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Let it be known that Carole was painfully familiar with heartbreak. Her first came at 7 years old when her grandfather died on the sunniest Sunday she could remember waking up to. Her mother, stressed beyond belief, dragged her to an outlet to choose a dress for the funeral she still had to plan. Carole didn't understand what she put her mother through that day. All she knew was the unfairness of it all. She begged her mother to buy her a princess dress for years, yet the only time she got to wear one with frills and a pretty skirt was to the funeral. Her first princess dress was a black one. Maybe that was her second heartbreak.
And they kept coming. The breakup in the second year of high school with a guy she couldn’t really remember the name of, but she knew he was the first of their class to get a tattoo. Her first-choice university rejecting her, which she might consider a blessing now; without it, she would’ve been two states away from Nick and never would’ve met him. Just thinking about that now, a reality where she finds someone else, crushes her heart slightly. Not that he wasn’t a source of a couple of cracks in this reality.
Their biggest fight came with Nick down on his left knee holding a ring. He was leaving for pilot training and Carole...Carole wanted to stay, finish her last year of University, get a better job than bartending while hoping to get her history phd, then becoming a curator for a museum or a history professor, she didn’t have a plan fully realized yet, but what she was sure of was that she isn’t getting married to someone only because he is nervous they couldn’t survive long distance. Maybe that was what did her heart in, more than the fight, it was the doubt that their relationship was so fragile, a few hours on a plane could destroy it. She didn’t want to be a navy wife, stranded in a soulless rented condo, letting her degree be put on hold, just to reassure someone she knew was the love of her life that she loved him enough to wait for him.
Nick left two days later, leaving the ring with her, not for safe-keeping or due to forgetfulness as she assumed. He called her the night he arrived at the air force base. He left the ring there, because yes-or-no, it was hers. He didn’t want anyone else to have it. No matter how hard she tried to remain vigilant in her prideful outrage, Nick’s sleepy slurred words coupled with his clumsy confessions of ˝un-movable devotion˝ he compared to some plane part, admitedly she did not catch most of that, him being barely awake at that point, all of it felt like a healing balm applied directly to her heart’s worst wounds.
She found out she was pregnant a month after her third visit to the base. She just graduated and had no one she wanted to celebrate with more. God, celebrate they did, Bradley was one living proof of that.
If she thought Nick could break her heart, as soon as she met her baby boy, she knew her heart would never be safe again. She loved him too much not to have her chest open and bleeding for everyone to see. Every cold and sleepless night was just a new slash to it. She tried desperately not to let it destroy her, not to let it become something to resent her son for. Nick could see it when she struggled, and maybe her heart was already fragile enough to only require the slightest of pushes to shatter. It ended up being Bradley's screaming, due to an ear infection making its way through the whole daycare, the sound of it, like a vibration through glass, finally did it. She cried with him, unable to help. What kind of mother did that make her? She was a failure, and now she didn’t even have a heart to give her son anymore. She woke up on the cartoonish city-street carpet in Bradley’s room with her son’s brown eyes looking at her inquisitively.
That’s the thing about hearts, the best thing about them even, no matter how broken, they don’t need much to be repaired. Some time, some help, maybe a bit of luck and a therapist later, there she was, cheerfully chating, with Nick, Bradley and Maverick at the navy bar, just a short car drive away from the Miramar air force base, where if Maverick was to be believed they were about to win the plaque for the best pilot of the best pilots. Nick cared less about the bragging-rights-wall-decoration than Pete did, but then again, when Bradley was around, he didn’t care about much else. Except maybe her, but she was more than happy to be second place in this instance. It was quite a moment of growth for her, considering the only person more competitive than Pete was herself. Hell, she almost wanted them to win the stupid thing more than Nick did. Pete blessed her with the reprive from plane talk with some bitching regarding a particular blond pilot, Iceman. Tom Kazansky was the topic of much contention during their weekly gossip. Nick respected him despite the admittedly somewhat unpleasant attitude, since he knew firsthand, Pete Mitchell can bring out the worst in just about anyone. Carole knew from the second Pete suddenly developed an extensively descriptive vocabulary, there was more to it.
Her suspicions were confirmed on a day she got a call her husband had been in an accident. She didn’t remember how she got to the hospital, she couldn’t tell you how she got Bradley ready so fast and who pointed to the room where her husband’s unmoving body lay. But she could tell you with nauseating accuracy the moment she felt her heart split in two. Nick never slept this still; he always half-grumbled-half-mumbled in his sleep, his eyes twitching, legs changing positions, to a point where Carole had to develop a ninja-like sixth sense to know when one was coming toward her. It wouldn’t have been a problem, but the man had the coldest feet on this side of the living spectrum.
