
“Yes.”
Then:
“Would you marry again?”
She thought.
“Maybe.”
“Tell him everything.”
“Yes.”
I smiled.
Jake had become ruthless therapist.
Then he looked at me.
“Would you marry Mom again?”
“No.”
Christine laughed.
“Good answer.”
No romance.
That helped him.
Then Christine’s later life.
She rebuilt career as dental office administrator? Fine.
No access to evidence. Normal.
At forty eight, she married a man named Daniel Price, a high school music teacher.
Before engagement, she told him criminal conviction, Harold, me, Jake.
Everything.
Jake met Daniel.
Liked.
No replacement father.
He attended wedding.
I did not.
No issue.
Christine and Jake developed adult relationship.
Weekly calls sometimes.
Not perfect.
May you like
She never asked to erase driveway.
That was enough.
