He listened, looking down at his hands though now and then he did look up at her, but then ashamedly looked down at his hands again. Jack bit at his bottom lip, shutting his eyes as he did.
“O… okay…” he said quietly. “I just want to… well. G-give her everything and we’re already living in a cramped apartment built more for one but w-we’re trying to save up to move into a b-bigger place. It’s just h-hard on us to do and.. y-yeah..” Jack trailed off and sighed again.
“Begginnings are always rough, Jack.” she spoke slowly, wondering if someday she’d say these same words to her daughter. Probably yes.
“I know you didn’t ask me for advice, but… don’t you think you should get another work? Not only for money, also for Katelynn’s sake. She’s working so much… You don’t have to give up your dream to become a painter, but I believe you should try to put it aside for a while, at least until you could get the apartment you want.”
Grace felt a little guilty. If it wasn’t because Bernard already had asked her about their old apartment in the Third Avenue… But, if things ended going as Bernard wanted, maybe Katelynn and Jack could get a new appartment, courtesy of Bernard. Grace prayed her brother’s plans worked for once. If they worked, they could make a great good, not only to Bernard’s life, also to Katelynn’s and Jack’s. But all depended on Wayne’s answer…
This only went to further make him feel as though he wasn’t good enough for Katelynn. The fact her friend was telling him he should get another job for her, because honestly, is painting really a job? He asked for good fees, depending on how difficult the art piece was, but he could never ask for too much. Jack’s was was permanently dyed purple for now, as he listened to her.
“I-I’m not hoping to be a painter I am a p-painter.” he pointed out. “It, it’s how I get my income. I paint for people, I-I do portraits, land-landscapes and-and things. It’s what I a-am and it’s not enough f-for her. It-it’ll never be e-enough for her…” Jack said this, slightly bitterly, as he looks away. “Sh-she’s doing three jobs and s-she’s always so tired a-and even w-when I tell her she s-should drop one sh-she gets upset a-and I don’t want her upset b-but I don’t want her being so ti-tired either…”
Jack Maple 