executive decision is to order a
metric ton of Chinese food. Once that task has been completed there will be a
trip to the liquor store, followed by a visit to the supermarket where we will
empty the freezer aisle of every single frigging container of Ben & Jerry’s
ice cream they have. You’re in need of a good time. I know these things. I’m
the older and much wiser sister. Arguing will get you nowhere, so don’t even try.”
Catherine gave a teary
laugh. “Sir, yes sir. You’re the bestest sister I ever had, sir.”
“I’m the only sister you’ve ever had. But, I’ll take it.”
~~~
I stayed well into the
evening and did my part to help make a dent in the ridiculous amount of Chinese
Jude ordered. No booze or ice cream for me. I had no room for it. Once the veil
of night dropped and the summer bugs started their racket, I’d offered to stay over.
Cat shot me down, but not in a bad way. She wanted to spend alone time with her
sister, an ‘impromptu girls’ night’ she’d called it. I was fine with that. I
understood.
Later, from my own
apartment, I called my mom. She was shocked and saddened by the news, as
expected, but shared in the relief both Cat and I had admitted to earlier. Mom
didn’t mention the obvious complications with Bill being a thing of the past, a
fact I was all too aware of.
It wasn’t an easy call to
make, but I made it anyway. Bill deserved to know what was going on.
He picked up on the third
ring.
“Oh. Hey, Rick,” he said
tentatively. “I was just thinking of giving you a call.”
I bet.
“Bill. I have some news I
thought you should hear. Nature’s stepped in and resolved our issue. Cat had a
miscarriage earlier today.”
“Holy shit. After all
that … it’s just over?”
“Yeah, it’s over.”
A long pause. “Wow. Unbelievable.
How’s Cat doing? She okay?”
“She’s hanging in there.
Torn between sadness and relief. We both are, but it’s much tougher for her,
obviously.”
Silence with a smattering
of static set in.
“Bill? You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Look,
Rick. About what happened …”
“Forget it. Water under
the bridge. It’s small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. We got out of it
all right.”
“So, we’re cool?”
“Yeah, man. We’re cool.
Anyway, I’m wiped, Bill. I just wanted to let you know what’s up. Her procedure’s
on Friday.”
“What procedure?”
I explained what I knew
about the upcoming D&C .
“Wow,” he said. “That
sounds brutal.”
“I know. So, I’ll keep
you posted once she’s out of surgery, okay?”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate
that. Let me know if you two need anything. Anything at all. Tell Cat I’m
thinking about her. And Rick, I’m sorry. I screwed the pooch and I apologize. I
mean it.”
“We both did, Bill. Not
the first time, sure won’t be the last.”
Ain’t that the truth.
~~~
I picked up Cat and Jude at
six in the morning that Friday. It promised to be a very long day.
Catherine shifted in the
passenger seat, wringing her fingers together as she stared out the window. “Ugh,
I’m so damned hungry.”
“We know, sis,” Jude said
from the back seat. “But you heard the doctor. No eating after six the night
before, and no water. Kinda like a gremlin.”
I was glad to have Jude’s
company. Leave it to her to inject some black humor into a morose situation. It
helped cut some of the tension we all felt.
Cat’s lips curled at the
corners. “I know. I just can’t wait for this day to be over.”
I couldn’t have agreed
more.
I spent the hours in the
waiting room worried to the point of nausea. Jude and I didn’t say much while
Catherine underwent the procedure. There was nothing to say. While the news
droned on a television suspended in the corner of the room and people came and
went, I played with Cat’s C & R bracelet. It comforted me to hold on to
something of hers, a solid, real symbol of our relationship. As long as I held
it, I
metric ton of Chinese food. Once that task has been completed there will be a
trip to the liquor store, followed by a visit to the supermarket where we will
empty the freezer aisle of every single frigging container of Ben & Jerry’s
ice cream they have. You’re in need of a good time. I know these things. I’m
the older and much wiser sister. Arguing will get you nowhere, so don’t even try.”
Catherine gave a teary
laugh. “Sir, yes sir. You’re the bestest sister I ever had, sir.”
“I’m the only sister you’ve ever had. But, I’ll take it.”
~~~
I stayed well into the
evening and did my part to help make a dent in the ridiculous amount of Chinese
Jude ordered. No booze or ice cream for me. I had no room for it. Once the veil
of night dropped and the summer bugs started their racket, I’d offered to stay over.
Cat shot me down, but not in a bad way. She wanted to spend alone time with her
sister, an ‘impromptu girls’ night’ she’d called it. I was fine with that. I
understood.
Later, from my own
apartment, I called my mom. She was shocked and saddened by the news, as
expected, but shared in the relief both Cat and I had admitted to earlier. Mom
didn’t mention the obvious complications with Bill being a thing of the past, a
fact I was all too aware of.
It wasn’t an easy call to
make, but I made it anyway. Bill deserved to know what was going on.
He picked up on the third
ring.
“Oh. Hey, Rick,” he said
tentatively. “I was just thinking of giving you a call.”
I bet.
“Bill. I have some news I
thought you should hear. Nature’s stepped in and resolved our issue. Cat had a
miscarriage earlier today.”
“Holy shit. After all
that … it’s just over?”
“Yeah, it’s over.”
A long pause. “Wow. Unbelievable.
How’s Cat doing? She okay?”
“She’s hanging in there.
Torn between sadness and relief. We both are, but it’s much tougher for her,
obviously.”
Silence with a smattering
of static set in.
“Bill? You still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Look,
Rick. About what happened …”
“Forget it. Water under
the bridge. It’s small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. We got out of it
all right.”
“So, we’re cool?”
“Yeah, man. We’re cool.
Anyway, I’m wiped, Bill. I just wanted to let you know what’s up. Her procedure’s
on Friday.”
“What procedure?”
I explained what I knew
about the upcoming D&C .
“Wow,” he said. “That
sounds brutal.”
“I know. So, I’ll keep
you posted once she’s out of surgery, okay?”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate
that. Let me know if you two need anything. Anything at all. Tell Cat I’m
thinking about her. And Rick, I’m sorry. I screwed the pooch and I apologize. I
mean it.”
“We both did, Bill. Not
the first time, sure won’t be the last.”
Ain’t that the truth.
~~~
I picked up Cat and Jude at
six in the morning that Friday. It promised to be a very long day.
Catherine shifted in the
passenger seat, wringing her fingers together as she stared out the window. “Ugh,
I’m so damned hungry.”
“We know, sis,” Jude said
from the back seat. “But you heard the doctor. No eating after six the night
before, and no water. Kinda like a gremlin.”
I was glad to have Jude’s
company. Leave it to her to inject some black humor into a morose situation. It
helped cut some of the tension we all felt.
Cat’s lips curled at the
corners. “I know. I just can’t wait for this day to be over.”
I couldn’t have agreed
more.
I spent the hours in the
waiting room worried to the point of nausea. Jude and I didn’t say much while
Catherine underwent the procedure. There was nothing to say. While the news
droned on a television suspended in the corner of the room and people came and
went, I played with Cat’s C & R bracelet. It comforted me to hold on to
something of hers, a solid, real symbol of our relationship. As long as I held
it, I
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