Rough Hands and Kind Eyes

"You're seriously still angry with him?" Esther Forester asked her daughter the next day at work. Esther placed down a tray of cupcakes in front of her daughter and then looked at her, giving her a stern look.

"Yes, I am." Ellie nodded, ignoring the text she'd gotten from Jordan.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Esther asked, adjusting her glasses. "He didn't fuck her in the back of his car.

"Mom!" Ellie gasped, looking at her mother.

"What, Elles?" Her mother shrugged. "It's true! You're acting as if he cheated on you."

"No, he didn't cheat. But he lied to me!"

"You're surprised that someone in your life lied to you to keep you safe?" Her mother asked. "Grow up, Ellie."

Ellie glared at her mother. She couldn't believe she was on Jordan's side for this. It was one thing to lie to her, it was another to thing to lie to her about being with Tess. Tess had it out for Ellie and she knew it. To have Jordan go behind her back and help Tess in the middle of the night was almost like him cheating.

"Do you know that your father fooled around on me before," Esther stated, beginning to make a cake.

Ellie's heart stopped.

"What?" She asked softly.

"Your father fooled around on me," Esther repeated. "It was around the time you were starting high school. All you girls were in school. Either high school or college. It was just your dad and I. I was so depressed that I didn't have you girls around, and you were all outgrowing us. Your father couldn't handle it."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Ellie mumbled. "Why would you tell me this?"

"I'm telling you this because your father made a mistake," Esther stated. "He told me almost immediately after he cheated. I was furious, but now I'm glad he told me. Everyone told me to leave him. My sister, my friends, Grandma. Everyone."

"Why didn't you?" Ellie asked, gripping onto the countertop. "For us?"

"You girls were old enough that if I had wanted to leave your father I could have," Esther replied. "You could make your own decisions and your own opinions. I stayed because I loved him."

"Of course you loved him, but he hurt you!" Ellie stated loudly. She hated her father in that moment.

"I loved him and we were good together. He had a slip up and I loved him enough to forgive him," Esther stated. "People told me I was foolish for forgiving him. I would only set myself up for more hurt, but I didn't listen. I knew that I couldn't imagine my life without your father in it."

"Honey, Jordan made a teeny tiny mistake. He lied about seeing Tess because he knew it would upset you, but he did tell you. He told you everything that happened. Elles, you can't keep punishing him because he had a girlfriend before you and she's somewhat involved in his life," Esther stated. "He was in love with her. You don't forget people you were in love with just like that. These things take time. Take pity on this girl. She lost Jordan and you have him. She can't deal with it."

"I just hate that he's still involved with her," Ellie sighed, looking down at her flour covered pants. "She's so beautiful, and confident. I'm just so scared he'll leave me for her. One more phone call and he's gone, back to her."

"If he was just with you as a way to get back at her, I don't think you two would have moved in together. He wouldn't still be here," Esther stated, putting her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "He loves you, Ellie. Let him love you. Trust him."

"How did you trust dad again?" Ellie asked, still furious with her father.

"Therapy wasn't for us," Esther replied, smiling. "You know I don't believe in that bullshit. We just tried to realize who we were. Who we used to be as a couple and as people and figured out where we wanted to go from there. It's not going to be smooth sailing all the time, Ellie. Relationships are hard work. If you give up then you have no hope for future relationships. If you love Jordan like you say you do, you'll forgive him and trust him. He's a good man, Ellie. He did the right thing."

"He did the right thing," Ellie repeated, nodding.

"Call him," Esther stated. "You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. If it had been any other girl you would be fine with it. Because it was Tess it upset you."

Ellie nodded and went to grab her phone. She looked at the time and realized he would be at practice now. She decided to leave him a message.

"Jordan, it's Ellie. I'm sorry I got so mad at you about that whole Tess thing. I just got really defensive and angry, and I'm sorry. We can talk about it tonight. I love you."

"He's a good man, Ellie. Believe in him, okay?" Esther smiled, hugging her youngest daughter.

A part of Ellie agreed that she was blowing the situation up out of proportion, but another part of her believed that something bad was going to happen. A part of her believed that this wasn't over. Not even close.