"This is just about the best day of my life." Mr. Ellis quietly said, and Jayden found himself silently agreeing with his father for the very first time in his life.
* * * * * * * *
"Thanks for today," Jayden quietly said to Mia on the drive taking her home. They had dropped Mr. Ellis off back at the nursing home where he promptly fell asleep after taking his medicine.
"Thank you for sharing it with me." Mia returned. "And…" She began but her voice faltered.
"And?" Jayden prompted.
"And… I owe you an apology…"
"Hmm, as long as you know…" Jayden teased her. "Why?"
"For being judgmental and presumptuous about you. I'm sorry… I really had no idea." She apologized sincerely.
"At least you took the time to find out… Not too many people will do that. They just go on assuming; not caring…"
"For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. I mean what you're doing for your father despite how you're feeling. That takes a lot to be the bigger person. Now that I have some idea of what you're going through, I'm not so sure that if it were me if I could do what you're doing. You're a good man Jayden; you're a good man."
Abruptly Jayden pulled the car over and brought it to an instant stop. Mia's words did something to him. For the first time in his life, someone had validated his feelings; someone understood his pain. For the first time in his life someone told him that he had a right to be angry.
"What's the matter?" Mia asked but Jayden couldn't respond. He was sure that if he opened his mouth he would began to cry and he didn't want her to see him crying. He shook his head while keeping it down. He didn't trust himself to make eye contact. Mia's hand reached up gently touching him on the shoulder; soothing him making him vulnerable. He tried to shake her hand off but she wouldn't let go.
"Don't…" he managed to whisper out shaking his head all the while. Mia unbuckled her seatbelt and then rose out of her seat leaning over and taking him into her arms.
"It's alright Jayden. It's alright Jayden… It's alright…"she repeated over and over again hugging him tightly while patting and stroking his back. He wanted to resist the embrace, but it felt so good and he could feel the tension draining and he really just wanted to let go. He wanted to stop caring about what the world thought about him. He wanted to forget everything and just be himself if only for five minutes. He didn't want to care about what others were and would think about him; he just wanted five minutes to unmask and be who he was. And if that meant that he felt like crying, then that was exactly what he wanted to be able to do. Jayden cried in Mia's arms as she held him close, stroking his back and reassuring his spirit with her gentle words of, "It's alright… It's alright…"