AFTER A solid night’s rest, Allison recovered from her migraine. I followed her down the hall and studied her cautious movements as she made her way toward the living room. She froze behind the sofa and took a slow look around. The area was clear of boxes and the unpacked items had been arranged in their proper places. True happiness lit Allison’s face for the first time since she’d arrived from Maryland.
“You must have been up all night,” she said with a hint of admiration. “Did you sleep?”
“Heide helped me, so it didn’t take as long as you might think.” I edged past Allison, pausing to kiss her forehead on my way to the kitchen. “Follow me. Let me make you some breakfast.”
Allison complied and took a seat at the breakfast bar. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the morning sunshine filtering through the bay window.
“Just some toast, please,” she said. “I’m not ready for anything else right now.”
I kept my voice quiet on purpose. “How about some hot tea?”
She nodded, taking care not to move her head too much. After filling the tea kettle and setting it on the stove, I approached Allison and massaged her scalp. She didn’t resist me. She even leaned into my touch and closed her eyes in relaxation.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay home with you today,” I told her. “If this wasn’t my second day…”
“It’s all right, Jack. I promise to take it easy.”
“I could take Heide to work with me. That way you can rest more.”
“I appreciate it, but she’ll be fine here.”
“I’m sorry we fought yesterday.” My apology to Allison was long overdue and woefully inadequate, but I didn’t want to cause her further distress by pushing.
“Me, too.”
“Are you able to look at me for a moment?” I asked.
She took her time opening her eyes, but once she focused on me, her gaze was full of curiosity.
I kept massaging her scalp as I spoke. “I made a promise to you when you agreed to let me take the job here, and I can see how much we need to go to marriage counseling. We don’t have to go into everything now, but I don’t want you to worry about this anymore. I’m working on finding us a therapist. I just need a few more days for everything to fall into place. Can you give me a week or so?”
Allison nodded and smiled, concentrating on my massage. I sidelined the conversation and kept stroking her hairline until her light breakfast was ready. I washed my hands and then prepared her toast and tea. I left her to eat so I could finish dressing for work.
That afternoon, I made good on my plans to tour the hospital. Thanks to Kathleen’s connections, I was able to meet with healthcare professionals and methodically collected business cards along the way. After dinner, I took the stack of cards and placed them into Allison’s palm.
“I want you to research these doctors and make the choice you’re most comfortable with,” I said. “I’m fine speaking with any of them.”
“Should I make the appointment?” she asked me.
“Yes. Let me know when it is, and I’ll set aside the time for it.”
“Thank you, Jack.”
Allison went ahead with her research and made a choice, but as new patients, we had to wait three weeks for our first appointment. This aggravated her, but she occupied herself by focusing her energy and attention on putting the rest of our new house in order. Within days, Heide began school and her first season of soccer. We settled into something of a normal routine.
One afternoon, Robert called me to his office. When I entered the room, he beckoned me to sit down. He was never one to beat around the bush and this encounter was no exception. As soon as I settled in my chair, he got right to the point.
“We’re hosting a formal welcome reception for you. I told Kathleen to make the arrangements. She’s set up an after-hours event here with the chamber of commerce. She’s also contacted the local media to cover it, so you can expect to be interviewed. Your wife should attend, too.”
Bend wasn’t a small town, but the community was close-knit and seizing opportunities to be welcomed into the circle was vital to my success at Aurora. “That shouldn’t be a problem. What is the date?”
Robert glanced at a piece of paper resting on the surface of his executive desk. “Next Wednesday.”
I hesitated. Allison had set our first therapy appointment for that same evening. “What time?” I asked.
“Five thirty. It should only take a couple of hours.”
I gave my temple a quick scratch. “All right. Sure. We’ll both be there.”
“Excellent. That’s all I needed, Jack. Thanks for popping in.”
I went back to my office and closed the door for a few moments of privacy. I picked up my cell phone and called Allison right away. This was a conversation I preferred to have sooner rather than later. And one I favored to have over the phone.
“Hi,” she greeted me happily. “What’s up?”
“We need to talk about something. Do you have a minute or two?”
“Yeah. Sure. Go ahead.”
I told Allison about the welcome reception. As expected, my news was less than welcome.
“Did you explain that you can’t do anything that evening?”
“No, Allison.”
“Jack…”
“The whole thing has been arranged. People have been invited and the local news is going to cover it. It’s beyond my control. From the sound of things, we were the last ones to find out about it. I’m sorry.”
“Damn it. Fine. I’ll call the doctor’s office and change the appointment.”
“Take whatever you can get. I’ll make it work. I promise.”
“All right. I’ll call now and get back to you.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“I understand. I’m not happy about it, but I understand.”
“Thanks again.”
I ended the call before the moment disintegrated for either of us. After I finished my day’s work and drove home, Allison greeted me with two items of good news. Not only had she rescheduled our appointment for earlier in the day, she had also reached out to the mother of one of Heide’s new friends. The two girls were going to have a sleepover on the night of the reception.
With this welcome surprise, I was hopeful that Allison was ready to resume our physical relationship. I looked forward to both the reception and the rest of the evening.
Things were picking up for me at work. Not only had I inherited a strong client base, Robert had tasked me with acquiring some long-sought-after prospects. Several days later, things took another surprising turn.
“Jack?” Kathleen called from her office just as I strolled by her open door.
I smiled, happy to have the opportunity to thank her for her work on the reception. “Hello, Kathleen.”
“I just got off the phone with Kevin at the helicopter flight school. He heard about the party tonight. I invited him to join us and offered to introduce you. But he’d rather talk business now. He’s opened some time this afternoon. I’d be happy to go with you.”
“That’s fantastic. When should we leave?”
“Is thirty minutes enough prep time? I hate to rush you. I can make a few calls and then we can leave.”
“That’s perfect. I’ll drive. Just come back to my office when you’re ready.”
The meeting at the flight school was my first opportunity to watch Kathleen in her true element. As I stood by her side and watched her charm Kevin, I was impressed with her ability to interact with him without acting phony. She had lived in Bend for most of her life, and she knew the place and its residents very well. Kathleen’s local knowledge complemented my industry acumen. Together, we secured the firm’s newest client over pleasant conversation, a bit of creative brainstorming, and a tour of the school’s fleet of helicopters.
As we made our way back to the office, it became clear to me that Kathleen’s suggestion to attend the meeting was a smart move on her part. I was the stranger from the East Coast and Kathleen’s inclusion and endorsement of me in front of any would-be client made for an exceptional seal of approval. She’d taken hold of an organic social opportunity and made the meeting happen. I owed her for this successful acquisition.
“I feel like celebrating,” I told her spontaneously. “Are you in a rush to get back?”
She acted surprised but smiled. “I have some time.”
Without putting too much thought into it, I drove us to the Riverhouse. When Kathleen realized where we were headed, she turned to me. “I haven’t been here in so long.”
“The good weather will disappear soon. It’s such a nice day. I thought we could sit outside next to the river.”
Kathleen looked away from me and gazed at the entrance to the lounge. She grew quiet but only for a few moments before nodding. “All right. Let’s do it.”