{"id":25767,"date":"2026-09-29T21:46:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T21:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25767"},"modified":"2026-09-29T21:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T21:46:45","slug":"part-27-when-frank-finally-faced-daniel-jeremy-refused-to-rescue-either-man-and-jill-saw-the-change-she-had-been-waiting-to-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25767","title":{"rendered":"PART 27 \u2013 When Frank Finally Faced Daniel, Jeremy Refused to Rescue Either Man\u2014and Jill Saw the Change She Had Been Waiting to Trust"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel did meet Frank the next day.<\/p>\n<p>Not at our house.<\/p>\n<p>Not at Rachel\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>A diner near the interstate.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy knew only because Daniel texted afterward.<\/p>\n<p>Alive.<\/p>\n<p>That was the entire message.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy showed it to me.<\/p>\n<p>I laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPromising.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has my sense of humor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr you have his.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy considered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDisturbing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He resisted calling.<\/p>\n<p>That mattered.<\/p>\n<p>The old Jeremy would have needed details.<\/p>\n<p>Was Frank upset?<\/p>\n<p>Did Daniel forgive him?<\/p>\n<p>Should Jeremy intervene?<\/p>\n<p>Could he fix the meeting after the fact?<\/p>\n<p>Instead he went to work.<\/p>\n<p>At six that evening, Daniel called.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy answered in the garage.<\/p>\n<p>I was inside making dinner.<\/p>\n<p>I could hear only Jeremy\u2019s side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds rough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not taking sides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Longer pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know he\u2019s my father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat still doesn\u2019t make me responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stopped chopping vegetables.<\/p>\n<p>There it was.<\/p>\n<p>Not rehearsed.<\/p>\n<p>Not therapy language performed for me.<\/p>\n<p>A boundary spoken when I was not part of the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>I kept cooking.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy came inside twenty minutes later.<\/p>\n<p>His expression was heavy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did it go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBad permanent?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrank apologized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen he explained.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I winced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy sat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe told Daniel he stayed away because Carol said she did not want him involved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas that true?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPartly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrank said he thought sending money was the respectful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProtection language.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYep.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Daniel say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat respect would have been asking what he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrank cried.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel hated that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe thought Frank was making him comfort him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The pattern again.<\/p>\n<p>I sat across from Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Daniel want from you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me to tell Frank he screwed up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Daniel already told him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt something like pride.<\/p>\n<p>Careful.<\/p>\n<p>Not pride in having fixed Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>He was doing his own work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did Daniel react?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe got mad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wanted me on his side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him I\u2019m his brother, not his witness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sentence was good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalled me annoying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso family trait.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen he said he\u2019d call later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you think you should have supported him more?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmotionally, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI could say what happened to him was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout making Frank the permanent villain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout becoming the referee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen I\u2019ll do that next time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>Dinner finished.<\/p>\n<p>We ate.<\/p>\n<p>No crisis.<\/p>\n<p>No rush.<\/p>\n<p>The world did not collapse because Jeremy declined to mediate someone else\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n<p>That weekend, Frank called me.<\/p>\n<p>Not Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>Me.<\/p>\n<p>I almost ignored it.<\/p>\n<p>Then answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry to call you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why are you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A pause.<\/p>\n<p>Fair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to ask about Jeremy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Frank stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are asking me to explain your son to you, no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Then a quiet laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe told you about the boundary thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did not need to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Frank sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am trying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI keep wanting to ask him whether Daniel hates me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His voice sounded older than before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI spent my whole life thinking problems got smaller if I handled them privately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently that is contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I softened slightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you actually need, Frank?