19. Bryson
19
Bryson
Somehow, in all that chaos, Embry had disappeared.
I thought it would be okay to leave him with our neighbor for a few minutes, since she was a doctor. I ran back inside and put out the fire, which wasn’t nearly as bad as all that smoke had made it seem. By the time I was finished, the fire department had arrived, a crowd was gathering, and Embry was nowhere to be seen.
Toshiko hurried to me with her daughter on her hip. “I came over to see if I could help Embry with the cake he was making for us,” she explained, “and when I heard the smoke alarm going off, I ran home and called 911. They got here in record time, but it looks like you handled it yourself.”
“After all those years working in restaurants, I knew to keep the right type of fire extinguisher on hand.” I looked around and asked, “Have you seen Embry?”
“I assume he’s with the paramedics. My daughter came outside to look at the fire truck, so I had to leave him alone for a minute while I went and got her.”
It turned out the paramedics hadn’t seen him. After the fire department lectured me for going back inside to fight the fire on my own, they took off, and I searched the house to see if he’d slipped inside when I wasn’t looking.
I found his phone on the kitchen island and pocketed it. Then I checked my phone for messages and sent a text to Vee. It said: Hey, if Embry shows up at your house, could you please message me and let me know?
My phone rang a few seconds later, and when I answered Vee asked, “What’s going on? Where’s Embry?”
“I’m not sure. There was a small kitchen fire, but it’s out now. Embry inhaled some smoke and needs to be checked out by a doctor, but I can’t find him.”
“I assume you tried calling him.”
“He left his phone behind.”
“If he caused that fire, he’s probably feeling incredibly guilty,” Vee said. “He’s always really hard on himself, especially when he has an accident.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s why he ran off. My first thought was that he’d go to your house, because he feels safe there.”
Vee promised to text me if Embry showed up, and after we ended the call, I took a look around me. Part of the stone counter was discolored, one of the upper cabinets was slightly scorched, and the fire extinguisher had made a mess, but I didn’t care about any of that.
All that mattered was Embry. I hated the thought of him alone out there, racked with guilt and in need of medical attention. It seemed unlikely that he’d go to a hospital, so I needed to find him as soon as possible and persuade him to get checked out.
I opened a window to air out the kitchen while I tried to figure out what he’d do. Assuming he was trying to get to the Pink Victorian, he didn’t have his phone to use the Lyft app, and I didn’t know if he’d be able to take public transit with his dog. If Embry was on foot, it was about an hour’s walk. Maybe I could find him somewhere between here and there.
I hurried to my car and drove the most direct route to the Mission District, which was about two and a half miles from Nob Hill. Then I tried every alternate route I could think of before driving to the Pink Victorian.
When I knocked on the door, Vee answered and invited me in. As we took a seat in the living room, he asked, “Why are you so dressed up?” I’d forgotten I was wearing a suit and an overcoat.
“I was looking at commercial properties with a real estate agent this morning, but I got discouraged and came home early. Good thing, too.”
“Why are you looking at properties already? You still have eleven months until you get your inheritance.”
“Actually, my grandfather figured out what we were doing. He was really nice about it, and he decided to give me the inheritance anyway. We got the money this past weekend.”
“How did Embry react to that?”
“Not like I expected him to. I thought he’d be happy, or relieved. Instead, he felt like he’d failed because we didn’t fool my grandfather, and he refused to take his payout.”
“Did anything else happen over the weekend?”
“This probably isn’t related, but Embry started having a series of accidents—little things like tripping, or knocking over glasses. It went on the whole time we were in Sausalito, as if once it started, he couldn’t stop it.”
Vee nodded, as if that was exactly what he’d expected to hear. “I saw a change in him after you two decided to work together to get your inheritance. He seemed more confident. I think that sense of purpose did a lot for his self-esteem.”
“And you think the accidents are related to that?”
He shrugged. “Even though you still got your money, thinking he’d blown it must have rattled him. It also might have made him question where he stood with you, now that the job’s done. If he’s feeling good about himself and has some sort of accident, it doesn’t really faze him. But if he’s feeling insecure, it tends to snowball. Maybe he starts trying too hard not to screw up anything else, and that has the opposite effect.”
I got up and said, “I need to find him. He would have gotten here by now if this was his destination. Where else would he go? He has Dusty with him, so that probably limits his options.”
“I have no idea.”
“I’m going to drive around some more and look for him. Please call me if he shows up.”
Vee walked me out. “I will. And if you find him, let me know. I’m worried about him.” I promised I would.
