“So, Jason, areyou serious? You’d really sell this place to me?”
“Of course Iwould. I love ya, you little brat.”
“This is thebest news ever. I love you right back.”
After he askshow my father is doing, he tells me that he’ll be in touch and isjust about to say goodbye when I interrupt, “You said you had acouple of things to talk to me about? What was the otherthing?”
“That’s right.I almost forgot. What I wanted to ask you is if you’ve let thatwhole Fournier-revenge thing go?”
A hard-lumpforms in my throat. I look at Katie who, thankfully can’t hearJason on the phone. “Of course. I lie. I’ve completely let thatgo.”
“Good. I wasworried that you were going to pursue him, and I didn’t want you toget hurt.”
“You’reworrying for nothing. I let that all go.”
“Smart move,Jules. I’m proud of you. That couldn’t have been an easychoice.”
“Nope, but Ipaid attention to what you said on our last call and I agree withyou.”
We talk for acouple more minutes about general issues like the weather and thecosts of things in the U.K versus Canada, then we say goodbye andhang up.
Not sure howmuch Katie has heard me say on the phone, I set my phone down andturn to her. She’s sitting on the bed, still in the buff, smilingat me, “You’re going to buy this place?”
“Well, I thinkI should. I like it here. Plus, I’d never be able to come up with adown payment large enough to buy a place this nice if it wasn’t forJason helping me.”
Katie stands upon the bed and bounces, “This is awesome, Jules. I’m so happy foryou,” she says excitedly.
I reach up andpull her down to me, “You know, if you wanted to, you could move inhere with me. We could share the cost of the mortgage and then wecould be together more.” As soon as I say the words, I feel a waveof anxiety rush over me. Why the hell did I say that to her? Iguess I was so excited, and I got caught up in the moment and itjust kind of slipped out. Now, she’s probably going to get freakedout by the seriousness of my offer. Why don’t I think before Ispeak?
“Are you sure,Jules?” She asks, looking earnest.
“Umm, yeah. Imean…if you want to?” Please want to!
She smiles abig grin and then wraps her arms around me, “I’d love to. I’m sohappy you asked me.”
Just then, wehear the front door to the apartment open and close. Quickly, wescurry around the room, finding which item of clothes belong toeach of us.
Laughing as westraighten up, we open the bedroom door and walk out. Dad issitting in the front room and smiles when he sees us, “Were youredecorating your room and needed help, Jules?”
“Yeah,something like that,” I say, looking at the floor.
He chuckles andthen thankfully drops the subject.
Katie plunksdown on one side of Dad and I sit on the other.
“So, how wasyour visit at Charlie’s?” I ask.
Dad proceeds totell us how much he liked his visit with his new friend. He saysthat Charlie is in his seventies and is a widower. Then, he goes onto say how Charlie showed him wartime memorabilia, including aknife and gun collection.
“Gee, Dad. Inever thought you liked war or weapon paraphernalia. I alwayspictured you as more of a peace lover that hated anythingrepresentative of violence.”
He nods thensays, “You’re right. I do hate violence and I can’t stand war. Thetruth is, peace and freedom cost a lot of brave military men andwomen a great deal. I respect their contribution. Also, I loveantiques, of which Charlie has a lot. Some of the badges and pinsare from family members who served in the First World War.”
“That’s cool,John,” says Katie. “I’m glad you enjoyed your visit. Jules actuallyhas some pretty cool news too.”
“You do, Jules?What is it?”
I tell Dadabout Jason’s call and how he said that he’s going to help me buythis place. Then, I add the most important part, Katie’s moving in.He claps his hands together and with more enthusiasm than he’s hadsince leaving the hospital, he turns and hugs me tightly then turnsto Katie and does the same. “This is wonderful news,” he says. “Mydaughter is going to own a beautiful apartment on the right side ofthe tracks. Your mom would be so proud.”
His happinessis infectious. Both Katie and I smile looking at each other. Dadinsists on having a toast but when he searches through the cupboardfor anything containing alcohol, he comes up dry. Instead, wesettle for water and clink glasses to celebrate.
After having anice evening with just the three of us, Katie retires to bed firstas she’s got to get up early for work. Unfortunately, her car is ather apartment, so I have to haul my ass out of bed just as early. Ican’t wait until she’s living here and her vehicle is parkeddownstairs.
Dad and I situp for a while before I tell him I’m hitting the hay too. He tellsme that he has to be at the parole office tomorrow at eleven. WhenI offer to drive him, he thanks me and says that Charlie alreadyoffered to take him. I hug Dad and walk to the bedroom.
I can’t sleepworth shit. It’s two am and I don’t want to wake Katie, so I headto the couch, grabbing a blanket from the linen closet on the way.At about three am, I hear my father’s bedroom door open. When hewalks to the bathroom, he leaves the door open while he takes apill bottle out of his pocket and shakes out a couple of tablets.After he fills a glass with water, he downs the pills. I quicklymove my head from view and wait until I hear his bedroom door closeso I know he’s gone back to bed.
My poor father.He must be in pain again. As I sit and stare out the window, Iwonder
