10. Bobby
10
Bobby
A Penny for Your Thoughts
“It’s a beautiful night, don’t you think?”
I’m lying on my side, staring at Claire with a smile. She’s lying beside me, bathed in the soft glow of firelight. She looks beautiful, her hair falling around her face in waves.
“Yes, it is,” I sigh, not looking away from her.
Claire giggles and pokes my forehead with a finger. “Get a grip, Sawyer. I meant the night.”
I frown at her. “It’s been so long since you called me that.”
She nods twice. “Well, Bobby sounds better. Sawyer is so formal. Like how someone would address you if they were mad or something.”
“Right.”
I turn on my back to stare up at the night sky. Twinkling stars fill the air, casting sparkling galaxies across the night. The air is cool and crisp against my skin, carrying the faint scent of woodsmoke from the nearby fire pit.
It's picnic night with the whole Carter family, and everyone's scattered in groups around the crackling fire, their laughter and conversation filling the atmosphere.
I could care less about anyone else. My attention is focused solely on one figure, the only one that matters.
“What do you think of Summer nights out here in Dallas?” she asks.
“It’s different from New York’s.”
“Isn’t it? It’s peaceful. That’s probably one of the few things I miss about this place.”
We're a million miles from the bustling city streets and towers, and the life we know back there. Here, under the vastness of the night sky, everything feels different.
Claire rubs her hands together. I reach over to take her hand in mine, our fingers intertwining seamlessly.
“Are your hands cold? Do you want us to move closer to the fire?”
“Nah.”
This feels right. Natural. Comfortable. Lying here beside Claire, feeling the warmth of her hand in mine, a sense of peace washes over me that I haven't felt in a long time.
Then, as if on queue, my phone breaks the tranquility, vibrating loudly. I pull it out with angst, peaking at the screen. It’s my Dad. A knot of tension tightens in my stomach immediately.
"Give me a minute, Claire."
She gives me a knowing smile. "Family."
I stand up, dusting my shorts as I walk a few paces away from the group to get some privacy.
I take a deep breath before hitting the answer button.
"Hey, Dad," I greet him, my voice carefully neutral.
"Robert," his voice is low, but the distinct edge of annoyance is as clear as ringing bells. “It’s been more than two weeks. When will you be home"
I clench my jaw. “When I’m done with the business here, Dad."
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you that. I need you to trust that I’ll be home when I’m done.”
"Trust you? What are you playing at that’s more important than your responsibilities with Sawyer Pharmaceuticals?" He pauses and quickly adds, “And family.”
My blood starts to simmer. “I thought I was coming home to the family, Dad. Not business matters."
A short silence comes over the line, and I know my father is absolutely fuming because he let that slip.
“Get yourself back to Florida. We’ll talk when you’re home."
I take another deep breath, counting to three in my head. The last thing I want is to get into another fight with him, especially with Claire waiting some distance away. I don’t want this night to be ruined.
"Look, Dad," I say carefully, "I need to clearly state that I’m coming home just to see you guys. I'm not going to be some pawn you use to push Henry around."
My father lets out a frustrated grunt. “Just get home soon Robert. Or I’m going to find you myself."
"As long as you promise not to use me as leverage against my brother again. You know I'm happy working at TenderCare."
There's a tense silence on the other end of the line. I do feel bad for him. I used to have a strong desire to please him. But then I matured and understood that he just pitted me against Henry, using competition as a twisted form of motivation for both of us.
It was another reason I walked away from Sawyer Pharmaceuticals, determined not to return. The battle was exhausting, and I didn’t want to ruin what little relationship I had left with my brother with competition.
"Dad?" He doesn’t answer me, but I can still hear the sound of his breath through the phone. "You need to settle whatever issue you have with Henry between yourselves. Don't drag me into the middle of it again."
The disconnecting sound rings in my ear. I stare at the phone screen, feeling a sense of frustration grip my jaws. With a defeated sigh, I shove the phone back into my pocket. The urge to return to the warmth of the fire and Claire's side clashes with the lingering tension from the call.
Squaring my shoulders, I turn to walk back towards the fire. Just as I reach the circle’s edge, my phone vibrates again.
Is he calling again?
I look down at the screen to see Henry's name. My stomach clenches. Why’s my brother calling so soon after Dad? I tap the answer button, bringing the phone to my ear.
"Henry," I greet cautiously.
"Bob." His voice comes through the speaker, flat and emotionless. “Where are you?"
I hesitate for a moment. “I'm in Dallas."
"Why aren't you back in Florida?"
I clench my jaw. Here we go again. “You know why.”
There's a long silence on the other end of the line. Then, Henry speaks again, his voice surprisingly calm.
