6. Charlie
It”s definitely a surprise to see Ava at the hospital again. That a second member of the Danielson family had already visited the medical building in as many days isn’t the best sign of our life here in Oakhaven.
I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks at this point. Getting stitches from the doctor had been nice and fairly quick. The problem was that when Mom fell, I was worried about her back, because she couldn’t move much. The ambulance came and picked her up, and we spent most of the night at the hospital. Who knew it took over an hour just to wait for a doctor to check on her?
Emily has been calling or texting me for updates ever since. She refused to come to the hospital, and I’m guessing there are a lot of memories that go along with the smell of antiseptic and bleach.
”Hey Mom,” I say, smiling big once I turn into the room.
”Charlie boy,” she says, patting my cheek as I lean in to give her a hug.
”How are you feeling today?” I ask, wishing it had been me who was in here. Every time she moves, she looks like she”s being stabbed with a thousand tiny daggers. “Did you get some medicine?”
She nods and says, ”I think I’m due for another dose. The nurse should be in soon. How”s Emily?”
Classic Mom. Always worrying about everyone else.
”She”s good. Worried about you. She wanted to put together a photo wall or something like that for you.”
“That might be good for her. I was going to call the school and make sure we get her registered for next year. Last summer she had some summer assignments to do and I’d rather she didn’t fall behind.” I can see the wheels turning in my mother’s brain and it’s a wonder how she remembers it all. “Do you think the lacrosse team she’s on will be good enough?”
I nod. ”Yeah, I think it will be a good fit for her, although she disagrees.”
My mom pats my hand and says, ”You know what she”s been through in the past few years. I”m sure it”s hard to leave home and all she”s known for a completely new area and living situation.”
”She”s worried about you.”
”Yes, she is. But I think she”s worried about the memories of this place.” She moves her hands around and waves to the room she”s in. ”Sonja went through a lot in the hospital.”
That’s true. There was so much my sister had to suffer through at the end of her battle with cancer.
”How much longer will you be locked up in here?” I say, trying to lighten the mood. I don”t always like to talk about what my sister went through. It”s one of those things that makes it difficult to contemplate if everything is just going to end in death and doom.
”I’m not sure. You”ll be home, right? What about the tournaments? I won’t be able to travel with her now.”
I nod slowly, just now realizing that I’ve become the head chaperone on these weekend trips. The tournament schedule looked great until I realized I’ll have to be there. ”Yeah, I”ll be around for Emily. It sounds like we”ll be traveling a bit for her tournaments, which should make her happy.”
My mom smiles. ”The girl loves to travel.” She must sense that I”m trying to figure out something on my own, because she says, ”What”s wrong, Charlie?”
I blow out a breath and say, ”I”m just tired. It”s been a lot to get this NHL team going and I can”t believe it”s almost time to pick the players.”
”You”ve worked hard on it, that”s for sure. What about the rest of your life, though? Are you happy?”
Here we go with the relationship advice. ”I”m great, Mom. Now that you and Emily live here, I don”t feel like I”m missing out on memories with the two of you.”
”You”re a great uncle. I think you”d make a great father.”
”I know what you”re trying to get at, Mom. I don”t want to start something I can”t finish. Relationships depend on having time and making time to do things for those we love. I just don”t see it happening.”
”Just because Haley Stockton broke your heart five years ago doesn”t mean you have to live like a monk the rest of your life.”
The way she says it, with a little smirk, makes me laugh. ”I”m not stuck on Haley.”
Mom raises her eyebrow and says, ”Really? I”m your mother and I know just about every emotion you”re feeling. I can read you like a book.”
”So original, Mom,” I say, shaking my head.
”Well, you”re thirty-one and still acting like a teenager for some things. I might as well add that in.”
”Why didn”t you ever remarry after Dad died?” It was a question I’d been thinking about for years. Maybe it would be the ticket to reroute this conversation.
”There are some things you can”t ever get over. I didn”t want to have a replacement for your father. And I figured it would just ruin my relationship with you and Sonja if I started dating someone else.”
”Yeah, Sonja was such a pain,” I say, rolling my eyes in exaggeration.
”You were the one I always had to chase around the house to get you to listen. You”ve never been good at sitting still for too long.”
Which is exactly why I don”t want to settle down with anyone. Loyalty is a Danielson trait, and to change my mind about something as big as marriage isn”t something I think I can do. But with my work taking me all across the world, how could I ask someone to commit to that?
”You”re exceptional, Charlie. Just don”t work yourself so long that you forget what life is all about.”
”I won”t,” I say. I doubt I can actually claim that, though. Work is a challenge, something I crave to solve or invent, invest or change. Relationships aren”t built on one problem but many, and often they aren”t fixed even after hours and months of working on the problem.
”Even if you”re not into dating, you should call up some of your friends to go on vacation. You know, like when you turn your phone off and try to enjoy life around you?”
Leave it to Mom to put me in my place.
”That might be a good idea. I”ll wait until you”re back on your feet and Emily”s tournaments are done before I prepare for that.”
”It”s all a mom can ask for,” she says, giving me a tired smile.
”I”ll let you rest, Mom. I need to make sure I feed your granddaughter before she dies of starvation.”
That gets my mom laughing. Emily is a pretty great kid, but she can go from zero to hangry in three minutes flat.
”Sounds good, Charlie. I”ll see you soon.”
I leave my mom”s room and walk past Ava”s grandma”s room, causing me to think of her again.
From the way Ava avoids me, it looks like I”m very out of practice for talking to women when it doesn”t involve some sort of business strategy. I”ll have to work on that so my mom won”t constantly ask me if I”m working toward living life.
Communication is key. But will I survive these trips when I have a lot going on at work?