“Words have consequences, son,” my father said.
Eli’s eyes hardened. “Yes, well, I guess that’s another area where Nick is better than me.”
“Stop,” I said sharply, then regretted it when a piercing stab shocked my brain. I put my hand on it.
“You rest now, Mia—”
“No, Dad.” I looked at Eli. “I know things haven’t always gone your way, but you can’t blame Nick for that.”
Eli turned away.
“Did you know before she died, mom asked Nick to do three things for her?”
Eli slowly turned his attention back to me.
“One of them was to fix things with you. He said he tried, but you—”
“He’s a menace in our lives.” Eli nearly growled his disdain.
I shook my head. “No. He’s not. He loves us. We’re his family.”
Eli frowned. “So, you and him are together.”
“This isn’t about me and Nick. This is about how he was your best friend since preschool. How he loved me when I was in law school. How he stayed with mom during her darkest moments. How he loves Dad. He deserves better from everyone in this town, but especially from us.”
“She’s right,” my father said.
“He betrayed me with you too,” Eli said to our father, although with less anger as usual.
“What do you mean?” my father asked.
“When he was with Mia, it was a secret. Now it turns out he’s been your afternoon buddy for years, and that was a big secret.”
My heart went out to him as I realized he wasn’t totally unreasonable in his anger.
“You’re right.” My father made his way to Eli. “I should have told you. I was thinking that it would be easier since I knew you didn’t like him, but it was wrong. I’m sorry about that, Eli. I really am. I can see where that would make you think I cared for him more. You’re my son, and I love you. I’m proud of the work you’ve done with the store—”
Eli looked down. “Now you’re patronizing me.”
“No. You’ve rallied with stiff competition. I know you’re working on a variety of new ideas to take the customers back.”
“You want me to sell it.”
“Only because the store was my dream, not yours. I was a therapist for many years, but it turned out it wasn’t my calling. The store was. You took it over to help me when I got ill, but it’s not your calling.”
Eli scoffed. “I don’t have a calling.”
“You do. You just don’t know it yet.” My father put his hand on Eli’s shoulder. “As far as Nick goes, I won’t deny that I care about that boy. But I have enough love to go around, and nothing will change that you’re my son.”
Eli leaned back against the wall and ran his hands over his face. “I’m an asshole.”
“No—”
“Yes, you are sometimes,” I said.
My father glared at me.
“But you’re our asshole, and sometimes I’m one too. We used to get along better. Do you think you could forgive me for being with Nick?”
“Then or now?” Eli asked.
“There is no now,” I said.
Eli nodded. “I don’t know that I can ever be his friend, but I can let some of this animosity go.”
“That’s a start, son. Thank you.” My father pulled him in for a hug.
I couldn’t be sure we were starting down a new path where Eli wouldn’t be so angry all the time, but I needed to hope we were. “Now that’s taken care of, can you go check on Nick?”
Eli frowned. “I thought you said there was no now?”
“We’re not in a relationship, but we are friends. Working to heal the community he grew up in was his dream. The community turned on him and now he’s quit. I’m worried about him. Aren’t you, Dad?”
My father nodded. “When you put it that way, I am.”
“Where’s my phone? I want to call him.”
“Here’s the stuff you were wearing,” Eli said handing me my clothes. I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Nick’s number.
“This is Dr. Foster. If this is an emergency, go to the hospital or call 9-1-1. Otherwise, leave a message.”
I sighed. “Nick, it’s Mia. I just heard the news and wanted to check in with you.” I wasn’t sure what to say after that. That wasn’t true. I wanted to tell him I loved him and wished I could hold him. But with Eli and my dad in the room, and my denying something between us, I said, “Please call me when you can,” and then hung up.
I looked up at my brother and father. “Would you mind going to his house and checking on him?”
My father looked at Eli. Eli nodded reluctantly. “I’ll go.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” my father asked.
“If he wants to take a swipe at me, I’ll let him have one. I think I deserve it—”
“Eli—”
Eli held up his hands at my father’s interruption. “But I’ll behave. I promise.”
I had to hope he could keep that promise. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “I’ll be in touch later.”
When he left, my dad came back to my bedside and took my hand.
“Why don’t you sit? Or are you tired? We can catch Eli and he can take you home.”
“I’m not leaving. Not now anyway.” But he did go to sit in a chair.
“Do you think Eli will behave?”
“I think what happened to you was a wake-up call. I just hope it lasts.”
Me too, I thought. “If Nick quit, he might leave town. Maybe go live near his parents.”
My dad shook his head. “I’d miss him, but I can’t blame him. What about the lawsuit?”
“He’d have to come back for that, but these types of things could take years.”
“You don’t think he did anything wrong do you, Mia? Not even by accident.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t seen anything that is blatant, but there’s still more to check into.” I wished I could tell my dad more, like how the IT person found a glitch in the EMR system,
