Re: Elaine/TJ
"Protect us from what? How does not knowing our own father protect us?" TJ was honestly confused. It didn't make any sense to him. How had only letting him see the politician made anything better? How had keeping any of that helped? "Do you realize I've spent the last fifteen or twenty years of my life thinking I was never going to be good enough because I couldn't be like him? He spent most of that time pointing out how badly I was failing at doing anything he considered good enough. If there was a problem, it went away as soon as money or connections were thrown at it. But, all I ever wanted was one word of sincere encouragement, just to hear someone was proud of what I did because I did it, not because it was what they thought I should be doing. But, what I usually got instead was a listing of my failures. I mean, when I was trying to open The Dome, a simple no wasn't good enough. We had to go through how many schools I was kicked out of and how it wasn't what I should be doing and why couldn't I just play the piano."
Taking her hands as she pulled back, he smiled softly. "Mama, that's all I've ever wanted to hear."
Following her gaze to his brother, he pursed his lips. "You still sound a lot like him. Or, I suppose he sounds a lot like you." He turned back to her. "He's right, you know. I am selfish. I want them both in my life and I'm not ready to have to choose between them. I've only just found something with Travis that...I don't know how to describe it. But, he makes me a better person. And, Doug...Doug's a part of me like no one else ever can be." He smiled, thinking of the last three months. "We make a good team, the three of us, actually. It hasn't always been perfect, but it's been good."