"Don't use me as an excuse, Bob," he mumbles. “I can handle Dad on my own. You do what you need to do. Just…come back when you're ready."
Before I can respond, he hangs up. I stare at the phone, the hollow in my gut suddenly feels like it’s doubled. The conversation with my father had drained me, and this call with Henry just compounded the feeling.
All I want is what's best for my family, while I’m as far from it as possible. I want all of us to be happy in our own ways. But I’m stuck in the middle of a power-tripping Dad who’d like to use me to pressure my brother for some reason and a brother too stubborn to accept my help.
Rubbing a hand across my face, I growl, “Why does everyone always misunderstand me?”
Maybe I should get t-shirts printed with ‘I’m just trying to live. Don’t make it weird,' or ‘It’s not that complicated,’ or ‘Wait, That’s Not What I Meant!’ I’ll get matching ones for Claire. We can be the poster children for family-induced existential crises.
“I don’t misunderstand you.”
I feel arms wrap around my waist and Claire’s warm body presses against my back.
"Hey," she murmurs softly. "Everything alright?"
I force a smile, turning around to face her. Deep concern is etched on her face.
"Yeah, just some…family stuff," I mumble.
Her eyes narrow, searching mine for more than ‘ just stuff’ . "Come on," she says, leading me back toward our spot under a large oak tree.
We settle down on a patch of soft grass and Claire hands me a cold can of beer. She pops open her own and clinks it against mine with a playful smile.
"Alright," she says. "I just want you to know that I owe you one…two…heck, maybe even a million since I dragged you into the caves of wild Carters. You’re in my family stuff already, so if you want to let your stuff off your chest, I’m all ears."
I chuckle. Claire sees right through me, and she has a unique way of framing things so you don’t feel like you’re burdening her.
I take a long swig from the beer, watching her face. The little curve of her lips, the way the moonlight bathes her face in a gentle radiance.
No one understands me better than her.
"It's my Dad," I begin, my voice low. “He wants me to come home, so he forced Tom’s hand to give me a compulsory break, in turn giving TenderCare the biggest boost it will ever see…" I trail off, unsure how to explain the tangled mess back in Florida.
"He wants you to work for him now?"
I shrug. “That’s his ultimate goal, I think. But for now, I think he wants me home to put pressure on my brother Henry and get his way about a business deal.”
“Ohhh,” Claire drawls, bobbing her hair around as she nods.
"He's always pitted us against each other to get the best out of us. It’s why I walked out. I can't go back and get sucked into that again."
Claire reaches out and squeezes my hand. “I’ve never known anyone to get you to do what you don’t want to, Bobby."
I let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah. That person is my father."
She leans back against the tree trunk, letting out a long sigh. “Tell you what," a mischievous glint flashes in her eyes. “We have one more thing in common — messed up family dynamics."
My eyebrows rise. Claire has never told me why she’s never felt at home in the Carter family, but spending the last few days here has given me a hint.
She nods, a shadow crossing her features. “My whole life, I wanted to follow in my mom's footsteps and become this amazing artist like she was. But…the truth is, it brings up a lot of painful memories for my grandparents. And mentioning her is taboo in this family. Bad for me that I look like her…"
Her voice trails off, and I can see the pain in her eyes. I reach out and place a comforting hand on hers.
"Hey. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
She gives my hand a squeeze. “Thanks. Anyway, medicine? That was a decision I made so that I can at least become like my dad and stop being such a disappointment to Gramps and Mimi."
“I’ve seen them around you, Claire. I don’t think they see you as a disappointment.”
“Most of the rest of the family do, though.”
"Well, screw them then," I cheer, raising my can in a mock toast. “They don’t matter."
Claire throws her head back and laughs loudly. A couple of the people around us look over to see what is going on.
The tension seems to ease a little after that.
"So…" Claire sits up. "What should we do about our messes?”
"Should we just pack it all in and become wandering nomads?"
“Hmm, let me consult with the heavens." I raise my eyes towards the stars, gesturing dramatically towards the sky. After waiting for a couple of breaths, I grin at Claire.
"I think they’re saying we should just chuck our drinks and be quiet.”
“Why?”
“You’re asking me, or the skies?”
Claire bursts out laughing again and then raises her can towards me. “To messy lives and uncertain futures."
I clink my can against hers, a grin spreading across my face. “Cheers to that," I reply. “And hey, maybe the sky has a point. Maybe tonight, we just relax and worry about tomorrow… tomorrow."
“That sounds nice.” She laughs and brings her can to her lips.
I follow suit. We may not have all the answers, but for now, we have each other, and under the vast expanse of the night sky, that feels like enough for now.