Anyone But Him // Jake Seresin

Chapter Forty-Three

Margot Seresin
December

It took a lot to take Pete Mitchell off guard, and Margot had managed to do so. She had filled her dad in on the last two weeks over a quick lunch. She had to get back to base soon, and she knew he had things going on that afternoon too. She sat back in her seat as he just stared at her. She hated not knowing what he was thinking, but that was the price to pay for confiding in him. He usually took a few minutes to process, and especially since the information had been surprising. Jake hadn't been coping well since finding out about his dad and the half brother situation. At work, he functioned. He did his job, but when he came home, he might as well not even be there.

He made it a point to have as little interaction with Colin as possible. If he had to speak, or work with him, he did but Jake had not mentioned at all what had happened. Margot sensed Colin felt uncomfortable and she believed that he didn't come here to cause trouble. She genuinely felt like he had come to just meet Jake without the intentions of revealing himself. She didn't exactly blame him, but it had turned Jake's world upside down. Margot thought he'd be okay since the initial night when he broke down, but he had closed himself off.

"So yeah, he pretty much comes home and drinks in silence. I've never seen him like this and honestly don't know what to do." Margot finished. "It's not every night but more times than not, he has a drink or two then goes to bed." He wasn't a raging drunk or anything like that.

Maverick blew out a breath. "Is he doing it during the day?"

Margot shook her head. "No. And he's not getting plastered, a few after work most nights, but not all nights. That doesn't overly concern me, at least not yet. It's the silence. He really isn't even acknowledging me." She paused. "I have a doctor's appointment next week I honestly don't even know if he remembers."

"Do you want me to go with you? I know it's not the same," Maverick offered.

Margot smiled a little. "No. It's not that, I can go by myself. I just....."

"Just what?" Her dad prompted.

"I just worry he isn't going to snap out of this. And I don't know how to help him. I get it, it's shitty. I can't imagine finding something like that out." Margot replied, "I've tried talking to him. He doesn't want to. I tried Coyote, I tried Bradley, the avenue doesn't matter. I think he wants to act like it never happened, and we can't. He doesn't have to befriend his half-brother, but this void he's been in the last two weeks can't last either. I'm having a baby in four and a half months. And I can't deal with this and take care of a newborn." She worried how much worse it may get by then if something didn't change.

"You're welcome to come stay with us if it would make you more comfortable." Maverick told her. "I think it's a little early to give up on him, but I understand you don't just have yourself to think about." He eyed her baby bump. "But the offer is there."

"You and Penny have already done the parent thing, I don't need you to help with my son. It's my responsibility." Margot said, though she appreciated it. "It's not fair to you guys."

"When you decided to have the baby, you did it under the pretense his father would be involved." Maverick pointed out.

"Is that what you think, he won't be?" Margot questioned.

Maverick took a sip of his water before setting the glass back down. "I don't know, kid. I wished I had all the answers for you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for or give you as a parent. Despite my rocky start, I like Jake. He's been a good husband to you and I respect him. I think this is a rough patch for him and he doesn't know how to deal with it." He said, "He grew up having all his problems solved. Realistically, from things he has shared, his parents threw money at anything and fixed it. This isn't something money, or really anything, can fix. His dad is gone, he can't talk to him about this."