Happy Hour

by Michele Scott

  “Okay.” She felt nauseous.

  “I got sick a few years ago, before my mom died.”

  “Sick?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Real sick, actually. I had cancer. Leukemia. Then it went into remission.”

  “Oh.” It was difficult to find the right words to say as a mixture of emotions began running through her. “It’s good though that it’s in remission, right? That’s good, right?” The feeling in her gut told her this was not good. He didn’t say anything and the reality of the silence hit her. “It’s back. Isn’t it? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I found out two weeks ago and they wanted to start chemo immediately. But I needed to contact you first.”

  “I’m so glad you did, but the leukemia. Tell me about this.” She clasped her hands together to keep him from noticing that they were shaking. Her body from the inside shook all over as if a freeze was coursing through her.

  He nodded. “This is going to sound bad and I don’t know how to make it come out right. I did want to meet you and I am happy that you are so great, but I had to find you.” He sighed. “My doctor says that I need a bone marrow donation and he says that I have the best chance for a match through a relative—especially a sibling—and I totally understand if you don’t want to be tested and I wouldn’t blame you. I’m sorry to spring this on you. I didn’t know what else to do and my dad wanted to come but I had to do this by myself. Do you have any other children? Could you be tested?” His words poured out in a rush.

  Alyssa took his hand, shoved away her own fear at the sight of his. She quickly realized that Ian needed someone strong to lean on in that moment, and she was his only option. “Hey, hey. Okay. It’s gonna be okay. I don’t have other children. I don’t, but of course I’ll be tested. Absolutely.”

  Ian—her son—wrapped his arms around her. She held him tight and something clicked so strong inside her in that moment, something she’d never felt before. A fierce need to rescue, save, protect. To protect this boy. Her boy.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Kat

  It was a two-for-one Wednesday. Kat was picking up her mother from the airport at one o’clock and Emily was dropping Amber off that evening. Kat wasn’t entirely sure how she’d get through the day, but as she did with everything that went on in her life, she’d make it. It wasn’t that Kat didn’t love her mother, but the mother she had today was not the mother of yesteryear. It was the mom of her childhood that she missed and longed for.

  Kat’s mom had been the Brownie troop leader for both her and her younger sister, Tammy, the room parent, the field trip driver and the stay-at-home mom who made scraped knees better with a swipe of the washcloth and a kiss. Their home was not anything elaborate, but a nice home in Oakland and it was always spotless. Mom had been the one to sit and do homework with Tammy and her, drive them to and fro from dance classes to piano classes. She’d been supermom.

  And Dad worked. He was a car salesman and a damn good one. Kat remembered when he was promoted to the GM position and took her sister, her mother and her out to the best Chinese restaurant in the city and then to see the Benji movie. The four of them would watch Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley together. They had a dog named Spot and a cat named Tiger. They even had a frigging gold fish that they had named by all putting names in dad’s baseball cap and randomly selecting one. Mom’s name won. It was Guru. That right there should have been a sign. Kat was eleven at the time and Tammy had been nine--and Mom had already begun enlightening herself. She watched that yoga woman on PBS every day. She started reading books by Ram Dass and Shirley MacLaine—who quickly became her idol. But she didn’t do much more than that until Kat was out of the house, married to the Sperm Donor and involved with two babies.

  Then it happened.

  One day, Kat’s mother packed up, gave her dad a hug, thanking him for loving her and providing for her for all those years, but informing him that she needed more. More! Her mother needed more what? Oh, lest it be forgotten that by this point Dad had owned his own lucrative dealership. Mom had enjoyed all the luxuries that go along with a little money in the bank. Things like cruises, designer clothes, nips and tucks in sagging areas, and a lot of relaxation. As far as Kat had been concerned, the more that her mother needed shouldn’t have had anything to do with “broadening the soul’s horizons,” but more of visiting her grandchildren, for starters. That would have worked out well, and filled her up. Grandmas do grandma things. They don’t move to ashrams, become yoga instructors, and name themselves after a fucking planet.