She wasn’t sure where he fit now. In a coma, alive, but for how long?
Pete and Iceman told her what happened, and if she wasn’t devastated, she might’ve noticed the tactile way Kazansky brushed his shoulder with Pete’s. And how easily Pete let him.
She spent so much time in that hospital room, it only made sense for him to wake up when she had to step out. The doctors prepared her for the worst; him not remembering, losing cognitive functions, losing the ability to keep himself alive without machines.
She wasn’t religious, but maybe someone was looking out for their little family, because her husband was fine. Banged up, some memory loss, but he was fine. And once again, her heart was sewn back together on the first day she brought Nick back home.
Maybe it was a rule, written somewhere in the endless web of the cosmos, that everyone you love will break your heart at least once. That’s what she decided when she found Pete Mitchell on her porch, sitting on the new bench, drinking the cheapest whiskey she ever had the displeasure of smelling.
PETE
We’re over.
Oh, how it hurt. Not as much as him, she wouldn't try to compare, but it still chipped at her, like a porcelain vase being handled too roughly.
CAROLE
Are you sure? Maybe you could-
Pete was shaking his head. She worried he was drunk enough for it to make him vomit. Instead, his eyes watered. And no matter how hard he might make himself be, when tears start falling, even the most well-trained soldier isn’t stopping them. At least this fairly drunk navy officer isn’t.
And another chip it went. She has never seen Peter cry. He probably did when she arrived at the hospital after the accident, but she didn’t register much that day.
PETE
It wouldn’t work. He’s going to – He wants to be an admiral, his fucking dad – He can’t if we’re together. It would ruin him.
CAROLE
Only him?
PETE
I’m not a climber, you know that. I just fly planes.
There was bitterness in his words. A poisonous type of inflection.
CAROLE
Did he say that? That flying planes is all you are? Because if he made you feel like you aren’t good enough-
Pete turned to her, his eyes red and unfocused.
PETE
No. He would’ve left it all. For me. All he worked for – How stupid is he?!
Carole’s eyes softened. She chuckled. So stupid. Tom Kazansky, you pathetic idiot, how she loved him. She knew what Pete’s life was before he came into hers, and to know someone adored him in a way Nick adored her was a treasure for her poor chipped heart.
CAROLE
How stupid are you?
PETE
I did the right thing.
CAROLE
You’re not getting rid of him, you know that, right?
PETE
I dumped him. He was so fucking angry. He hates me... It's better for his career if he does anyway.
Carole took the bottle from his hand, and he reached after it like Bradley did after his pacifier when he was still a baby.
CAROLE
Listen to me Mitchell, you're stubborn, a pain in everyone’s ass to the tenth power when you want to be. I don’t know why this is the time you decide to throw in the towel, but I assure you, Kazansky has you beat when it comes to stubborn.
PETE
He doesn’t have me beat anywhere.
Not drunk or sad enough to forget he was a petty dick, it seemed.
CAROLE
He won the plaque.
And got to kiss Pete first after the ceremony, if Nick’s information was to be trusted.
PETE
I – That was...I wasn’t 100%.
CAROLE
He’s coming back for you. I can’t tell you when, but he is. Because he is more than stupid enough.
Pete smiles sadly.
PETE
I hope you’re wrong.
It was a sad reality she lived in, where Pete Mitchell finally found a love to live for only to believe he wasn’t worthy of it.
Chip, chip, chip.
She was, of course, as she always seemed to be, right about Tom. He rose through the ranks with lightning speed. He stayed away from her and Nick as much as he could; still, he wasn’t immune to Bradley’s charms, always giving him a hair ruffle if they happened to see each other at a function. Now that Nick retired to become part of the brass, there were a lot fewer days of worry and a lot more social gatherings. She would take this trade everytime, no matter how much these events can drag.
She hadn't seen Tom out of his uniform in ages, only for him to show up out of the blue in a casual light green shirt and jeans at her doorstep. Maverick was out with Bradley, dropping him off at the soccer practice, since Nick got held back at the office and Carole was barely standing due to a nasty stomach bug. Carole didn’t need to ask why he was here, so she let him in without a word.
