Chapter 7
Mom’s coffee was taking a crazy long time. Dad had left to check on her hours ago. Kyle had even managed a brief snooze, before a nurse’s arrival for the latest blood pressure testing had woken him and he’d realized he must’ve dropped off.
He checked his phone messages, saw he had a bunch of new ones from Mitch and the other Northwest Ice guys, plus a few from his teammates.
He spent some time replying, then soon felt an inner sense to pray again. To pray specifically for Gen. He really hoped his mom hadn’t taken it upon herself to tell Gen what she thought of her.
He was finishing his afternoon snack of apple juice and pureed pears when his parents finally returned. Mom was in a foul mood.
“What took so long? Did they have to pick then roast the coffee beans?” he teased.
Dad shook his head at Kyle. “Not now, Son.”
Mom stomped to her seat and sat. “Can you believe she threatened to have the cops arrest me?”
“What? Who?”
“Your precious little girlfriend, that’s who,” she snarled.
Now didn’t seem to be the time to point out the very much former status of his girlfriend. “What? No. That can’t be true.”
“Oh, but it is.”
“What were you doing down there?” he asked. “You told me you were getting a coffee.”
“Well, I thought the cafeteria wasn’t too far from emergency. And I needed to make sure she knew not to bother you again, and—”
“Mom.”
“Don’t look at me like that, Son. It’s for your own good.”
“You stirring up trouble is not for my own good. Please Mom, don’t speak to Gen again. I don’t want you to feel like you need to speak on my behalf again, either.”
She inhaled sharply. “I’m only trying to help.”
Kyle pressed his lips together. Mom was never one to hear how her emotional manipulations had led to this growing distance between them.
He loved his mom, but didn’t like how she took up arms each time she felt he’d been slighted.
Maybe it was part of the price of being an only child.
Whatever. The lack of angst had been one of the reasons he liked Gen.
She’d never been one for playing games. She’d always been straightforward—Mom often said simple—but Kyle recognized it now as drama-free.
Gen had been one of those few females he knew that could shrug off emotional attacks and keep the main thing the main thing.
So he was pretty sure that Mom’s version of events was probably not even a quarter true.
“I’m pretty tired,” he announced.
“Are you saying you want us to leave?” Dad asked.
Mom, yes. Dad, not so much. Kyle fake-yawned, which triggered a real one that threatened to swallow him whole.
“Fine. I get the message,” Mom rose, collecting her handbag. “You’re still as enamored with that witch as you ever were.”
He clamped his lips together to prevent himself from saying something he might regret.
“We’ll be back tomorrow,” Dad said. He squeezed Kyle’s shoulder, saying quietly, “She bailed her up. I think she was pretty shaken.”
“She seems shaken,” he murmured.
“Not your mom,” Dad muttered.
“Are you two whispering about me again?” Mom demanded.
“It’s good to know you’re not ever paranoid,” he teased.
She sniffed. Kissed his cheek. “Make sure you get some sleep. And don’t let that woman entice you again. I won’t stand for it, you hear?”
“I hear. Loud and clear.”
“Hmm. I never really know if you mean that or if you’re just saying that to shut me up.”
Dad winked.
“Love you both.” Even if days like today made it a struggle to like his mother.
Was that unchristian to admit? He sighed after they left, glancing back at his phone’s Bible app where he’d read a verse not so long ago about honoring parents.
And while he knew he was supposed to show them respect, he didn’t feel like it meant kowtowing to their every whim. Especially when they were wrong.
Another nurse checked in on him, then Gerry returned, the sight of him like a breath of fresh air.
“Good to see you.” They gripped hands.
“How’s it feeling?”
“Still a little tender.”
They small-talked for a while, as the shadows pooled across the floor.
It was a blessing to have a private room, but he kinda wished he could be someplace he had others to talk to.
Although, now he thought about it, it was probably a good thing nobody had been around to overhear any of his former encounters with his parents.
“So, is there anything I can get you?” Gerry said.
Suddenly something became clear. “Actually, yeah.” But how to ask this without sounding pathetic. “That doctor who first treated me in the ER, Dr. Rivas. Remember her?”
Gerry smiled. “The pretty one, right? The one you said you knew.”
“Yeah.” He shifted up on the bed. “We were in school together, grew up in the same small town. I hadn’t seen her for years.”
Gerry nodded. “So you want me to see if I can get her to come visit you, is that it?”
“That’s about the sum of it, yeah. If she’s willing,” he added.