  But, no! Her mom left behind her father, who quickly turned into a shell of a man and it was only recently that he’d begun to live again. She’d also served Kat’s sister, Tammy, up on a silver platter to Kat. Tammy had some issues. Actually quite a few.

  Kat’s sister had not been able to escape the clutches of painkillers. At twenty, Tammy had been in a serious car accident while driving around late at night with another addiction—bad boys. She’d broken her pelvis and back. Those hours, days, and weeks in the hospital spent watching her baby sister suffer were memories Kat loathed. But it was the days after Tammy went home, went through painful physical therapy and emotional upheaval that Vicodin, Percocet and Darvocet became her sister’s best friends. And as Tammy’s best friends began to control her life, Mom looked more and more to her New Age wisdom, turning a blind eye to Tammy’s problems. And Dad became the consummate co-dependent. He provided Tammy with money, a place to live, clothes, a car, food, medical insurance—whatever she needed. Kat’s dad was a good man.

  The times spent with her dad were some of the best times in Kat’s life. They would see a movie together once a month. As kids, he would take her and her sister to this old school diner for breakfast every Saturday morning before he set out to the dealership. If he would get home in time before they’d gone to bed, he’d always come into their bedroom and tuck them in, kiss them good night, and tell them stories.

  Kat wondered if Dad knew that her mom would be in town for the summer. She should tell him, just in case they ran into each other. Dad had uprooted when Kat had moved with the boys and Christian to Napa, just as Christian’s ex had. Apparently everyone had decided Napa was nicer than Oakland. Yeah. No-brainer there.

  She was not sure how her father would react to the news, but she probably owed it to him. Her fingers crossed, she hoped this wouldn’t throw him off kilter. Mom had gone off the deep end and lost herself in incense and mantras, but Dad on the other hand, had actually found himself.

  “Hi, Mom,” Brian came into the kitchen interrupting her thoughts down memory lane, and headed directly to the fridge where he opened the carton of milk.

  Before he got the carton all the way up to his lips, Kat cut in. “Do not even think about it if you want to live another day. Use a glass.”

  He frowned and went to the cupboard. “Grandma coming today, huh?”

  “Yep. I have to head out in a bit to go get her. Hey, why don’t you come with me? We haven’t hung out for a while. I miss you.” More and more, Brian had been hanging (his word) with his dad. School was out for the summer and between Dad time and his video game addiction, Kat hardly saw her younger son.

  “I can’t. Dad and I are going to play tennis and then see a movie. Take Jeremy.”

  “Jeremy is over at Guy’s house. They’ve each got a few more volunteer hours to do for their required senior year community service. Guy’s mom arranged for them to work down at the shelter for the afternoon, which by the way, you should get a jump on. Don’t wait until right before your senior year to cram in sixty hours of service.”

  “I know.” He nodded.

  Kat doubted he’d heard a word she said. “But Bri, you’ve spent a lot of time with Dad lately and I’d like someone to drive with me, and I’d like it to be you. We always used to talk and joke and it’ll be fun. We can get burgers on the way. Your grandma would be so happy to see you. Come on. You can go play tennis with your dad an
other day.”

  Brian gulped down his milk and turned to his mom. “What is it with you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Yeah. You have a problem with Dad.”

  “I don’t have a problem with your father.”

  “Whatever.” Brian started to walk out of the kitchen.

  “Brian Patrick! Come back here.”

  She heard the aggrieved sigh down the hallway. “What, Mom?”

  “Get in here. You can’t say something like that to me and then walk away. I think this is something we should talk about. But first, you need to change your tone with me.”

  “What tone?” He walked back into the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.

  “That one.” She pointed at him. “That smartass sarcastic tone, like you think you own the world and I am only here as one of your many servants.”

  He stared at her like she was crazy.

  “What do you mean I have a problem with your father?”

  He sighed again. “Like every time I make plans with him, you get all weird.”

  “I do not.”

  He nodded. “You do, Mom. You kind of freak out.”