TOM
I wanted to ask...I don’t have Pete’s address, I know he moved, if you could-
CAROLE
He’s coming back here. Just drove Bradley to his soccer practice. You can ask him for it yourself.
TOM
Oh, that’s...Will he want to see me?
He’ll probably demand that he leaves.
CAROLE
No idea. Did you talk to him?
TOM
That’s what I’m trying to do here. He won’t even look at me when we’re in the same room.
CAROLE
Maybe you should respect that.
TOM
I tried, but...I need to know if there is any chance he would...
From around his neck, he yanks his dog tags, his hands clutching them tightly enough to leave a print of his own name in the flesh of his palm.
TOM
I don’t want anyone else to have these. They are his...Have been his. I can’t give them to anyone else.
The ring is yours. Only yours.
Pete will be pissed at her, but she lets Tom stay. Her heart was still chipped and call her selfish, but she would love for it to be whole again.
Six months later, Pete Maverick Mitchell wore his own dog tags for the very last time.
Life went on, and as she predicted all those years ago, Bradley did give her a fair share of heartbreaks. The fights, the squabbling over his school work and detentions, the disrespect and venom her teenage son could muster were sometimes too much. He always apologised, the guilt palpable, it made her wonder sometimes if his heart broke when they screamed at each other too.
Then came the passive heart aches, the ones she could feel through his bedroom door when he wouldn't open; the breakups, failed tests, a very unflattering haircut...
all of which were nothing compared to the car accident. It ended up hurting the car, their wallets and the neighbour's fence a lot more than it hurt Bradley, but she hasn’t felt that angry since Nick was in a coma. She cried her eyes out that night, for the first time imagining how it would be to lose him.
This started the marathon of discussions regarding Bradley’s decision to join the Navy after graduating high school. Carole knew she wouldn’t win in the end; her baby boy would be an adult soon, but she managed to wrangle a reprieve. She used all the power of persuasion her paralysing fear afforded her to get Tom, Pete and Nick on her side. Together, they managed to strong-arm Bradley into going to university first. He was angry, felt manipulated, refusing to speak to them for months. It was the radio silence that kept clawing at her, still, she restrained herself from calling. He wouldn't pick up regardless. Seeing Nick's face after another call rang-out was enough.
He came home for Christmas, furious, but he missed her cooking, and she will take whatever reason for the return he gave her. He forgot he was angry very soon into their first course.
It took her about twenty minutes of him telling them stories about his classes and university life to see two things.
One, her dramatic son enjoyed himself immensely at the college.
Two, he was in love.
She knew Bradley had to have been in love before; the genes of both Carole and Nick gave him no chance to live his life devoid of falling hard and fast.
They were alone on the porch when she couldn’t stop herself any longer.
CAROLE
Sooo...who is she?
Bardley raised his eyebrows, deliberating whether he should lie. Not that it would help, he was terrible at it. A gift from his father’s side she was thankful for everyday.
BRADLEY
She...Well, uhm, she’s great, she’s...
He gets quiet, his knuckles whiten as he clutched his trousers and breathed out, steadying himself. His scared brown eyes met hers.
BRADLEY
She’s a he mom.
It was a moment that she will never forget, not him coming out, but more the way his eyes were so fearful, his voice shook a little bit as he forced the words out. It cracked her whole to see that he thought this would make any difference to her. To see him be afraid of her. She huged him so tightly she hoped he would feel it for days. To never ever forget she loved him so thoroughly, no matter how many broken hearts he gave her, just being around him heals it every time.
CAROLE
Tell me about him then.
His first-year romance doesn’t last, because they so rarely do. And he keeps falling in love, and it never lasts long enough for him to say much of anything about them. Pete thought their Bradley was a bit of a player, an idea Carole refused to believe.
He was like her and Nick, he just falls in love fast, sometimes it doesn’t work out.
By the time Bradley finished his engineering degree though, the idea became less of a concept and more of a fact. Carole, despite trying to nudge Bradley into giving any man or woman he spoke briefly of an actual chance, he was more than content to just stay unattached.
Which was a fair decision, it was his life, none of Carole’s business and after the whole university fiasco, she imagined her sticking her nose into his personal life would be even less well received than it would’ve been without the baggage. She just wished he had...She knew Bradley would find the one if he just let himself. The way she did. He was so easy to love and he had so much to give, why was he so intent on always... No, she was staying out of it. He was an adult.
