Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
JAY
California sunshine flooded Jay’s vision when he walked out the main doors of Sienna Place, the treatment center he credited with helping him reclaim his life.
He crossed the parking lot to his SUV, stopping to pop the rear hatch.
With care, he maneuvered the large canvas in place.
He still hadn’t seen it in person—at Calvin’s request. He respected Jay and wanted him to have a private moment to view it.
So, it remained hidden beneath layers of thick, brown paper on the table between them, undisturbed, during their hour-plus talk in Dr. Larson’s office.
Settled in behind the wheel, Jay closed his eyes, his head falling back against the headrest. For several minutes he sat very still, digesting everything that had transpired.
He hadn’t known what to expect and had run through a number of scenarios on the drive out to the center.
But thanks to Dr. Larson, what could have been a tense and emotionally draining situation ended up being nothing short of amazing.
A monumental lesson in fate. He sighed, overcome with peace—a peace which confirmed that taking the next step with Claire was one hundred percent the right choice.
He wriggled his cell phone from his pocket. Rob made him promise to call with the highlights as soon as the meeting concluded. Jay never even heard the call ring, meaning Rob must have been sitting with his phone in hand.
"Abby and I are dying over here. I’ve got you on speaker,” Rob answered.
“Hey, Jay,” Abby said.
“Hi, Abby,” Jay said.
“Tell us everything,” Rob insisted.
"Well, we met with Dr. Larson. I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I mean, his name carries a lot of weight in this town.
But there was nothing pretentious or flashy about him.
Except his wheelchair. He has a pretty kickass-looking wheelchair.
Anyway, I just let him talk. About the accident.
About his guilt. About his recovery and his new partnership with Dr. Larson and the center.
“A partnership that was your idea, Jay. You made this happen,” Rob praised.
“No, you had the idea for me to consult Dr. Larson, remember?” Jay said.
“We’re really proud of you, Jay. You could have just let this go, but you stepped up. I think it was good for both of you,” Abby said.
“He must have apologized to me a dozen times. He kept saying, "If your wife hadn’t stopped to help me, she might still be here. Of course, there’s no way of knowing what might have happened.
We make a bajillion little decisions every time we step foot out into the world.
There is no sure thing. He got pretty emotional at one point. We both did.”
“Jesus H, Jay. I don’t know how you did it,” Rob said.
“I did it because I can’t move forward with Claire until I have fully accepted every aspect of Hope’s death.
Also, it wasn’t just me. I owe so much to Dr. Larson.
He brought us together. And now he and Calvin are planning to team up on a regular basis, working with patients who’ve experienced similar trauma.
He’s gonna make a huge impact just by sharing his own story. ”
“I’ve got to say it again. We are so proud of how you’ve worked to come to terms with this. And how you’ve influenced someone like Calvin Butterworth in the process,” Abby added.
"Thank you,” Jay said. “I need him to know I don’t blame him in any way for Hope’s death. It was an accident. I’ve moved on in my personal life, and I encouraged him to do the same.”
"Are you gonna make your flight in time to surprise Claire?" Rob asked.
“Wait. I thought she knew you were coming to New York,” Abby said, confused.
“I’m flying in ahead of schedule,” Jay said. “I’m gonna sneak in, surprise her, and spoil her all week.”
“Didn’t you hear, babe? Jay’s romantic now,” Rob said.