“I’ll see what I can do. Do you know what time her shift finishes?”
“No. But my mom was down there not so long ago, so I guess she’s probably still there.”
“And you reckon she’ll want to come?”
“I’ve got no idea. But I know I owe her an apology.” For his mom’s behavior if nothing else.
Sure enough, that last word seemed to soften Gerry’s reluctance as he nodded again. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Gerry. If she’s able to swing by after her shift I’d really appreciate it. I’d go down there if I could but I think she’s had enough visits from my family today. Which reminds me. You might need to let her know that my folks have gone home, so she knows the coast is clear.”
Gerry’s eyebrows lifted, and Kyle realized what he’d said.
“This just gets more and more interesting. But hey, nice to see that Tinks has a lady friend.” Gerry winked. “And a smart one at that.”
“I don’t know if she still counts herself as my friend, but I need to find out. So if you could help out a brother I’d be really grateful.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Gerry exited, and Kyle’s prayers chased him.
Lord, help Gen to forgive me, and to forgive my mom.
I know Mom thought she was helping, but I think she’s just made things worse.
You know it’s way past time for Gen and I to talk, and I can’t help but feel like You have somehow made this happen by bringing us together at this time.
So if not now, please make it soon. He gulped, as unfamiliar emotion cinched his throat. “I… I miss her, Lord.”
He closed his eyes, as more images of their time together stole through his mind.
Gen helping him study, prodding him to use his brains to be more than the sports jock others assumed. Gen encouraging him. Teasing him. Laughing. Kissing him. Gen, entwined in his arms…
Maybe he dozed for a little, because when he woke the room was dim, and a tray of untouched food was on the portable overbed table.
He eyed it, dissatisfaction streaming through his pores. This runny food diet was fast growing old.
He glanced at his phone. More missed calls—his phone was on silent—and more notifications of messages he’d need to reply to. Including one from Gerry.
Spoke to her. Seemed reluctant.
This was followed by a praying hands emoji.
Kyle sighed. Tapped back
Thanks.
But really, could he blame her? She probably thought that she’d be fed to the lions again.
A glance at the time showed it was past seven. She’d probably gone home by now. Didn’t want to talk to him. His heart burned. How he wished they could finally make things right.
He rubbed his bleary eyes, checked for the TV’s remote control.
Then movement and a light tap at the door stole his attention. “Come in.”
The door opened, and his heart skipped several beats.
Finally. She was here.
* * *
“Gen. Thanks for coming.”
She nodded, although she didn’t really know why she was here, missing her bus home and yet more valuable study time in order to talk with Kyle.
Maybe it was something about the man who claimed he was a trainer on Kyle’s team that had helped persuade her.
Gerry had seemed humble, and his insistence that Kyle needed to see her, his manner a million times removed from Mrs. Tinker’s autocratic attitude, had somehow convinced her.
That, or the realization that she needed to talk to Kyle herself.
Nerves rattled within, but she wouldn’t let him see them. She lifted her chin. “What did you want to see me about?”
Kyle shifted against the pillows. His Adam’s apple dipped as if he was nervous too. “I, uh, heard you had a run-in with my mom earlier.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I didn’t have the run-in. She’s the one who basically attacked me, pretending to have chest pains in order to see me.”
He winced. “I’m really sorry.”
Her heart softened a little. “It wasn’t your fault,” she mumbled.
“Still, she shouldn’t have done that. And I’m sorry.”
She lifted a shoulder, glanced at her watch. She might still make her bus. “Okay. Well, if that’s it, I gotta catch a bus—”
“Gen.”
His voice held a rough raspy kind of warmth, forcing her to swallow.
“Gen, it felt like a miracle to meet you here of all places. I… I’ve wondered about you so many times.”
He had? She pressed her lips together, tamping down emotions that threatened to explode within.
“And I hate this tension between us. It just feels so… so wrong. Know what I mean?”
She swallowed again. It did feel insane. How could they have shared so much of life together for ten years, then basically blanked each other for the next decade? She allowed herself the smallest of nods.
He exhaled, as if in relief. “I tried to find you a million times, but it was like you’d dropped off the face of the earth.”
That was because, to all intents and purposes, she had. She’d needed to.
“I mean, I knew we’d broken up, but it still felt unfinished, you know?”
Oh, she knew.
“And I hated feeling like that.”
She’d hated that, too.
“I don’t know if I did something that made you hate me, but if I did, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. And I hope you’ll forgive me.”