An adult leaving to become a pilot. She supposes with three pilots to one historian in their family, the pendulum of his interests would eventually swing there. Now standing at the airport, she berated herself for not forcing Nick and Pete to read him more mythology instead of regaling him with almost just as fantastical recollections of their war stories.
He called whenever he could, and about three calls in, a recurring character appeared in the story, that was Bradley Bradshaw’s pilot training.
Jacob Seresin, later nicknamed Hangman by her son. The reason behind it came with a lot of bitching and whining, all of it achingly familiar, except unlike with Tom, she didn’t like this Hangman guy one bit. Leaving your teammates behind?? What kind of men do they let into these programs?
When she asked Tom about it, he shrugged.
TOM
He’s a very good pilot. Top of his class.
CAROLE
Bradley says he’s reckless.
TOM
They’re young, most of them are. I sometimes feel we were even worse.
CAROLE
What if someone gets hurt because of him?
TOM
Bradley is more than competent enough to take care of it himself.
CAROLE
I know, he’s second in his class.
TOM
Third now.
Natasha Trace, a phoenix by any other name wouldn’t fly as well, was Bradley’s best friend. Carole loved her from the moment she heard how Bradley spoke of her. So much admiration, love and...oh, she could be the one. The one Bradley was waiting for all along.
When Bradley ˝casually˝ let her know he was bringing someone home for Summer break, she was so excited to finally meet Natasha. She put on a new dress, cooked an amazing dinner and forced Nick to be on his absolute best behaviour.
NICK
I thought she was meeting us, why do I feel like I’m meeting the parents?
CAROLE
Because the first time he brings someone home won’t be the reason he never lets us meet anyone ever again.
Not that she thinks there will be a another first meeting. No, this was it. She knew it, she could feel it. Bradley wouldn’t have brought her home if this wasn’t a forever kind of love.
Now imagine her surprise when she opened the door to find Bradley and an unfamiliar man sniping at each other on her front porch. The man is first to notice the opened door and gives her a charming smile.
BRADLEY
Oh, hey Mom, this is Hangman.
JAKE
Jacob Seresin. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.
Her son knew how to throw a twist her way, she had to give him that. She shook Hangman’s hand politely, not missing his Texas drawl. Bradley didn't mention that. She let them in and made small talk with Hangman when Bradley took their coats. He was classically handsome, one could argue. Blond hair, tan skin, he was slightly shorter than Bradley, but no less muscular. The navy made sure of that. His teeth so perfect she wondered if they were artificial. She looked him up and down, when she remembered Nick’s comment about meeting the parents. His shirt was pressed, but it was old, so were the jeans and trainers. He put no more thought into his appearance than Bradley did. This man was not here as a potential partner, and a part of her was relieved. If Bradley didn’t bring Natasha, at least he didn’t choose the man who would leave him to die in the air.
JAKE
Thank you for having me, Roost- Bradley told me so much about you.
CAROLE
Has he?
JAKE
Yes, he speaks really highly of you. He loves you. A lot.
She just smiled, unable to return the favour. Her son has not said a single nice thing to her about this man.
CAROLE
Well, you are more than welcome here.
She thanked her lucky stars that at least one of their family members can convincingly lie. Though she figured that if there was one person who could recognise false niceties, it was someone from Texas. At least that’s what she heard. Growing up with "Bless your heart" and all that.
During the dinner, Nick was a lot more inclined to be won over by Hangman than she expected. She had to admit that he knew how to weave a tale. He and Bradley told them about their jump that landed them both in an infirmary, the event that almost sent Carole to one too when she heard about it. The story was less interesting than how they were telling it. They spoke over one another, kept correcting the other’s tidbits and jumped in with a quip or two any chance they got. When dessert got rolled out, they were all pretty full at that point. Bradley was too tired to fight with Hangman anymore, so he just let him talk.
Hangman was a talker, just like her, so she couldn’t throw stones. Bradley just stared at him with hooded eyes as he regaled the cafeteria's ˝salad incident˝. There it was, another pang of familiarity she didn’t let herself fully recognise.
When they were ready to leave, Hangman once again thanked her and Nick for having him. Nick, a too trusting softy, hugged him and let him know he could come anytime. After saying goodbye, she went into the kitchen to put the dishes away, when the corner of her eye caught the figures still standing on the porch.
She didn’t want to spy, so she just subtly peeked while keeping her hands occupied by pretending to dry the already dried plates. Bradley was laughing at something Hangman said, his eyes shut tightly, and the pure joy on his face made her heart flutter. Hangman didn’t turn back toward him as he walked to the car, but she could see Bradley’s profile. He hung back for a second just letting himself watch as Hangamn opened the car doors.
