The Family Doctor by Bobby Hutchinson Page A

insulting Mother by having anything to do with him.”
    Wilson obviously hadn’t read the same books Kate had.
    â€œThe dinner isn’t open for discussion, and neither are my actions,” Tony said, holding up a warning palm.
    His older brother was oblivious. “Just out of respect for Mother, you ought to cancel,” Wilson insisted.
    Tony was hanging on to his temper by a thread. “That’s not gonna happen, Wilson,” he reiterated in an even tone. “And like I’ve said already, the dinner isn’t open for discussion.”
    â€œYou’re deliberately causing trouble in the family over this,” Wilson accused. “And you’re causing Mom a lot of pain.”
    That was Dorothy’s cue, and she didn’t miss a beat. “Goodness knows I’ve done my best all these years for all of you,” she whined. “And I don’t see how you can go behind my back like this and even think of speaking to that horrible man. He deserted us, he walked out when Georgia was little morethan a baby. He has no right to come back now and cause trouble like this.”
    Tony couldn’t stay calm any longer. “He sent money to help support us all,” he stated, knowing that his voice was rising. “You always leave that little detail out, Mom. He could have just disappeared, but he didn’t. He wrote letters and tried to keep in touch.” The usual frustration and anger were building in him. He’d been through this countless times with his mother, and it typically ended with her in near hysterics and him wanting to put his fist through the nearest wall.
    He could have repeated word for word her next salvo.
    â€œWhat kind of father leaves his family and goes off to Australia without a backward glance? And takes a precious ring that doesn’t belong to him? My father gave me that ring, and now that floozy your father’s shacked up with is probably wearing it.”
    As happened whenever this subject arose, Dorothy’s voice vibrated with angry passion. “And now you plan to greet him with open arms, as if he never did anything wrong. How can you do this to your own mother, Tony? After all I’ve done for you?”
    He had to bite his tongue until it nearly bled to keep from telling her that the doing was a two-way street. She’d raised them, and she’d worked hard to do it, he didn’t discount that. But for years now heand his brother and sisters had done whatever they could for their mother, financially and emotionally. They’d paid for a trip to Hawaii for her birthday, they’d surprised her with special dinners on Mother’s Day, they’d made certain she had enough money in her pension plan to more than provide for her needs.
    Tony paid her a generous salary for caring for McKensy, and he looked after all the household expenses. But he was coming to realize that Dorothy was like a black hole, which no amount of affection or gifts or money or reassurance could fill.
    Remembering the escalating voices and the loud and angry quarrel that ensued, Tony felt ashamed. He knew by her troubled expression that McKensy had heard at least some of it. Afterward, Dorothy had donned a martyred expression and murmured about a vicious headache, and Tony, as usual, had felt like a jerk.
    â€œI’m sure Grammy’s head is better by now,” Tony assured his daughter. “If it’s not, I’ll give her something for it and send her to bed early.”
    â€œOkay.” McKensy’s frown didn’t go away, however. “My grandfather Ford who’s coming to see us? He was your daddy, right?”
    â€œRight.”
    â€œWas he nice to you when you were little, like you are to me?”
    â€œYes. He was a nice man, and a good father. He is a nice man.”
    â€œThen why did he steal from my grammy?” McKensy’s gray eyes were puzzled. “She says he took something from her that