“I can’t take eating any more leafy shit, Whit. I need red meat.”
“You need to watch what you put into your body, and right now, it’s not red meat–it’s green leafy, good for you kale.” I place the bowl of salad on the TV tray in front of Heath. He’s lying on the couch in the living room since he needed a change of scenery from the bedroom. I’ve opened the windows since the temp is starting warm, and I’m hoping the fresh air puts him in a better mood.
“Come on, champ, eat up because we’ve got to get you to therapy.”
“Christ almighty,” I hear Heath grumble as I head back into the kitchen, grabbing my sandwich and chips, and sit at the table. “You got chips in there?” he asks as I’m about to put one in my mouth. I opened the bag in the bathroom down the hall thinking if he didn’t hear it, he wouldn’t know.
“Um…” I’m not sure how to answer him. “Yes?” I get up and walk back into the living room. “How did you know?”
“It’s like my nose has turned into a bloodhound for all things I’m not supposed to have. Trevor hid a hamburger inside his backpack last night, and I called him out on it.” He shrugs. “I think the breeze might have brought the scent from the kitchen into here. Are they BBQ?”
“I’m not going to answer that because I’m not about to torture you.”
“Christ, woman, you know those are my favorite. Let me just suck the flavoring off of one. That shouldn’t hurt.”
I shake my head. “You’re not sucking anything off of anything until you’re out of the woods.”
“This is crap,” he grumbles as he digs into his salad and I sit back down to eat my sandwich…minus the chips.
“You gotta want this, Heath,” Brian, Heath’s physical therapist, says as he pushes Heath to walk around the indoor track. Heath’s chest is heaving, and I’m a bit concerned that maybe Brian’s not qualified because I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.
“How’s he doing?” Charlie asks as he takes a seat next to me.
“Well, it’s been two weeks since your father’s surgery, so I’m not honestly sure. Brian is acting like your father’s a teen training for a triathlon, and Heath looks like he’s ninety trying to rush to Denny’s for the senior special.”
Charlie laughs, which makes me laugh. We haven’t had that much laughter in the past few weeks. I know Charlie’s upset with me for my stance on the reconciliation with his father, but I’m not going to allow anyone to rush that. Not even my kids. I’m making decisions that make me happy as much as they make the rest of the family happy. That’s something that I need for myself.
We watch in silence as Heath continues his walk around the track. His hair is wet from sweat, and the grey of his shirt is dark down the front of his chest and under his arms. I know Heath is trying, and I’m sure his body will get back to where it was before his attack.
“The military denied my request,” Charlie tells me, which makes me take my eyes from Heath and look at my son. He’s not happy, that’s evident.
“Well, maybe that for the best.”
“It’s not.” He’s shaking his head. “It’s not going to do me any good being in another country when I know my dad isn’t in the best of health.”
“He’s going to be fine, I’m sure of it. You need to do you, Charlie. There’s going to come a time sooner rather than later where you won’t be able to do you because you’ll have a family who depends on you. Live your life. Your dad, sister, brother, and I will be fine. We’re going to get through this. Don’t worry too much about it.” I pat his leg, and I bring my attention back to Heath who’s now looking at us with concern on his face.
Without a warning to his therapist, he diverts from the track and makes his way towards us. “What’s wrong?” Heath asks as he approaches. Charlie looks at me for guidance.
“Tell him.”
When he looks back at his dad, he tells him his news. “They denied my request for early discharge.”
“Good,” Heath deadpans. I stand up, walking a towel over to him so he can wipe down his face. He gives me a small smile of gratitude before he turns back to Charlie. “There isn’t any reason why you need to get out early. We’re fine here.”
Charlie shoots up out of his chair. “Like hell you are. You just had a heart attack. You underwent surgery. You and Mom are living apart. The kids have school, and your company needs to be managed. How am I supposed to go back to Germany when I know that you’re going to be alone most of the time?”
“Charlie, I know you worry about me, but you’ve got to remember that I’m the parent and I know what I can and can’t handle. I’m getting stronger every day. You still have two weeks of leave left, and by the time it’s time for you to head back, I’ll be even stronger. As for your mom and me, well, that’s on us, and that’s something that we need to work through, together. Not you, or your brother and sister are going to deter us on that issue. And my business will be fine. Alice has stepped up, and the guys in the field are supportive—they’re getting their jobs done. It’s a well-oiled machine, son, and it will be fine. You gotta trust me on this.”
“Yeah, well, it’s hard for me to do that. I’m going to pick up the kids. I’ll see you at home.” He walks away, shoulders drawn up, so I know he’s upset.
“Hey,” I call out, making him turn around. “Why don’t we have a family movie night? I know how much you enjoy them,” I say with a wink.
“Oh, hell, popcorn sounds so good right now,” Heath moans.
“You can have the popcorn, plain with no salt or butter.”
This makes Charlie laugh, the mood instantly lifting. “She’s a ball buster, Dad.”
“Yeah, that’s why I love her.”
My stomach dips because I know he means it. They aren’t just words that I feel we’ve said over the years because it seemed the right thing to do. I don’t look at Heath, but I keep my eyes trained on my son.
“I’ll grab a movie on the way home, then.” He throws his hand up over his head as he walks away.
“Can I at least get some Reese’s?” Heath asks as I watch our son continue his walk down the hall towards the exit.
“Nope,” I say with a smile even though I know he can’t see it.
“Ballbuster.”