Hey Jude - Beginning to Make It Better

Hey Jude – Beginning to make it better

“I don’t know, Brenda, I just find her so annoying – I never get time alone with Janie, she’s always there. I feel like I have to give her attention all the time. I’m never relaxed.”

“Well, you knew Janie had a kid when you asked her to move in. You keep talking about marrying her, how are you going to pull that off? You’ll actually be her child’s father then.”

“I know. I can feel the strain from Janie all the time. She wants me to be involved with her daughter more but it feels, I don’t know, somehow phony. I thought since you’re her best friend you might be able to help me. I don’t think we’re going to make it if we can’t get over this.”

“Well, Harry, I don’t know what to say. You can’t force it, you either like the girl or you don’t. She has never known a father-figure in her life since her father was such a jerk. She probably doesn't know what to make of all this either. And, forgive me for saying this, but you've always been quite standoffish with her, like you’re playing it cool. She tends to be a sad little girl and if you could let her into your heart, I think you can start to make it better.”

“I know, and that makes me feel worse. I want to have a relationship with her but I don’t know how. Well, I’ll keep plugging away but could you talk to Janie? I don’t want to lose her but I don’t know what to say to her. You guys talk all the time.”

“Well, ok, but I don’t see how I’m going to be able to do anything to make things better.”

“Are you guys ready?” Harry yelled up the stairs. He really didn't want to go to this dance recital but he had no choice. Janie and her daughter Brittany came clattering down the stairs, getting their coats on. “Let’s go then,” he said.

It was a typical dance recital. Brittany, however, had a solo and she was extremely excited. They found seats, got as comfortable as possible in those metal folding chairs, and settled down to watch the talents of the girls on the stage. Things went as one might expect, parents beaming and extreme effort on the part of the performers. When it was time for Brittany's solo, right in the middle of her performance, she fell. There was a collective intake of breath, everyone waiting to see what she would do. She got up and tried to keep going but she had lost too much of her momentum and gave up, tears welling in her eyes as she ran off the stage.

When Harry and Janie got backstage they found Brittany sitting on the floor, crying. Janie spoke to her for a few minutes and the two of them went and found her belongings and headed back to Harry. “She wants to go home,” Janie said. “Sure enough,” retorted Harry as they all walked out the back door to the parking lot. As they approached the car, Brittany looked up at Harry with her eyes filled with the pain of failure and his heart melted. He had an instant thought; I can start to make this better right now.

“We’re not going right home,” he announced. “We’re going to get ice cream sundaes and I’m going to tell you about my basketball career, how I was the shortest and smallest guy on the team.” Brittany didn’t smile, Janie did, but Brittany did look up at him and he could see a slightly interested gleam in her look. Everything in him wanted her to let him in, to let him show how much he wanted to make this better for her, and maybe at the same time make it better for him and Janie too.