Never Look Back

Jon came home late at night on October twenty-ninth, greeting Amy with a swift kiss on the lips as he heard the television on the family room accompanied by a few giggles.

“Is someone over?” He asked, eyebrows furrowing together. “Does Jord have Terri here?” He spoke of Jordyn’s best friend.

“Now don’t be mad.” Amy insisted, placing her hands on the flat panels of his chest as his neck craned around her to try and see into the family room. “Jordyn has a boy over, but I’ve been keeping an eye on them.” She bit her lip at the growing scowl coming across Jon’s face.

“Don’t tell me it’s what’s-his-face.” He sighed, cheeks turning pink as he stepped around her, long legs crossing through the kitchen quickly.

“Baby, please.” Amy insisted, placing her hand on Jon’s shoulder from behind just as he was about to storm into the family room. “Calm down before you go in there.” She said with a small worry to her tone.

“It’s a school night, she knows there are no friends over after seven on a school night.” Jon replied in a snarky quip.

“They’re just finishing up their show and then he’s going home.” Amy replied. “Please, try to be nice. She missed you all week and doesn’t need you to be mad when you finally get back.” Jon really wanted to tell her to shove it, but then remembered that he sort of liked having her around and she probably wouldn’t mesh to well with that kind of language. It had been a long time since he’d been in a serious relationship. Ignoring her words and touch, he stepped in the family room, walking around the big room to the side of the sectional sofa where Jordyn was cuddled up with a brunette male, a blanket thrown over their laps and his arm around her shoulders.

This wasn’t how friends acted.

“Hey there, baby doll.” Jon spoke up, making Jordyn jump slightly before hauling off the couch and running around to jump on him, a big smile coming across his face as he held her tightly.

“I missed you.” She spoke gently, still squeezing him tightly.

“Missed you too, peanut.” He replied. When he finally released her, he noticed that the brunette from the couch was now standing rather tall and looking exceptionally awkward.

“Daddy…” Jordyn began, using his trigger word. “This is Dylan.” The teen stuck out his hand.

“Sir.” Dylan shook Jon’s hand firmly. Jon nodded as an awkward silence came over the three of them, Jon’s eyes locked firmly on Dylan’s and wished that he could pick the kid up by the scruff of his neck and throw him out the front door.

“Well.” Jon started after another awkward few moments, “Jordyn it’s almost nine, it’s time to tell your friend to go home. Do you need to call your parents?” Jon directed the question at Dylan.

“No sir, I drove.” Dylan replied. So he was sixteen, Jordyn managed to leave that little detail out. Jon nodded once again.

“Well, nice to meet you.” He managed out, wondering if that same vein that usually popped out on his neck when he was mad was pulsating out of control yet or not.

“Um, I’ll text you later, Jord.” Dylan rubbed the back of his neck when he realized that Mr. Toews intended for them to say goodbye at that moment in front of him.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Jordyn nodded shyly, shrinking under his six-foot frame, her five-three stature looking so small in comparison. Dylan stepped forward for a moment with intent to hug, but could practically hear Mr. Toews heartbeat increasing and decided against it, pulling his car keys from his pocket and making for the exit. “Bye.” Jordyn called softly, knowing that the chances of Dylan hearing her were slim.

“Jordyn.” Jon sighed, rubbing his fingers over his eyebrows, clenching his eyes shut for a split second.

“Don’t be mad! We were just watching TV.” She insisted. “I know I’m not allowed to have friends over after seven but I had already finished all my homework, plus he’s going out of town for hockey for the next three days.” She ranted off quickly, not wanting to get in trouble. “Please don’t be mad.” She insisted.

“I’m not mad, but If I need to remind you right now, we agreed, no boys until you’re sixteen.” Jon said sternly. “And I think it should stay that way.”

“I know, no boys.” Jordyn nodded. “But we made that deal forever ago, and it’s not like we’re getting married! I just like to spend time with Dylan.” She started softly. “He’s really nice and polite and treats me well.” She finished, feeling terribly vulnerable.

