Carl

It was weird because Ted’s car was out front, the one that Melanie used, but she was nowhere around. It’d been a couple of days and I hadn’t seen her, even though I’d been over to Scott’s house both days for several hours hanging drywall. I couldn’t ask because it would seem to Scott that I was still interested in his sister, so instead I had to wonder what happened or where she was.

Finally on the third day, I ran into Mary and asked her because it was really starting to bother me. Last time Melanie had tried to get some time alone with me I had blown her off and I didn’t like that our last conversation somehow still lingered because I hadn’t seen her since.

“I noticed Ted’s car is out front, but I haven’t seen your daughter.”

Mary smiled at me in a way that I didn’t understand. She had this knowing look and her expression told me that she had a secret. I didn’t know what it was, but I didn’t like the idea of it.

“She went back to college.”

“Oh.”

It was all I could say because I wasn’t expecting her to be gone. She hadn’t said goodbye or anything to me, though the way that I’d acted the last time I saw her, it was hard to blame her.

“Is something wrong dear?”

Why did it feel like Mary knew that something was wrong and that she knew what exactly was wrong with me? I don’t see how she could know, but I got this strange feeling that she knew more than she should have. Melanie wouldn’t have said anything, right?

“No, nothing is wrong Ma’am. I was just wondering is all. I thought she was back for the summer.”

Mary was paying attention to my face and I wanted to cover it up because I was sure that she would be able to see the expression I had and then she would know. Know what, I wasn’t sure. I still didn’t fully understand how I felt about everything. It was confusing, all of these emotions and the longer she watched me, the more paranoid I became. If she knew, did that mean that Scott knew as well?

“You know she will be back in a couple of days. She had to go back for her finals.”

There was relief that washed over me and I was instantly feeling better about it all. I was so afraid that I’d missed my chance with her. I didn’t want to wait another year or holiday to see her again. We had unfinished business and while I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with it, I knew that something had to be done.

“I’m sure you and Ted will be happy to have her around.”

“We will. And I bet we aren’t the only ones.”

Her response surprised me and she just smiled in that knowing way and went back to stirring the pot on the stove. I don’t know why, but when I walked away, I felt so much lighter because I knew that she was going to be back. That was all that mattered as far as I was concerned. It was the only thing that I looked forward to at the minute.

I spent the rest of the day helping Scott with the rest of the wall and then we went our separate ways because he had a hot date with Betty. I was the one left to the wind this time around and I knew that it was because I’d broken up with Bianca. I didn’t miss her, not really, but I did miss the physical relief that she brought.

If it would have been anyone else but Melanie, or any other time, I would have just went to the bar and picked up one of many women that were ripe for the taking. But I was in this strange new way of thinking that I knew no one else was going to do. I wanted Melanie and I couldn’t just replace her with someone else.

The decision didn’t make sleep come easy that night, but it was going to have to be enough.

***

I got a call early the next day and it was Scott. Something was wrong by the way his voice sounded.

“What’s wrong?”

“Come over and help me. Dad collapsed and I can’t get him up. I need you to come help me.”

“Alright, I’ll be over in a minute.”

“Just get here Carl.”

I hung up and had this feeling of anxiety that came over me. Knowing that Ted was dying hadn’t helped me to deal with it when it was happening and I was supposed to face it. I didn’t want to face it and now I was going to have to.

Scott knew that I didn’t go in that much anymore because of that, but I would be there for him, I had to be.

When I got there, the car was already running and Mary was crying. I went inside and saw Scott with Ted on the ground. He had put something under his head and the man wasn’t unconscious anymore, but it was obvious that he wasn’t in the best shape either.

I got to him and helped Scott get him into the car. He wanted me to drive while he rode in the back with him and I didn’t know what else to do but drive. The hospital was twelve miles away in the next town, but it felt like it was so much further. I was driving as fast as I could with the roads and still it seemed to take forever for us to get there.

They got Ted in and wheeled him through the double doors where none of us could go. Mary talked to one of the nurses and wouldn’t even allow her to go back, not until he was stabilized. Now it was a waiting period.

“Someone needs to call Melanie and tell her what’s happened.”

Mary insisted that no one call her. “Your father would be furious with me if I did. She has finals and he wants her to do well. He’s going to be fine.”

I didn’t know if she was trying to convince us that it was true, or herself. No one believed it.