Oh. No, she was so wrong. She was completely wrong. Or, she was completely right about the reason, just wrong about the person. Bradley did bring home someone who could be his one. It just wasn’t Natasha. It was this arrogant man Bradley has complained about nonstop and wouldn’t...wait.
Fucking Pete, of course. In all of this, she forgot that Bradley wasn’t just raised by them. Because he might have her competitiveness and the way he loves so fiercely, it breaks you, and he might have Nick’s inability to lie and gentle nature, but he also had Pete’s stubbornness and apparently his inept courting rituals.
Because this was so directly from Pete’s playbook, she could not believe she didn’t see it. She had to call them as soon as she talks to Nick about it. Did he see it? Was that why he was so open to Jake? So welcoming? The hug made a lot more sense now.
That’s when Bradley walked back in.
BRADLEY
Sorry, I think I forgot my phone-
CAROLE
Bradley Bradshaw, did you actually bring someone home, FINALLY, and you didn’t even let me know who?!
Bradley blinked in stunned silence.
BRADLEY
It’s not like that.
Oh, Lord almighty, do not tell her he also pseudo-inherited Pete’s denial.
BRADLEY
He doesn’t...We’re barely friends.
He doesn’t. He. Him. Jake. Carole could feel another heartbreak coming.
CAROLE
But you do?
BRADLEY
I-
He clutched his fists and breathed out. He looked up at her. Her brave boy.
BRADLEY
Yeah. It’s like you always said, you just know. I never believed you, it sounded too...I don’t know, bullshit, but you were right.
CAROLE
Will you tell him?
Bradley shrugged.
BRADLEY
It’s better to just let myself get over him. Less complicated.
So, not Pete’s denial, but his frustrating talent for running away from anything good. Anything that made him want to connect. She really should’ve seen it.
CAROLE
Baby, it’s already complicated. Do you think keeping this secret gets easier? It will only hurt more and more until you won’t be able to be in the same room as him.
She grabs the sides of his face to make sure she has his full attention.
CAROLE
You’re a pilot, take a fucking leap.
She didn’t like to swear around her kid, but he needed to hear it.
BRADLEY
What if he doesn’t feel the same?
CAROLE
Then you’ll know. Wondering is the worst type of purgatory.
He hugged her and kissed her cheek. He was so tall now, he could pick her up.
CAROLE
Let me know. Whatever happens. I’m ready to listen to you sob if you need it.
Bradley laughs and waves her goodbye.
She finds Nick on the couch.
CAROLE
Did you know about Jake?
NICK
I didn’t know he was bringing him.
CAROLE
No, I mean that our son is stupid head over ass in love with the guy he wouldn’t stop bashing for the last year.
NICK
I had my suspicions.
CAROLE
Why didn’t you say anything?!
NICK
I thought you knew! I mean...It’s basically what Pete did, and you called that way before I did.
Carole groans and ignores Nick’s confused questions as she leaves the living room.
Her phone rings in the middle of the night. As a wife and a mother of two pilots, plus a friend of one flying maniac, she always thinks of the worst first. Her imagination has gotten much more inventive over the years. No matter how long, it doesn’t get easier answering these phone calls. She sees it’s Bradley, and some anxiety flows away.
CAROLE
Hey, did something happen?
BRADLEY
We’re going on a date tomorrow!
He was whisper-yelling excitedly, probably hiding in a bathroom of whatever motel Jake checked himself into. Carole couldn’t help it, she laughed along with him. She never heard him sound so giggly. If you asked her, it was about time someone made her son just as embarrassing as his parents and uncles were.
CAROLE
Have fun. And be careful.
BRADLEY
Mom, seriously-
CAROLE
Don't be a prude. Safe sex is-
BRADLEY
I am hanging up.
Carole air kisses him before he drops the call. She shakes her husband awake.
NICK
Wha-what?
CAROLE
Bradley’s got a date tomorrow.
Nick, who was barely awake, turns on his side and closes his eyes.
NICK
That’s my boy.
After that, Jake became a staple of their lives. Joining them for picnics, dinners, family outings whenever he could. Pete loved him, of course, the risky-insane flying style would play well with him. Tom was a bit more hesitant, but grew to like him. Apparently, Jake was from a similarly prominent military family, so they had that to bond over. Nick thought he was just the exact right amount of jackass for Bradley, who liked to be a bit of an asshole from time to time. Carole still wasn’t sure if he should be trusted, but Jake picked up on her being a much tougher sell. He was a perceptive little Ken doll.
