car’s right here. I have to get up early tomorrow, and your dad wore
me down more than usual.”
“Fine,”
I said. My tone was exasperated, but I took his hand. “Come on, old man.”
CHAPTER 1 0
IT HAD BEEN OVER A WEEK since my
phone call with David. I stared longingly at my e-mail, wondering if he’d
received my invitation to the Meet & Greet I’d planned. Most others had
responded to the message immediately. I nervously twisted the pen in my hand.
What would happen if he backed out of the feature? Would it cost me the
promotion? Would I be able to move on and forget the things that had been
slowly awakening in me? A week was only a drop in the bucket, but it felt like
ages. I wanted to hear that endlessly deep voice in my ear or see his eyebrows
knit thoughtfully as he watched me talk.
A
loud vibration against my desk jarred me from my thoughts.
“Hi
Davena,” I said into my cell phone.
“Actually
it’s Mack, dear.”
“Oh!
Well hello Mack, then.”
“Sorry
to bother you at work.”
“No
problem at all. What’s up?” I asked, standing to close the door.
“We
aren’t going to make it to dinner with your friends tomorrow night.”
“Is
everything all right?” At his tone, I steadied myself against the desk.
“Things
have been better. She’s not well, dear.” I wasn’t sure if I’d heard his voice
break. “She insists that she’s fine, but I’d like to keep her home for now.”
“What
do the doctors say?”
“Well,
she contracted an infection a few weeks ago and has lost considerable weight.
This happened once before, during her first round of chemo, and it took months
to recover. After what she’s been through, I’m not sure she has the strength to
fight it off again.”
“Oh,
Mack. I’m so sorry.” I wished I were there to give him a hug. I’d never heard
him so distraught, and I realized it was because he’d always had to be strong
for Davena. Without her, his distress was apparent. “She’s the toughest lady I
know,” I reassured him. “She’ll be fine, don’t you worry.”
“She may
not be, Liv. Just keep that in mind.”
I responded
with shocked silence. Davena was untouchable – if she couldn’t lick
cancer, who could?
“I
should go,” his voice cut into my thoughts. “She’ll be wanting some tomato soup
just about now, and I’m going to run to her favorite deli. Please give Lucy our
regrets.”
When
I’d hung up, I sat thinking about their relationship. As long as I’d known
them, they’d loved hard and fought hard. In the end, Mack always stood by her,
never letting anything touch her. The body that he’d loved so intensely was
turning against him, and it was out of his control. I shuddered at the thought.
I
wondered how my relationship compared to theirs. How would Bill deal if I were
that sick? Would he know how to take care of me? Anticipate my cravings for
tomato soup? Mack and Davena had been married over thirty years, I figured.
Surely, in thirty years, Bill would know me inside out.
~
“Catch that
game the other night?” Bill called to the doorman as we passed through Andrew
and Lucy’s lobby.
“Total
destruction, man. We on our way!”
“You
know it,” he said as we entered the elevator.
“Did
I mention that you look handsome tonight?” I asked when the doors had closed.
“Think
so? If you play your cards right, you might get lucky.”
“Is
that so?” I teased. “Well I have a surprise for you if that’s true.”
“What
is it?”
“I’ll
tell you later.”
“What
is it? I don’t like surprises.”
“Come
on, just - ”
“Seriously,
what is it?”
“Okay,
I started taking birth control,” I said, grinning. “No more condoms. Although
actually, we can’t start for a few more days, and I think I’d like to give it
another week just to be safe – what?” I asked when I noticed his
expression.
The
elevator pinged and he stepped off.
me down more than usual.”
“Fine,”
I said. My tone was exasperated, but I took his hand. “Come on, old man.”
CHAPTER 1 0
IT HAD BEEN OVER A WEEK since my
phone call with David. I stared longingly at my e-mail, wondering if he’d
received my invitation to the Meet & Greet I’d planned. Most others had
responded to the message immediately. I nervously twisted the pen in my hand.
What would happen if he backed out of the feature? Would it cost me the
promotion? Would I be able to move on and forget the things that had been
slowly awakening in me? A week was only a drop in the bucket, but it felt like
ages. I wanted to hear that endlessly deep voice in my ear or see his eyebrows
knit thoughtfully as he watched me talk.
A
loud vibration against my desk jarred me from my thoughts.
“Hi
Davena,” I said into my cell phone.
“Actually
it’s Mack, dear.”
“Oh!
Well hello Mack, then.”
“Sorry
to bother you at work.”
“No
problem at all. What’s up?” I asked, standing to close the door.
“We
aren’t going to make it to dinner with your friends tomorrow night.”
“Is
everything all right?” At his tone, I steadied myself against the desk.
“Things
have been better. She’s not well, dear.” I wasn’t sure if I’d heard his voice
break. “She insists that she’s fine, but I’d like to keep her home for now.”
“What
do the doctors say?”
“Well,
she contracted an infection a few weeks ago and has lost considerable weight.
This happened once before, during her first round of chemo, and it took months
to recover. After what she’s been through, I’m not sure she has the strength to
fight it off again.”
“Oh,
Mack. I’m so sorry.” I wished I were there to give him a hug. I’d never heard
him so distraught, and I realized it was because he’d always had to be strong
for Davena. Without her, his distress was apparent. “She’s the toughest lady I
know,” I reassured him. “She’ll be fine, don’t you worry.”
“She may
not be, Liv. Just keep that in mind.”
I responded
with shocked silence. Davena was untouchable – if she couldn’t lick
cancer, who could?
“I
should go,” his voice cut into my thoughts. “She’ll be wanting some tomato soup
just about now, and I’m going to run to her favorite deli. Please give Lucy our
regrets.”
When
I’d hung up, I sat thinking about their relationship. As long as I’d known
them, they’d loved hard and fought hard. In the end, Mack always stood by her,
never letting anything touch her. The body that he’d loved so intensely was
turning against him, and it was out of his control. I shuddered at the thought.
I
wondered how my relationship compared to theirs. How would Bill deal if I were
that sick? Would he know how to take care of me? Anticipate my cravings for
tomato soup? Mack and Davena had been married over thirty years, I figured.
Surely, in thirty years, Bill would know me inside out.
~
“Catch that
game the other night?” Bill called to the doorman as we passed through Andrew
and Lucy’s lobby.
“Total
destruction, man. We on our way!”
“You
know it,” he said as we entered the elevator.
“Did
I mention that you look handsome tonight?” I asked when the doors had closed.
“Think
so? If you play your cards right, you might get lucky.”
“Is
that so?” I teased. “Well I have a surprise for you if that’s true.”
“What
is it?”
“I’ll
tell you later.”
“What
is it? I don’t like surprises.”
“Come
on, just - ”
“Seriously,
what is it?”
“Okay,
I started taking birth control,” I said, grinning. “No more condoms. Although
actually, we can’t start for a few more days, and I think I’d like to give it
another week just to be safe – what?” I asked when I noticed his
expression.
The
elevator pinged and he stepped off.
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