Tough love

After informing the office, Jason sat on the sofa with the still sobbing Charlie. He placed him on his lap, making him face him, while he tried to figure out how to best deal with the current situation. He looked at the boy, who had his deep blue eyes and Jenny's dark hair, making his eyes even more striking than his own. While staring at Charlie's tear-filled eyes, hearing his stuttered breathing and seeing his reddened cheeks from his earlier crying, Jason thought deeply about what he should say or do before he decided to tackle the problem like any other problem and with any other person or child.

Using his powerful presence, he looked at his own son with a stern look and started to speak. "Listen up Charlie. You might still be just a baby but you are smart. I can tell that you understand quite a lot, which is to be expected from someone that I call my son. You just lack the means or maybe just the need to communicate back. So, since you like to listen, let me make something clear. Even if you are a baby, even if you are only four months old and my own son, you are still a boy. This means some day you will be a man. And I don't like other men sticking close to MY wife. Since she is also your mother and since you are my son, I have been more lenient towards you BUT right now you are stealing a lot of the love and attention from the woman I love very, very much and giving her daily heartbreak in return."

In the same stern way Jason continued to speak to his infant son. Unsure if he even understood what he was saying, while hoping that he did as he was making matters clear. Like this, the jealous prince reared its head once more and had set his eyes on his own son. Disregarding his crying, his need for comfort and the fact that he was but a few months old. Making Stephen's earlier predictions come true of him not even making an exception for his own kin when it came to Jenny.

"If you weren't my own son, I wouldn't have even allowed you to cling to her in the first place, much less as much and for as long as you have. But not even you are allowed to hurt her. So, I suggest you get your act together while I am still being kind about matters. That is at least if you want to keep your current privileges a bit longer. Stop making her feel bad every day and stop with the unnecessary crying."

But this tough love approach clearly didn't land well with Charlie because where he had almost calmed down before, he started up his crying once more after Jason's words. Jason wasn't sure how much he had actually understood. Thinking that perhaps his stern voice and face had caused Charlie to react in the way that he was. Forcing him to try a different approach. After calming his son down again and after letting out a deep sigh he said, "Look. I know you miss her when she leaves and that it isn't fun, but so do I. I have to do without her just as long as you do but you don't see me acting up either, do you? I am not trying to making things hard on you. I am doing this for your own good. Because I know you love her and one day you will learn how to treat a woman you love. You will learn that women should be treasured and showered with kindness. Until you do, it is my job to show you the way and tell you what you should and shouldn't do. And one thing you should do if you love someone, is want for them to be happy all the time. Even if that means that you have to be a bit sad in their place."

While wiping the remnants of Charlie's final tears, Jason continued his first life lesson for his son. "Your mommy has a hard enough time to leave you at home and go back to campus without your needless fussing and crying. If she quits and stays home to keep you company but becomes sad because of it, will that really make you happy? Your mommy right now is being weakened by her maternal instincts, something that in any other occasion would make her stronger. So, now that she can't be at her strongest, you have to be stronger for the both of you. Starting tomorrow, smile for her like you always do and send her off like the good son I know you can be. If you do, If you behave, I will take you to see her during lunch whenever I can. I will ask grandma and grandpa to do the same when they are watching you. That way you get to see your mommy more often. But that can only happen if I am sure that you won't start crying then like you do in the mornings. So, what do you say. Are you ready to behave like a real Westwood man? Do we have a deal?"

When these last words left Jason's mouth, Charlie's sobbing had finally completely stopped. His expression showing nothing but deep thought as he processed his father's words to the best of his abilities. Jason had seen his current expression a few times before, which had made him think that his son might indeed be smarter than he was letting on. Understanding more than most babies his age. Perhaps even belonging to the group of gifted children to which he belonged himself as well. Each occasion making his belief firmer. This occasion being one of the clearest yet as his son's contemplation ended with the big smile he wanted him to show his mother. Letting him know that his talk had worked and their future days as a family would be even brighter!