“I really don’t have the energy to get into this tonight.” Jon shook his head. “Come on, bed time.” He insisted.

“I’m not tired.” Jordyn replied. “I still have another hour.” She reminded.

“Fine, do what you want.” He countered gruffly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned forward and kissed her good night. “Love you.”

“Wait, aren’t you going to tuck me in?” Her voice turned exceptionally quiet at the end, knowing how childish it sounded to be asking him that, making her feel insecure.

“I’m going to bed, I’m beat, and I have to wake up early, Jord. I don’t have time to stay up.” He stated, making her nod.

“I’ll go get ready for bed then.” She whispered, turning off the TV with the remote and heading to the hallway and up the stairs to her bedroom. Jon walked back into the kitchen where Amy was putting away leftovers from the dinner she had made, packing up her purse to leave.

“How did it go?” She asked tentatively.

“Fine.” Jon replied shortly.

“Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything sooner, but Jon, she’s fifteen, that whole rule is a little ridiculous that she can’t be alone in a room with a boy.” She sighed, leaning against the kitchen countertop.

“But it’s my rule.” Jon tried to keep his cool with his girlfriend.

“I’m sorry if you’re upset.” Amy replied, still feeling that she was far from being the wrong.

“Just keep in mind who her parent is. Leave the rule-making to me.”

•••

Patrick Kane had woken up after a very deep and long sleep, his head pounding slightly, but not quite as badly as it did when he was a little younger and he would be out partying all night.

No, this Halloween, Patrick Kane took the light of his life trick or treating last night. Gabriel Patrick Kane was born almost four years ago to the day, November first, and last night he was a heart breaker in a full lion costume complete with a big, furry mane. Kissing Sara good morning, he rolled out of bed, pulling a pair of boxers on and walked down the hall to his office.

Facebook really wasn’t Patrick’s thing, he was an adult with a kid and a wife now, but he logged on once and a while to see messages from his sisters or play Scrabble with his Mom. Patrick knew that Jordyn also had a Facebook, and like any good Uncle, he befriended her to keep an eye on the things she did from time to time.

So it was a real surprise when he logged on that Sunday morning to see a tagged photo of Jordyn in a photo at what looked like a Halloween party. He clicked on it, eyeing around as an unsettling feeling settled in his stomach at the components of the photo. This picture had Jordyn wearing a very modest toga and a wreath of gold leaves around her head, the costume he saw her leave the house in, but there were red Solo cups all over the coffee table and she was sitting in the lap of a guy who definitely did not look fifteen.

Curiosity got the best of him and he grinned to see that whoever posted the photos did not make album private, letting him flip through all of the pictures. Patrick’s stomach tied into an even tighter knot when he flipped through more and more of the photos, suddenly, from one picture to the next, Jordyn wasn’t wearing her toga anymore. She wore a Morgan Park Academy hockey jersey, small black lines under her eyes and spandex shorts that hardly covered her behind.

“Oh no.” He sighed, understanding why she was tagged in the only ‘safe’ photo in the album. There were no pictures of Jordyn actually drinking, but there were photos of her holding a red cup, and an obscene amount of pictures of her wrapped up tightly in the arms of that same guy. Finally, a photo of her revealed the last name on the jersey – Halvarsson – and Patrick quickly opened up a new window, hopping on the MPA school website to look up the men’s hockey roster.

His eyes paused on the photo that matched the name. Dylan Halvarsson, seventeen-year-old junior, six-feet tall, two hundred pounds, center.

“Seventeen year old junior…” Patrick repeated out loud to himself, shaking his head. As quickly as he could close the window, he typed the name into the search bar on Facebook, bringing up Dylan’s page and glaring at his profile photo. The boy was seated on a couch, Jordyn tucked in his lap, a cup in both of their hands, and his free hand high on her thigh as a third person took the photo of them kissing. No tongue, thank God.

