and heard his side of
the story. They implied it was my fault she did what she did—that
if I had stayed out of it she would’ve gone to the hospital like
she and Rick had decided and she’d be alive today.”
I was horrified to hear that his parents
would suggest such a thing. “You can’t blame yourself,” I said.
His eyes lifted and met mine. “I try not
to.” He ate slowly. “My parents swept everything under the carpet.
They didn’t attend Angela’s funeral and they defended Rick to other
people. They basically threw me under the bus, and that’s why I
haven’t spoken to them or my brother in ten years.”
Diana and I exchanged glances.
“Rick never mentioned any of that to us,” I
said. “But he was pretty up front about not wanting to get married
or have kids.”
“Not at first,” Diana reminded me. “He
always said everything I wanted to hear. He presented himself as
perfect husband material and I honestly thought we’d end up
together.”
Jesse seemed to be listening, but he offered
no response.
“I tried calling him after I received the
lawyer’s letter,” Diana said, “but his phone was disconnected.
We’re wondering if he might be involved with someone new and maybe
that’s why he wants Ellen.”
I moved my salad around on my plate. “Maybe
he finally met the right woman who would be a perfect mother
and he’s a changed man.”
Diana gave me a look. “There’s no point
speculating. I’ll be talking to his lawyer soon enough.”
Jesse reached for his water. “I’m sorry I
can’t be of more help, but I really have no idea what’s going on in
Rick’s life these days. You probably know more than I do.”
“Probably,” I replied, “but what we do know
seems consistent with the brother you just described, so it doesn’t
sound like he’s changed much.”
Jacob’s cell phone rang. He reached into his
pocket to check the call display. “Sorry,” he said, “but I have to
take this.” He stood up and left the table to answer it. A few
minutes later he returned. “That was the hospital and I have to go.
Do you need a ride back to work?” he asked Diana.
“I have my umbrella,” she said. “I can
walk.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, you go ahead.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek, shook
Jesse’s hand and said, “It was nice meeting you.” Then he hurried
out the door into the driving wind and rain.
“Do you work nearby?” Jesse asked Diana.
“Because I can give you a lift.”
“I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” she
said.
“It’s no trouble.” Then he turned to me.
“Where are you headed, Nadia?”
I wiped my lips with the linen napkin. “I
have to get home to Ellen. We live in Beacon Hill.”
It didn’t occur to me until after I spoke
the words that Diana had arranged for us to meet Jesse downtown for
a reason, and I had just upset that turnip cart by revealing where
we lived.
“I’d be happy to give you a ride too,” he
said, “if you need one.”
I met Diana’s gaze and she shrugged, as if
she was no longer concerned that he might be an axe murderer.
“That would be nice,” I said. “Thank you.”
Then Diana asked the waitress to bring the check.
* * *
After we dropped Diana off at her office,
Jesse headed toward Beacon Hill and I found myself rambling on and
on, confessing all my doubts and concerns about the situation with
Rick.
“It’s tough because he’s Ellen’s father, and
ethically and legally I don’t have the right to keep him from
seeing her. It’s not like he has a criminal record or anything and
he certainly wasn’t abusive toward me or Diana. He just didn’t want
the responsibility of a family. He didn’t want to marry me and I
can’t blame him for that. I’m no picnic. Not that I’m chopped liver
or anything, but you know, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. It
happens all the time and who am I to tell Ellen that she can’t know
her father? If I tried to keep her from seeing him, I’m sure
the story. They implied it was my fault she did what she did—that
if I had stayed out of it she would’ve gone to the hospital like
she and Rick had decided and she’d be alive today.”
I was horrified to hear that his parents
would suggest such a thing. “You can’t blame yourself,” I said.
His eyes lifted and met mine. “I try not
to.” He ate slowly. “My parents swept everything under the carpet.
They didn’t attend Angela’s funeral and they defended Rick to other
people. They basically threw me under the bus, and that’s why I
haven’t spoken to them or my brother in ten years.”
Diana and I exchanged glances.
“Rick never mentioned any of that to us,” I
said. “But he was pretty up front about not wanting to get married
or have kids.”
“Not at first,” Diana reminded me. “He
always said everything I wanted to hear. He presented himself as
perfect husband material and I honestly thought we’d end up
together.”
Jesse seemed to be listening, but he offered
no response.
“I tried calling him after I received the
lawyer’s letter,” Diana said, “but his phone was disconnected.
We’re wondering if he might be involved with someone new and maybe
that’s why he wants Ellen.”
I moved my salad around on my plate. “Maybe
he finally met the right woman who would be a perfect mother
and he’s a changed man.”
Diana gave me a look. “There’s no point
speculating. I’ll be talking to his lawyer soon enough.”
Jesse reached for his water. “I’m sorry I
can’t be of more help, but I really have no idea what’s going on in
Rick’s life these days. You probably know more than I do.”
“Probably,” I replied, “but what we do know
seems consistent with the brother you just described, so it doesn’t
sound like he’s changed much.”
Jacob’s cell phone rang. He reached into his
pocket to check the call display. “Sorry,” he said, “but I have to
take this.” He stood up and left the table to answer it. A few
minutes later he returned. “That was the hospital and I have to go.
Do you need a ride back to work?” he asked Diana.
“I have my umbrella,” she said. “I can
walk.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, you go ahead.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek, shook
Jesse’s hand and said, “It was nice meeting you.” Then he hurried
out the door into the driving wind and rain.
“Do you work nearby?” Jesse asked Diana.
“Because I can give you a lift.”
“I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” she
said.
“It’s no trouble.” Then he turned to me.
“Where are you headed, Nadia?”
I wiped my lips with the linen napkin. “I
have to get home to Ellen. We live in Beacon Hill.”
It didn’t occur to me until after I spoke
the words that Diana had arranged for us to meet Jesse downtown for
a reason, and I had just upset that turnip cart by revealing where
we lived.
“I’d be happy to give you a ride too,” he
said, “if you need one.”
I met Diana’s gaze and she shrugged, as if
she was no longer concerned that he might be an axe murderer.
“That would be nice,” I said. “Thank you.”
Then Diana asked the waitress to bring the check.
* * *
After we dropped Diana off at her office,
Jesse headed toward Beacon Hill and I found myself rambling on and
on, confessing all my doubts and concerns about the situation with
Rick.
“It’s tough because he’s Ellen’s father, and
ethically and legally I don’t have the right to keep him from
seeing her. It’s not like he has a criminal record or anything and
he certainly wasn’t abusive toward me or Diana. He just didn’t want
the responsibility of a family. He didn’t want to marry me and I
can’t blame him for that. I’m no picnic. Not that I’m chopped liver
or anything, but you know, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. It
happens all the time and who am I to tell Ellen that she can’t know
her father? If I tried to keep her from seeing him, I’m sure
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