Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Hayes
I’m walking into the hospital when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I’m hopeful it’s Leighton telling me she wants to eat lunch with me or maybe inviting me to hang out during her break since she knew I’d be here today.
Sadly, it’s just my sister.
Why are you two hiding things from me!?
I’m on my way up to mom’s appointment.
Do you think I didn’t talk to mom this morning? I know that. Now tell me about how you and my bff are now fake dating. I caught up with Leighton last night…
I chuckle, leaning against the wall near the elevator.
Sorry, I don’t remember having to run things by you.
When it comes to Leighton, you do.
Well then, we’re in a relationship.
FAKE news, big brother.
And then she starts in with her rapid-fire texts, as I knew she would. She’s so easy to bait. I wait until I make it to the floor of my mom’s doctor before I respond.
You hurt her, and I’ll kill you.
I will disown you if she sheds one tear because of you.
Keep your dick in your pants and your tongue in your mouth.
Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?
I could play this one of two ways, but I’m still a big brother who likes to poke his little sister.
What can I say? I like your best friend, and I’m not sorry about it.
Gotta go.
Almost Mom’s appointment time.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
See ya.
I put my phone on silent and stuff it in my pocket, opening the door to my mom’s doctor’s office. My dad waves, and I walk over to them in the corner of the room near the windows that face Lake Michigan.
“What are you so smiley about?” Mom asks when I bend over and hug her.
“I was just pissing off Callie.”
She holds me tightly for a second and chuckles. “Why do you have to do that?”
I shrug. “Because it’s fun.”
I hug my dad, then sit in the seat across from them. Leighton and I decided that I’d tell my parents about our situation when I saw them today. They know her, and I don’t want them getting any ideas and being disappointed. But now that I’m sitting with them, I’m wondering what we were thinking.
My mom is here to get the results of her one-year scan. She seems in good spirits, but her mind has to be spinning. Then again, it would distract her, and it won’t upset her, I don’t think. She’ll understand why we’re doing it.
I look around the room and lean in closer. My mom takes the hint, leaning in, but my dad is still looking out the window at all the sailboats in the water.
“I have to tell you something,” I whisper.
No one is close to us, and the people who are might not even know who I am, but I need to be careful.
“Did you get a tattoo?” my mom whispers.
My eyes crinkle, and I shake my head.
“Because I don’t care anymore. That’s the good side of this disease. You just don’t care about the small stuff.”
“I didn’t know you were against tattoos?” My head cocks to the side.
“I’m not. Now.” She shrugs.
“Well, that’s not it.”
“Okay.” She looks at my dad. “Dave, any guesses what Hayes has to tell us?”
My dad looks at me. “What’s the game?”
This is the result of a family who treats everything like a game.
“We’re not playing a game,” I say.
“I thought you wanted me to guess?” My mom looks confused. “You bought a farm!”
I hate to tell her she couldn’t be further from the truth because she looks so happy.
“I’d rather you buy a lake house. If you’re going to spend your money, you should be on a lake where you can fish.” My dad goes back to looking at the water gleaming in the sun. “Or a sailboat would be nice. We could take lessons together. Father and son bonding.”
“Oh, that would be nice. Wouldn’t it, Hayes?” My mom smiles at me.
“Sure, I’ll think about it. Anyway, that’s not what I have to tell you.” My mom opens her mouth, but I raise my hand. “No guessing.”
Her smile falters, and she draws back in her chair, crossing her legs as if I just ruined her fun. “Fine. What is it then?”
I glance at my watch and see that we have about five minutes before her appointment time. Even then, they’re always running behind from what Callie has told me.
“Well, what is it?” My dad looks at me.
“You know about Leighton and the kids, right?”
My mom sits up straighter. “What about them? Did something happen? I forgot to tell you how proud I am of you stepping up to help her.” She pats my leg.
“Yeah, well, there’s the whole custody thing and all that, so we sort of told the court that we’re dating.” When my mom’s eyebrows raise up to her hairline, and she grins, I quickly add, “But we’re not.”
