“What happened to her?” he asked softly. Autumn shrugged again.
“I don’t know. She just left one day, and I never saw her again,” she explained. Jacob frowned and squeezed her hand.
“That must have been hard for you. I’m sorry,” he apologized.
Autumn shook her head.
“It’s okay. I got over it,” she assured him.
Jacob didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t say anything else.
“What about after her? Where did you go?” he asked.
“The system,” Autumn replied.
“What system?” Jacob asked, confused.
“The foster care system. You know, where they put kids like me who don’t have parents. They bounce you around from home to home until you age out,” Autumn explained.
Jacob frowned.
“I’ve never heard of that,” he admitted.
Autumn shrugged.
“It’s not common knowledge or anything. Most people don’t know about it,” she said.
“What was it like? The foster care system?” Jacob asked. Autumn bit her lip. She hadn’t thought about her time in the system for a while, but now the memories were coming back.
“It wasn’t great. A lot of people who foster just do it for the money. They don’t care about the kids. They just want the paycheck that comes with them,” she told him.
“That’s horrible,” Jacob muttered.
Autumn nodded.
“It was. But I was one of the lucky ones. I only had one bad foster home, and then I got adopted by a couple who actually cared. They treated me well and made sure I had everything I needed,” she explained.
“That’s good. What were they like?” Jacob asked.
Autumn smiled.
“They were really nice. My adoptive mom was a little overbearing, but she was nice. My dad was great. He taught me how to ride a bike and helped me with my homework when I got stuck. I really loved them,” she said.
“I’m glad you had them. What happened to them?” Jacob asked.
“They died in a car accident,” Autumn said. She dropped her eyes and bit her lip to stop it from trembling.
“Oh, Autumn. I’m so sorry,” Jacob murmured. He squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him.
“It’s okay,” she said. But it wasn’t okay. She had lost them, and she had never gotten over it. She had loved them, and their death had broken her.
“Where did you go after that?” Jacob asked her.
“I aged out of the system. I had just turned eighteen when they died, so I was on my own,” Autumn told him.
“What did you do?” Jacob asked.
“I got a job. I worked a lot, and I managed to put myself through college,” Autumn explained.
“What did you study?” Jacob questioned.
“I studied business. I wanted to have my own business one day, but then everything that happened with my parents happened, and I kind of gave up on that dream,” she said with a shrug.
“I’m sorry,” Jacob whispered.
Autumn looked up at him and forced a smile.
“It’s okay. Everything worked out in the end,” she said. She believed that. Everything did work out in the end. She was with Jacob now, and that was all that mattered.
Jacob looked up as Autumn stepped into the kitchen. Her eyes found his, and she gave him a shy smile.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Jacob asked as she sat down next to him.
Autumn shrugged, dropping her eyes to the cup in front of her.
“I’m okay,” she replied. Jacob frowned.
“You don’t look okay,” he said. Autumn glanced up at him but didn’t say anything, and Jacob sighed.
“What’s wrong, Autumn?” he asked, reaching out to take her hand.
Autumn hesitated for a moment and then sighed. “Nothing. I’m just tired,” she admitted.
Jacob searched her face. He didn’t believe her. He could tell she wasn’t telling him the truth, and that worried him. He hated not knowing what was wrong with her.
“What’s going on, sweetheart? Talk to me,” he said, taking her hand.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine, really,” Autumn tried to assure him. But Jacob wasn’t convinced. He frowned and looked down at their joined hands.
“If you’re sure,” he murmured. Autumn nodded, and Jacob let go of her hand.
“I am,” she said. Jacob watched as she took a sip of her coffee. She looked lost in thought, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.
“Did you sleep okay?” he asked her. Autumn shrugged again and then shook her head slightly.
“I slept,” she replied vaguely. Jacob frowned again. He could tell that something was bothering her, and he didn’t know how to help her.
“What about you?” Autumn asked, glancing up at him.
“I slept fine,” Jacob answered. He studied her for a moment and wondered what was going on inside her head. He wished he knew. He wished she would open up and talk to him.
Autumn nodded, looking back down at her coffee. “That’s good,” she whispered.
“Autumn?” Jacob said after a moment of silence. Autumn looked up at him, frowning slightly.
“What is it?” she asked. Jacob licked his lips.
“Are you okay? Really?” he asked. He had to know what was going on with her. He couldn’t stand seeing her so withdrawn.
Autumn gave him a small smile.
“I’m fine, Jacob. Really,” she tried to assure him again.
“Are you sure?” Jacob pressed. He still didn’t believe her, and he wasn’t going to let it go until she told him the truth.
Autumn sighed. “I will be. I just need some time, okay?” she told him.
Jacob studied her for a few moments and then nodded.
“Okay,” he agreed. He would give her time. He would wait for her to open up to him, to trust him. He would wait as long as it took.