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo know whether I should keep contacting Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is a question for Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if he says no?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you have your answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSimple.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Frank exhaled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou sound like my therapist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have a therapist?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst appointment Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I laughed before I could stop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Apparently every man in this family had finally discovered mental health care at once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Frank chuckled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJeremy gave me the number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter Daniel left the diner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy had helped without taking over.<\/p>\n<p>A referral.<\/p>\n<p>Not mediation.<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>Frank said, \u201cI won\u2019t bother you again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did not bother me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou irritated me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood luck Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After I hung up, I told Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>He groaned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe called you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did not ask me to fix anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMiracle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said you gave him a therapist\u2019s number.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy shrugged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was a good choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes lifted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy smiled.<\/p>\n<p>Not too much.<\/p>\n<p>He was learning even how to receive approval without turning it into salvation.<\/p>\n<p>The next counseling session was our hardest in weeks.<\/p>\n<p>Not because of Frank.<\/p>\n<p>Because Dr. Ellis asked whether I had forgiven Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>I hated the question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought you did not like that word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do not dislike it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI dislike when people use it as a deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy sat quietly.<\/p>\n<p>I crossed my arms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat would forgiveness mean to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat I am not angry anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Ellis shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is one definition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot mine to give.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I rolled my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>She smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe that I stop wanting him to hurt proportionally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>I continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were times I wanted him to lose everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked directly at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted you to understand what losing a life feels like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Ellis asked, \u201cDo you still?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I took time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I think he does understand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy looked down.<\/p>\n<p>I continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd because I do not want his life destroyed anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Ellis nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs that forgiveness?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes the label matter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maybe not.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy finally spoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t need the word.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause if you\u2019re waiting for me to feel forgiven, that becomes another job for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTruth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd whatever relationship you actually want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt something shift.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat if I never say I forgive you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen I live with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No manipulation.<\/p>\n<p>No bargaining.<\/p>\n<p>No self-condemnation.<\/p>\n<p>Just acceptance.<\/p>\n<p>I looked toward Dr. Ellis.<\/p>\n<p>She said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJeremy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I have forgiven part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stayed still.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhich part?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand why you were afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have not forgiven every choice that came after.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I no longer need you to suffer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>He wiped them himself.<\/p>\n<p>No collapse.<\/p>\n<p>No making me hold him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was enough.<\/p>\n<p>After counseling, we drove to lunch.<\/p>\n<p>Halfway there, Jeremy said, \u201cThat might be the biggest thing you\u2019ve said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you I still loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLove can survive terrible things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot wanting me punished anymore means something else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I thought.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>We ate burgers.<\/p>\n<p>Normal.<\/p>\n<p>By then, normal no longer felt like betrayal of the seriousness.<\/p>\n<p>It felt earned.<\/p>\n<p>A week later, the first annual report for the Eleanor and Marie Patient Support Fund arrived.<\/p>\n<p>Only two months old.<\/p>\n<p>Already twelve families helped.<\/p>\n<p>I read every category.<\/p>\n<p>Temporary lodging.<\/p>\n<p>Mileage.<\/p>\n<p>Childcare.<\/p>\n<p>Medication copays.<\/p>\n<p>One line caught me.<\/p>\n<p>Emergency utility payment.<\/p>\n<p>I thought of our first apartment.<\/p>\n<p>My mother paying our electric bill.<\/p>\n<p>Lacey\u2019s false accusation.<\/p>\n<p>Calvin.<\/p>\n<p>All those years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Money moved forward now.<\/p>\n<p>Not backward.