He felt ashamed now for going off the way he had. That was silly. That was weak. Jack shut his eyes as he listened, now and then opening them to look at Grace with an apologetic look on his face, tinted purple as it was. Shakily, he tried, and smiled for her before biting his bottom lip and sighs.
“I’m sorry. I. I didn’t mean to… to go off li-like that… it just… mm. Ha-happens, sometimes… I’m so so-sorry…”
“No need to apologize, dear. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Grace smiled warmly at him and touched his arm, trying to bring him some comfort. “It’s good to be able to express your feelings as you do. It’s a very rare quality, and one of your virtues.” She closed her eyes and sighed a little. The boy really needed to calm down a little. If she was a psychologist, sure she would know how to help him properly.
But all she had was her own experience.
“Trust me, Jack. If there were more men like you in this world, there would be no more wars, hungers and suffering all around. You’re a good person. Now, all you have to do is do all you could do for Katie. She, along with Danielle and Scarlet, is one of my best friends. And I want to know there’s some taking good care of her…”, she finished, smiling.
“All I do i-is for her. And… heh…” he smiled faintly, looking away. “She did s-say I’m in touch w-with my more sen-sensitive side. Maybe a bit too much, if, if you ask me but… I really do w-want to do better for her. I want to b-be a stronger man for her. She deserves all the b-best and I know she loves me…” Jack looks back at Grace, smiling still. “And I love her too, m-more than I ever thought I could love anyone because… w-well. I am shy. Terribly so. B… but because of her I’m getting out more. This, this alone…”
He gestures to them sitting here, meeting. “Three m-months ago I never would have d-done this. I used to b-be such a shut in…”
Jack Maple 