Chapter 6
Jake, the Not-So-Gentle-Giant
Marnee
Marnee
As soon as I hang up with Van, I text my friend and co-worker, Julie. She’s an ICU nurse and was there when Skye was admitted. She gives me a rundown of the issues. She promises to check on Skye. And she asks me not to share with the family that the doctors are not optimistic.
I download everything but the last part to Jake. He is stoic. Silent. Does lots of nodding. Then he walks over to the door and slips on his shoes.
“You ready?”
“I can be ready in ten minutes. Just let me change out of this dress and find us a flight home. Or maybe we’d have better luck at the airport. We could get on standby…”
“Ready for lunch? Our reservation is at noon. We have to get going if we’re going to be there early.”
“Jake.” I walk over to him and put my hands on his arms. His big, strong arms, under broad, powerful shoulders that carry too much. “We do not have to do this right now. We can talk. Or not talk. Whatever you need. But work isn’t important right now.”
“You know my sister. You think she would want us to skip this and come home for a little hospital visit?”
“Jake, I don’t know if you understand the severity of her condition. This is not a little hospital visit. You should be there.”
“When my sister wakes up and asks me how this went, you think I want to be standing there saying I ran home like a little bitch? She’ll kick my ass.” His voice is light and airy. Like Skye is in for a routine tonsillectomy or something.
“She won’t. If your sister wakes up, she won’t be kicking anyone’s ass for a while. She’s going to need help. Around the house and with Saoibhin.”
“Trust me, Flapjack.” He smiles and takes my hand. “My sister isn’t leaving this earth until she conquers it. Having a kid has changed her. Changed all of us, really. This is a hiccup. We’ll do what we need to here. Then we’ll go home and help. This will all work out. Trust me.”
This is Jake. He just barrels forward. Even when his heart is broken. Even when he’s lost everything. Even when he’s scared.
Right now, he’s terrified. I can see it in his beautiful blue eyes.
Still, he does whatever hard thing he has to do, despite whatever feelings are weighing him down. Sometimes I wonder if he breaks down alone. Cries or screams or breaks shit. I certainly do.
He and I have talked a lot over the past several months, but mostly he’s listened.
What I continue to gather from the way he approaches life is that he believes in the people around him.
He believes in the light and the good, even when everything is dark.
One night after too much Irish whiskey he admitted to me that he believed in the Tooth Fairy until he was twelve.
And that she used to leave him hundred-dollar bills.
The thing is, Jake isn’t naive or stupid, he’s trusting and optimistic.
He’s the good everyone needs in their life.
And I’m lucky enough to be on an island with him.
There are clouds all around us, it’s now pouring rain, and his sister is in serious medical peril.
But he smiles and takes my arm. He’s leading me to lunch.
I am beyond lucky to be here with him, my best friend.
So instead of fighting against the greatness that is this not-so-gentle giant, I follow his lead.
“Understood. Lunch it is. Lovey-dovey style, if I’m not mistaken. You take care of today, and I’ll take care of flights tomorrow. Deal?”
“Deal.”
His phone rings, and his cheek loses its dimple.
“My mother.” He rolls his eyes and answers the phone.
“Hey, Ma. Yeah, I know. She’s going to be okay.
Because she’s Skye, that’s why. No, I’m not in town, but I’m heading home tomorrow.
Yes, I’ll take care of everything. No, I don’t think you should do that.
No, I don’t think she wants you to take Saoibhin to Hawaii.
There’s a custody battle happening, Ma. No, I don’t think Van wants you to stay at the house.
Ma, don’t panic. Yes, I’ll come see you soon.
Yes, I promise. No, I’m not dating anyone.
No, I’m not wallowing. Ma, I have to go.
I’ll text you if I hear anything. You, too. ”
Jake manages to take the news of his only sister being in grave medical peril well, but a two-minute conversation with his mother has completely drained him. He looks exhausted. I’m always surprised that she was Saoirse’s best friend. They could not have been more different.
We take a golf cart to the front lobby because of the rain, and while we wait for a cab to the restaurant, I open the website for the airline, and book two tickets for an eleven o’clock flight out of here tomorrow morning. It pretty much maxes out my credit card.
I take a deep breath and resign myself to eating ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese for the rest of the month until I get paid again.
At least I can order something fancy for lunch.