  “Actually I never say a word about it. I should, considering that neither your father nor you, for that matter, seem to have any consideration that we have a schedule set up. So far this summer it seems it’s been all too laissez-faire and I haven’t pressed the issue.”

  “Yeah, cuz I’m old enough to make those decisions.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “Dad. He said that since I’m fourteen I can decide who I want to live with even.”

  The heat rose to Kat’s neck. Blood rushed through her ears and every nerve set on edge, but instead of blowing up she took a deep breath. “That’s not entirely true, Bri. It really isn’t. Family courts make those decisions and that decision has been made. You live here and you visit your dad.”

  “You know that Dad still loves you.” Brian took a large bite out of the apple.

  Kat closed her eyes and sighed. Wasn’t he too old for this? Sure, kids always wanted their parents back together, but she and Perry had been divorced for almost five years. “No, he doesn’t, sweetie. I mean not in the way that you think.” How does one negotiate these waters? “Sure, as a friend.” There was a blatant lie. “But honey, your daddy does not love me anymore and I don’t love him.” Brian frowned. “I mean I love him for giving me two of the best gifts in the world—you and your brother, but that’s it. I’m sorry.”

  “Whatever. But Dad does love you. He told me so himself. He says that you’re the best thing that ever happened to him, and he’s sorry he ever hurt you, and he totally takes the blame, and if he ever had another chance…”

  Kat held up her hand. “Bri, there isn’t going to be another chance with your dad. I loved him once. I love him for you guys and that’s it. I’m married to Christian now and that’s who I love.”

  Brian looked down. Kat placed a hand under his chin and lifted it to look at her. “I’m sorry, baby. I am.”

  He sucked back his breath and nodded, his eyes watering with a combined look of sadness, anger, and fear. Divorce stuck forever. In fact, the word divorce alone should be defined as an emotion and not a thing that happens to people. It was this constant emotion that dulls for some, but it was ever present for others. Kat could see that for her youngest son, that this emotion took front and center in his heart and mind regularly. And God, if she didn’t ache in return because of his pain. If she could only take it away, eat up the darkness for him, and rid him of it.

  “Whatever, Mom.”

  “Go with me today. Please. We can talk some more. Instead of burgers, let’s stop off for dessert lunch. Remember when we used to do that when you were little? When we had mental health days?”

  That got a smile out of him. When the boys had been younger there was the occasional school day that she would denote as mental health day. Instead of school and nutritious meals, the day was all about sleeping in, eating junk, and having whatever dessert their hearts desired for lunch. For Brian, it was usually a hot fudge Sunday. “Hot fudge… You know you want to.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

  But before Brian had a chance to answer, the doorbell rang. Kat made it to the door ahead of him, ready to go on attack, knowing that it was Perry. “Hey, Kit-Kat. The kid ready? We’re cruising out to play some tennis, and…”

  Kat stepped out front of the door and shut it behind her. “I know your plan, but I want to tell you something…”

  Just as Kat started into her tirade, Brian opened the door. “Hey, Dad. I’m ready.”

  Perry slapped him on the shoulder. “Good deal, bud. I’m gonna squash you on the court.”

  “Right.” Brian smiled and his face lit up. Kat failed to do that these days—light up her child.

  Perry turned back to Kat and smiled. “You were saying.”

  She smiled back. “We need to talk.”

  He winked at her. “Anytime, Kit-Kat. Anytime. Let’s go, man. Knock some balls around.”

  Brian turned back and waved weakly at his mom. “I’ll be home by dinner, okay? Maybe we could do dessert lunch tomorrow. Love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She swallowed back the hurt, sucking it deep down. As she went to shut the front door, another unannounced, unwelcome guest pulled into her driveway.

  Emily.

  Kat pulled herself together and watched in horror and amazement as the woman went around to the back of the car, took Amber by the hand, grabbed two pink Polly Pocket suitcases, and practically dragged the child to the front door. “Good, I’m glad you’re home.”

  “Hi, Emily. Um, I thought you were coming by tonight.”

