“What’s this we?” Jack exploded. “I’m not the one who lied to everyone. Christ, Dad! What were you thinking?”

“He isn’t right for her,” John insisted. “You’ve got to look at all the facts, Jack. A low-class boy like that—what do you think he’s here for?”

“Jesus Christ, Dad! Low class? You didn’t see the way Lissa was, after you told her he had a fiancée back home. It broke her heart, Dad. It killed me and Mary both to see her like that. And now we find out it wasn’t true—it was all your doing!”

“He isn’t right for her!” John said again. “Besides, what’s the harm? She’s happy with Ty now. And he’s a good match for her.”

“Sure, Ty’s a good match for her, but she seems kind of fond of Nick! And I think you’re wrong about him, Dad. I don’t think he’s here for the money.”

“Bullhockey,” John said.

“You didn’t even give him a chance. You sabotaged my daughter’s life for no good reason at all. I don’t care if she’s happy with Ty now; it wasn’t your decision to make, Dad.” He looked hard at his father, trying to understand; found he couldn’t. “The worst thing,” he said, “is that you’re not even sorry.”

John ran his hand across his head, and sighed. When he looked at Jack, his eyes were a watery blue. “I am sorry, Jack,” he said. “You don’t know how sorry I am.”

Jack smoked. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Upstairs, JJ had sent everyone but Elissa out of the front bedroom almost immediately. Their mother had wanted to help, but JJ didn’t think she was ready to see the way it really was. He roused himself. “Thanks, Mom. But you’ll have plenty of chances later. Liss can do it today.” He let his eyes drift closed, and when he opened them again, everyone was gone but Elissa.

“You’re going to be all right,” she told him. She handed him a cup of water. “Here, rinse your mouth.”

“Right,” JJ said. He did as she told him, sloshing the water around and spitting it back into the cup, handing it back to her. She set it on the bedside table. He was feeling a little better, and lifted his head to appraise himself. “Hey, I didn’t get any on my uniform, did I?”

“I don’t think so,” she said, unknotting his tie.

She helped him sit up, and removed his uniform jacket, hanging it over the back of the chair by the window.

JJ sighed as he lay back down. “Well, this is pretty fucking embarrassing, pardon the expression. Some way to celebrate Thanksgiving, isn’t it? ‘Ripeness is all,’ all right.”