Once I was back in my car, I circled the block and asked myself where Embry would go if he was upset. The Pink Victorian was the obvious answer… but then, I realized there was another answer, too. I pulled to the curb and quickly looked up something on my phone. Then I flipped an awkward three-point turn and headed to a part of town I usually avoided.
Pier 39 catered to tourists, not locals. The only time I’d been there was in the sixth grade. After a class field trip to Alcatraz, our teachers had brought us here for lunch. It consisted of themed shops and restaurants, along with attractions like an arcade and carousel.
In the summer, it would have been jam-packed. But on a rainy weekday at the end of January, it was nearly deserted. In fact, as I hurried down the pier, I only saw one person.
Embry was huddled on a bench beneath a second story walkway, so at least he was out of the rain. He had to be freezing, though. His light blue hoodie had gotten soaked on the way here.
Dusty poked his head out and looked at me. Embry had zipped up the dog inside the jacket, to keep him warm. I took off my overcoat and wrapped it around both of them before taking a seat on the bench.
Embry’s voice sounded ragged when he whispered, “I’m so sorry about your kitchen.”
“It’s fine.” He didn’t believe me. He glanced at me with a frown from beneath his hood, and I said, “Really. All that matters is you. We need to take you to the hospital, so you can get checked out.”
“I’m fine.”
“Your voice sounds raspy.”
“That’s from all the coughing. I was okay as soon as I got outside.”
“I’d feel better if you let a doctor examine you.”
“I’m not going to the hospital.”
“Okay, but you need to get out of the cold. You’re soaking wet.”
He muttered, “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Yes, you do. Come home, Embry.”
“I almost burned your house down. I don’t belong there.”
“Then let’s go to the Pink Victorian.”
“I don’t want to burn it down, either.”
“The grease fire was an accident.”
“What if it happens again and you don’t come home in time to save the day?”
“It won’t.”
“You don’t know that. I’m a walking disaster. Nothing is safe around me.”
He wasn’t looking at me, so I got up and crouched down right in front of him. “That’s not true. I plan to keep arguing with you about that, but first I need to get you someplace warm and dry. If you don’t want to come home, let’s go to a hotel.” He shook his head, so I tried another approach. “Dusty needs to get out of the rain, too.”
A tear tumbled down his cheek. “I don’t know why I thought I could take care of a dog. The shelter never should have let me adopt him.”
He started to stand up, so I straightened up and took a step back. One of his hands was tucked in his pocket, and he reached out with the other one when his knees started to buckle.
I scooped him into my arms and indicated the candy shop directly across from us as I asked, “Did you already get yourself some cotton candy? That’s why you came here, right? You told me once that it always makes you feel better when you’re upset.”
“That is why I came here, but then I decided I didn’t deserve any.”
“You really need to be nicer to yourself.” I carried him into the shop and bought two big bags of pink cotton candy before heading to the car.
Once I got the motor running and turned up the heater, I placed a video call to Vee. “I found him, but he’s refusing medical care. I know Yolanda is a nurse, so is she home? I can’t convince him to get checked out, but I bet she could.”
Embry scowled at me, and Vee said, “She’s at work. Hang on, let me see if I can bring her in on a conference call.”
A few seconds later, Yolanda appeared on a split screen. She was dressed in scrubs with her dark hair pulled into a severe ponytail, and she said, “Hi, guys. What’s up?” I told her what had happened and that Embry didn’t want to see a doctor, and she growled, “Get your ass to this hospital right now, Embry. This is not a request. I’ll meet you at the west entrance in fifteen minutes.”
With that, she disconnected the call. Embry was still scowling, but he muttered, “Fine. Let’s go.”
Vee took a Lyft to the hospital, and we pulled up at the same time. He gave Embry a hug and said, “I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m here to babysit Dusty. I’m going to take him to the Pink Victorian while you get yourself checked out.”
Embry was terrible at accepting help. He tried to talk Vee out of it by saying, “You just watched him all weekend, while I was in Sausalito. You shouldn’t have to do it again.”
Vee sighed and told him, “The dog is a part of our family, just like you are. Now give me my furry nephew.” Embry handed over the dog with a mumbled thank you. Vee told me to text him later with an update before climbing back in the ride share and driving away.
Yolanda appeared a moment later. She was pushing a wheelchair, and Embry started to say, “I don’t need?—”
“Sit.” Her tone left no room for discussion, so he took a seat. I hid my grin as I followed them into the hospital.