  Emily stood up straight, tucked her long brunette hair behind her ears, and straightened her khaki skirt. “Our schedule has changed. The movers came early and I really need to be there with them, without any disturbances.” She glanced down at Amber, who looked like she’d been crying and was ready to start again. “Here are her things and I won’t be able to get back this weekend, but next weekend we’ll pick her up on Friday. I’ll call Christian with the details.” She bent down and pulled Amber into her. “You be a good girl for your daddy and Kat. Mommy loves you.” With that, she turned on her loafers and headed back to her convertible.

  Kat looked down at Amber, who was now sucking her thumb and watching (most likely in terror) her mother leave. Kat took her by the hand and opened the front door. They could get her suitcases later. The last thing this child needed to see was her mother pulling away as she abandoned her, which was exactly what the self-centered bitch was doing. “Hey, sweetie, have you ever had a dessert lunch?”

  Amber shook her head.

  “Well, today you’re going to, and it’ll be the best lunch of your life. I promise.” Kat stooped down, picked Amber up and twirled her around. “Did you hear me? Do you hear what I am saying? Dessert lunch! It’s crazy. It’s wild and it’s gonna be the best!”

  Amber giggled and so did Kat.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Jamie

  Nora arrived thirty minutes late, as usual, but Jamie had prepared for it this time. “Buenos Dias, Nora,” Jamie said.

  Nora didn’t reply, but instead took out a small piece of paper from her purse and unfolded it. Jamie recognized it. It was the check she’d written her last week. “El cheque es no good. Bounce, bounce, bounce.” Nora made a motion like she was bouncing a ball on to the ground.

  “No. No. I don’t think so. You sure?” Jeez. Jamie had hoped this wouldn’t happen. She’d written the check on Sunday as always and crossed her fingers that Nora wouldn’t go to the bank until Tuesday. Tuesday was the day her check from work went automatically into her checking account. “When did you go to el banco?”

  Nora stared at her.

  Great. The game. Here she was going to play the game with Jamie and they were talking money. For once could they not play the stupid game of, I don’t understand what you
are saying to me, even though I really do. “Okay. Donde. No. Que. No. Quein did tu visita to el banco?” She asked motioning with her fingers like they were walking and knowing that her Spanish was pretty much all wrong but she had to at least make the effort.

  Nora raised her eyebrows. “Hoy.”

  “Today?”

  Nora nodded. “Hoy. Sí.”

  “What? No. That’s wrong. It has to be wrong. You wait here.”

  What Nora was telling her couldn’t be. She couldn’t be overdrawn. She headed toward her office and nearly crashed into Dorothy, who came around the corner out of her room. “Hello, darling girl. I was wondering if you could get me an appointment at the hairdresser today? I have a big date tonight.” She smiled and did a little curtsy. “Guess who with?”

  “Not now, Mom. I have to take care of something with the bank.”

  “What do you have to take care of with the bank? Tell Nathan to do it. He’s the man of the house. He can handle whatever it is. Come in my room and see what I’m going to wear tonight. It’s so pretty and it’s all for Dean. It’s purple with organza. I want to wear a purple flower in my hair.”

  “Not now. I will in a minute.”

  Dorothy frowned. “Jamie, that’s enough. Go and tell Nathan to do it. That’s what men do. They take care of the finances and you are supposed to take care of the house. That means me and Maddie, too.”

  How was it she could be so coherent on some things, but could never remember that Nate was no longer alive? Jamie grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “Mom. I am the man now. I do all of it. Nathan is gone. We have had this conversation. I will come and see your dress in a minute, and I will see about getting you a hair appointment, but first I have to deal with an issue with the bank.” Dorothy frowned. Jamie hugged her tightly seeing that she’d hurt her feelings, but what was she supposed to do? If Nora’s check didn’t clear that morning, then something was seriously wrong. Jamie knew that she’d scheduled all of her bills to go out that day through online banking, and she’d set up her mortgage to automatically pay on the first of the month.