<\/p>\n<p>I sent the report to Rachel.<\/p>\n<p>Then Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>Then Daniel, after asking Jeremy whether it was appropriate.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel responded:<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s good work.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas sent:<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019d like that.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel called crying.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMom would too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I believed her.<\/p>\n<p>The trust was doing something none of us could.<\/p>\n<p>Turning old money into present relief.<\/p>\n<p>No absolution.<\/p>\n<p>No monument.<\/p>\n<p>Practical help.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy came home from Knoxville Thursday evening.<\/p>\n<p>He looked tired.<\/p>\n<p>I noticed immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBad week?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWant to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Old me might have pushed.<\/p>\n<p>Instead:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He showered.<\/p>\n<p>Ate.<\/p>\n<p>Sat on the porch alone for twenty minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Then returned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We talked.<\/p>\n<p>A subcontractor had lied about inspection results.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy discovered it.<\/p>\n<p>Fired him.<\/p>\n<p>Then spent two days correcting work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did that hit you so hard?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he kept saying he lied to protect the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I understood.<\/p>\n<p>Protection language again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat once someone lies about the underlying problem, the schedule isn\u2019t the main issue anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSounds familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPainfully.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy rubbed his face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hated hearing my own logic from someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is probably useful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him if he had admitted the problem on day one, we could have fixed it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The irony was obvious.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorrect use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled.<\/p>\n<p>Then his expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wish I had told you on day one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I waited.<\/p>\n<p>Not rescue.<\/p>\n<p>Not absolution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMe too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He nodded.<\/p>\n<p>That was all.<\/p>\n<p>Saturday morning, Daniel arrived with Ava.<\/p>\n<p>His daughter.<\/p>\n<p>Fifteen.<\/p>\n<p>Tall.<\/p>\n<p>Quiet.<\/p>\n<p>Sharp-eyed.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy was terrified.<\/p>\n<p>I found that amusing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve supervised forty construction workers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were easier.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ava entered wearing headphones around her neck.<\/p>\n<p>She looked at Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you\u2019re Uncle Jeremy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy almost choked.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ava looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you\u2019re Jill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dad says you\u2019re scary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel groaned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not say scary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said \u2018do not lie to her.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccurate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ava smiled.<\/p>\n<p>The tension broke.<\/p>\n<p>We spent the afternoon grilling.<\/p>\n<p>Rachel joined.<\/p>\n<p>Frank did not.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel had asked for more time.<\/p>\n<p>Frank respected it.<\/p>\n<p>That mattered.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy showed Ava the garage.<\/p>\n<p>She liked tools.<\/p>\n<p>Asked intelligent questions.<\/p>\n<p>By evening, I watched them measuring a piece of wood together.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy explained square cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Ava corrected his math once.<\/p>\n<p>He looked delighted.<\/p>\n<p>There was something deeply moving about it.<\/p>\n<p>Another generation entering the family with truth first.<\/p>\n<p>No hidden child.<\/p>\n<p>No delayed introduction.<\/p>\n<p>No protecting people from complexity.<\/p>\n<p>Ava knew Frank was Jeremy\u2019s father.<\/p>\n<p>She knew Jeremy and Daniel were newly discovered brothers.<\/p>\n<p>She knew there had been secrecy.<\/p>\n<p>She did not know every adult detail.<\/p>\n<p>She did not need to.<\/p>\n<p>Privacy.<\/p>\n<p>Not lies.<\/p>\n<p>After Daniel and Ava left, Jeremy stood in the driveway watching their car disappear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat I\u2019m an uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have nieces already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDifferent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI missed fifteen years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I nodded.<\/p>\n<p>He looked toward the road.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to miss more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simple.<\/p>\n<p>Possible.<\/p>\n<p>That evening, Jeremy received an email from Marcus.<\/p>\n<p>His probationary supervision could be terminated early if the next restitution payments remained on schedule.<\/p>\n<p>No new legal issue.<\/p>\n<p>No hidden complication.<\/p>\n<p>Good news without a hook.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy read it twice.<\/p>\n<p>Then looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think things might actually become boring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not tempt fate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still, for the first time, I wanted boring too.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25768\">Click here to continue reading: PART 28: Jill\u2019s Choice About the Restitution Debt Became the Clearest Test Yet of Whether She Was Rebuilding a Marriage or Rescuing a Husband<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel did meet Frank the next day. Not at our house. Not at Rachel\u2019s. A diner near the interstate. Jeremy knew only because Daniel texted afterward. Alive. That was the &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25802,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25767\/revisions\/25802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}