It turned out Embry’s lungs and throat were irritated but otherwise okay, and the hand he’d tried to hide in his pocket had a second-degree burn near his thumb, from getting splashed with hot oil. After treating him, the doctor decided to keep him in the hospital overnight for observation. Embry tried to protest but gave up pretty quickly.
Once we were in his room, he whispered, “Please don’t leave me alone here. I hate hospitals.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
He must have been exhausted, because he fell asleep moments later. I got as comfortable as I could in a chair at his bedside. Then I took off my glasses and scrubbed my hands over my face, as an avalanche of stress finally caught up to me.
Even before the fire, it had been a rough day. I’d seen several great properties, but instead of feeling excited, I’d found myself filled with a sense of dread that I just couldn’t shake.
That was why I’d decided to cut my search short. I came home to a blaring alarm and the acrid smell of smoke, and I’d been overcome with fear. What if Embry had been seriously injured, or worse?
The thought of losing him was more than I could take, and I was beyond thankful that he was okay. He’d been deeply shaken, though. It would probably take time for him to rebuild his confidence and trust himself again, but he’d have me to help and support him, every step of the way.
It was almost ten p.m. when Embry finally woke up. Visiting hours were over, but Yolanda had made sure I’d be able to stay with him all night.
His eyelids fluttered, and he whispered, “Bryson?”
“I’m right here, baby.”
I moved closer and rested my hand on his arm. He looked so pale and fragile in that hospital bed that it made my heart ache.
“I’m so sorry I ruined your kitchen.”
“It’s our kitchen, and you didn’t ruin anything.”
“I could’ve burned the whole house down.”
“You didn’t even succeed in burning down a cabinet.”
He murmured, “You can be mad at me. I deserve it.”
“It would be bullshit to get mad about an accident. And what did I tell you the first time you came to the house and broke a couple of wine glasses?”
“It was more than a couple.”
“But what did I say?”
“That it’s just stuff.”
“That’s right, it’s all just stuff. None of it matters. Only you do.”
He asked, “Do you think we could both fit in this bed?”
“Let’s find out.” He scooted over, and after I slipped off my shoes, I stretched out on my side facing him. I brushed his curls out of his eyes and asked, “How do you feel?”
“Fine.”
“How do you really feel?”
He hesitated before admitting, “My throat is sore, my lungs are a little achy, and my hand is throbbing.”
“Want me to call a nurse so you can ask for some pain meds?”
“No.”
“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”
I felt him relax as he murmured, “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”
“Me, too.” I carefully gathered him into my arms and decided it was time to bare my soul. “I love you, Embry.”
He looked up at me with wide eyes. “You do?”
“With all my heart. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, but I was worried you’d think it was too soon.”
“It’s not too soon.” He buried his face in my chest and whispered, “I love you too, Bryson. I love you so much. I was afraid to say it, because I thought you might not feel the same way, after…”
His voice trailed off, so I asked, “After what?”
“After the way you tried to get me to take that money.”
“I don’t understand. What does one thing have to do with the other?”
“If you thought we were going to stay together, that money wouldn’t matter, because I’d have you to take care of me.”
That logic had never even occurred to me. “I want to be with you forever, Em.”
“You do?” I nodded, and he burrowed deeper into my arms. “I’m sorry I ran off,” he whispered. “I just felt so guilty.”
“There’s no reason to.”
“I also feel like I don’t deserve you.”
“I feel like that about you, too.”
He asked, “Why would you think that?”
“Because you’re the most wonderful person on earth, and I’m just… me.”
He tried to chuckle and ended up coughing. When he could speak again, he said, “That’s so silly. You’re incredible, Bry. Don’t you know that about yourself?”
“I guess we both need to work on our self-esteem.”
“Sounds like it.” He shut his eyes, and after a pause, he murmured, “I don’t want to annul our marriage.”
“I don’t, either.”
“Good.”
He started to drift off, but he tried to fight it. I kissed his forehead and said, “You should get some more rest, baby. It’s been a long day.”
“Okay, but don’t forget, you said you wouldn’t leave me alone in this hospital.”
“I’ll be right here, all night.”
He snuggled closer. I thought he’d fallen asleep, but after a minute he whispered, “What happened to the cotton candy?”
That made me grin. “I left it in the car. It’ll probably still be okay tomorrow, but if not I’ll get you some more.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
He muttered, “Thank you,” and fell asleep a few moments later.
As I rested my cheek against his hair, I was filled with the most amazing sense of calm, and peace, and happiness.
He loved me. This sweet, wonderful, beautiful human being loved me.
Nothing in the world mattered more than that.