IT’S COMPLICATED –
July 21, 2022 – Despite his parent’s separation, Jake maintained a close relationship with his biological father, so John knew that he would never be seen as a father to Jake. Nevertheless, as far as he was concerned, it wasn’t so bad because they kept things polite between them.
However, in the months that followed his marriage to Jake’s mother, John noticed that the boy would sometimes do things just to spite him. Sometimes he would ruin John’s items and make him pay for them; other times, he would get in trouble and have John sort it out. That’s not all. He had also developed the habit of mocking John’s sobriety anytime he got the opportunity which John hated. Over time, they got past some of their issues, but the child refused to stop mocking his abstinence from the bottle.
John let Jake know that he did not feel comfortable about the topic and told his wife, but they both turned deaf ears to his pleas. On Father’s day, John’s in-laws celebrated with them. They had a great dinner, and after it, Jake stunned John by handing him a gift and claiming it was Father’s day.
John thought the gesture was sweet, but he also knew it was very unusual for Jake to do something so nice. It also didn’t help matters that the boy wore a smug smile as he presented his gift.
Nevertheless, John accepted it, and as everyone in the family watched, he opened the gift, which turned out to be a flask and a glass. John saw it as the highest form of ridicule he could endure from Jake, who was laughing as the scene unfolded.