˝I’ll always make sure he comes home.˝ he told her once while helping her decorate dessert. He had a knack for it, she conceded. Bradley was a much clumsier assistant. It was Bradley’s birthday, and he made him his favourite lemon cake with lemon frosting and caramel drizzle. He asked for her advice, though she suspected he just wanted to get some one-on-one time to try and get her on his side. It's what she would've done too.
CAROLE
You can’t promise me that.
JAKE
Then I promise I’ll do whatever I can.
Carole smiles.
CAROLE
Just...tell me you’ll love him. That’s enough for me.
JAKE
I already do.
He was rediculously earnest, it almost made her feel bad she acted so cold toward him for this long.
JAKE
I promise I won’t hurt him.
CAROLE
You can’t promise me that either.
JAKE
Ma'm, with all due respect...watch me.
Carole, for a second, could not believe her ears. Where did the shmoozing go? As Jake took the finished cake and brought it outside, she snickered to herself. Alright, Texas, you have her blessing. For now.
At their graduation, they have been dating for almost two years. According to Tom, who was her eyes on the ground, it was a bit on and off, but they have been going very steady for a while now. She would love to know more details but, she supposes that’s where karma comes in for all those years of dodging her mother’s prodding, Bradley doesn’t tell her much. He still complaines about Jake, but now there is a lot more fondness to it.
They were going to fly out to Jake’s family the day after graduation, but Bradley stops at their place first. She is surprised to not see Jake with him, but as soon as his intentions become clear, she understands why.
BRADLEY
I want to ask him to marry me.
Carole’s hand flies to her mouth, stifling a gasp. She doesn’t know what to do, does she cry, does she scream?? Does she ask a million questions???
Or maybe just the one question.
CAROLE
Are you sure?
BRADLEY
He’s the one. I know he is. And now we’re going to have separate assignments, he’s going to Japan...I think it’s time.
If Carole was less ecstatic, less absolutely terrified, and somehow just so proud of him at the same time, she would remember. She would sit him down and talk it through, but she doesn’t. Neither does Nick, who brings out his father’s ring and gives it to Bradley. He is crying before he even hands it over.
Neither of them can see it, can recognise it, the error they almost made all those years ago. Tears of joy blind you to just about anything.
It’s two days later, and they are returning from a date night. They found a cute new dance bar two weeks ago with discounted drinks for service members. God bless Uncle Sam. They might be older, but unlike Pete and Tom, they aren’t boring.
It’s raining, positively pouring, so they don’t see someone on the porch right away. The car’s highlights cut through the darkness to reveal Bradley sitting on the old scratched-up bench. His head is hanging low and his shoulders are tense.
Carole and Nick exchange a glance. Carole knows immediately this will break her heart in a way she might never recover from.
They sit down next to him on the bench, one on each side. They don't say a thing, letting him go first.
BRADLEY
He said no.
Carole pulls his sobbing face closer so he can cry into her shoulder.
NICK
Did you talk about it?
She's glad he asked. A part of her wanted to rip Hangman's head off, but she had seen him with Bradley. For a man who renounced his faith, he worshipped the ground her son walked on with the devotion of a sinner praying for redemption.
BRADLEY
He doesn’t want me. What else is there to talk about?
She catches Nick’s worried gaze. They should’ve known. Bradley is much like him, afraid to lose someone, so he makes a decision based on that. But he is also so much like Pete, running away before Jake could prove to him there is still a future for them, even if not in the exact way Bradley imagined.
And she knows Bradley will never truly get over his first real love, like neither of them would. They both married them in the end.
Then again, maybe Jake was just like her. Breaking his own heart, again and again. Because the truth was... Jake won’t call, like she didn't. As angry as she was, she wished he were more like Tom instead of her. She wished he ran after Bradley, demanded to see him, show him he didn't waste his happiness on the wrong person.
Maybe that's why she never fully trusted him. She saw the same cracks in him, the same shades of self-sabotaging blues in his eyes.
Seeing Bradley’s face now, she will never forgive Hangman for not trying to fight for him. Forget the ring, she understood why he said no. He should've stopped Bradley. Should've let himself bleed open like she has countless times.
˝Watch me never break your son's heart.˝ he said.
And just like her, Jake can lie with the best of them.