Patrick closed his laptop, getting up and walking past Gabe’s room to see the toddler still dead asleep, thumb in his mouth and butt in the air under his Blackhawks comforter. Walking back to the master bedroom, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, barely slipping his phone into his pocket before Sara rolled over and smiled at him.

“Where ya headed?” She asked gently, eyes still closed.

“I need to run to Jon’s quick, but I won’t be long.” He leaned down to kiss her once more. “Unless I have to kill someone, then I’ll be back in twenty-five to life.” He added, making her look at him oddly before rolling over and snuggling back to sleep in the crisp autumn morning.

Patrick was pulling into the Toews driveway in less than five minutes, seeing as the Kane home was a stone’s throw from the suburban home Patrick shared with his family.

“Good Morning!” He called, throwing the door open and banging around the kitchen, looking for a mug to fill with coffee. A few moments later, Jordyn made her way downstairs.

“Morning.” She whispered quietly, greeting him with a soft hug, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Where’s your Dad?” He asked, sipping his coffee.

“He stayed at Amy’s last night.” Jordyn replied, trying to hide her disappointment. It made her sad when Jon wasn’t home, especially at night.

“Okay.” Patrick nodded as he watched her pour a glass of apple juice. “So… you’ been on Facebook lately?” He asked, watching as she struggled to swallow her juice.

“No, you know I don’t really go on Facebook.” She replied timidly, knowing she was in deep, deep trouble.

“Well, I don’t really either, but I happened to hop on this morning and low and behold, there were some really interesting pictures of you from a certain Halloween party.” He began, watching as her wide eyes gazed into his guiltily. “Jordyn… you do know that if it was your Dad that saw those and not me, you’d be grounded till you graduated in the small chance that he didn’t take you out of school completely to get you a tutor.” Patrick insisted. “You know I’m biased because I care about you so much, but if you were drinking at that party, I have to tell your Dad.” He sighed.

“I wasn’t drinking! I swear! You know me, Uncle Patrick, I don’t do stuff like that! You can look at any of those photos or ask any of my friends, I was drinking Coke all night.” She insisted. “I swear, I’ll call up Terri right now.” She took her phone out of the kangaroo pocket on her sweatshirt.

“Okay, I believe, you. If you say you weren’t drinking, I believe you weren’t drinking, but what’s with this whole costume change you have going on, huh? What was wrong with the toga? It looked good.” Patrick insisted.

“I’m always treated like the baby… no tank tops, no skirts, no v-necks, no short-shorts. I just wanted to dress like everyone else for one night.” She pleaded his forgiveness. “I’m tired of being the protected little girl all my friends know I am” She sighed. “I’m sorry, and I’ll do anything for you to trust me again.” Her eyes blinked back unshed tears, knowing how mad Patrick was.

“I trust you, Jordyn, I do, but if this happens again…” He shook his head. “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” He sighed, making her heart drop down into her stomach with regret.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered quietly.

“It’s okay,” Patrick slung his arms around her. “But you do have to talk to whoever put those photos up and tell them to take them down.” He advised. “And you need to stay out of that kid’s lap. I know Jon’s rule.” He insisted.

“I know.” Jordyn nodded. “I just like him a lot and it sucks that I can’t go on a real date till I’m sixteen. Did your sisters have to wait that long?” She asked.

“Um, I don’t really know, but none of them were in very serious relationships in high school.” He replied. “Look, just get rid of the pictures, and the next time I see you around a red cup, I won’t be so hospitable.” He insisted. “And I don’t want to see Dylan Halvarsson around here.” He added.

Not a few moments later did Jon walk through the door, eyes tired and clutching a bag from Bruegger’s.

“Hey Kaner, what are you up to?” He asked, setting the bag down and pulling out a strawberry bagel and began to fix it up for Jordyn.

“Just wanted to talk to Jordyn for a little minute.” Patrick replied casually.

“Anything I should know about?” He asked, glancing to Jordyn who sipped out of her juice.

“No.” The responded simultaneously.