My mom frowns.
“I don’t understand,” my dad says. “You are or you’re not?”
“Not. But you’re going to see pictures of us on the internet and stuff because we’re telling everyone we are. I just didn’t want you to think we were a real thing, and then… well, I didn’t want to lie to you.”
“Why aren’t you dating her?” my dad asks. “She’s a sweet girl, and you’d be lucky to have her.”
Thanks for the dagger to the heart, Dad.
“Oh, I get it.” My mom elbows my dad but gets him right in the ribs, and he holds his side.
“You definitely have your strength back,” he says.
They both laugh.
“So you’re actually together, but you’re telling people it’s fake in case it doesn’t work out. Like a no-pressure thing.” My mom taps her temple. “Sorry, Hayes, you can’t fool me,” she singsongs.
“Mom, I’m serious, it’s fake.”
She winks. “Okay, sweetie.” She mimes zipping her lips shut and throwing away the key.
My dad pretends to catch the key and put it in his pocket.
I shake my head. “Mom, seriously, it’s not real.”
“And I said okay.” She exaggerates a wink.
“Guys—”
“Jennifer Carlisle, for Dr. Apostolos.”
My mom stands, and my dad joins her. Before she walks over to the woman who called her name, Mom bends down and pinches my cheek. “I, for one, couldn’t be happier that you’re not dating Leighton.”
She winks—again—and walks to the other side of the waiting room.
“Hi, Margot.” My mom crosses her fingers. “Today’s the day.”
I walk over and join them.
My dad puts his hand on my shoulder. “This is our son, Hayes Carlisle, the catcher for the Colts.”
“But he’s got a girlfriend, so hands off.” My mom chuckles.
We file through the door, and if no one knew it was me, they do now.
Thanks, Mom and Dad.
We walk out of the doctor’s office, full of gratitude and excitement that the scans showed no sign of cancer.
We were all so happy that my parents hugged the doctor at the same time and waved me in to join.
Dr. Apostolos will probably never forget that moment.
He doesn’t seem like a touchy-feely guy, but my parents didn’t give him much of a choice.
“Let’s go celebrate,” my dad says, a huge smile on his face.
“Our usual?” Mom and Dad smile at one another, and I’m clearly missing the inside joke.
“My treat, where are we going?” I’ll take them wherever they want. It was a challenging year, and since I wasn’t here enough, I want to make today memorable.
“What floor is it on?” my dad asks, standing in front of the elevators.
“Second is the walkway to the garage, but we’ll just take an Uber to the restaurant and come back here for you guys to get your car.” I press the down button.
“I think it’s on third,” my mom says.
“No, it’s on the second,” I say.
“The cafeteria is on the second floor?” My dad’s forehead wrinkles.
“Cafeteria?” I look between them. “That’s where you want to celebrate?”
“Your mom loves their cookies.”
We get in the elevator, and my dad presses the button for the third floor.
“Cafeteria it is,” I say.
We ride the elevator down, and I send Callie a quick message about the results and tell her we’ll call her after we eat in the cafeteria. She sends back a party popper emoji followed by the puking face emoji.
We wind our way through the cafeteria, go through the line, and get the food my parents have an affinity for since they’ve eaten here so much.
As we’re checking out and I’m fighting with my dad over who’s going to pay, my mom hits me in the arm. “Your girlfriend is here.”
“Excuse me?”
“Leighton. She’s right there.” She points across the room at a couple sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, both dressed in scrubs, laughing with one another.
He says something else to her, and she reaches forward and touches the top of his hand, laughing again.
“Oh honey, I guess it really is fake, huh? I thought you were just saying that.” She frowns.
My dad throws his hands in the air. “Woohoo, I won.”
He’s celebrating being able to pay because I’m too awestruck watching Leighton be so taken with a man who isn’t fucking me.
“I just want to go say hi. You won’t be mad, will you?” Mom whispers and heads in Leighton’s direction.
“Hold on, Dad, I forgot a knife,” I say.
To stab myself in the fucking eye.