“I really think I should,” Dad says halfheartedly, and I know he’s going to give in. When I ask for something—within reason—he usually gives it to me. Being an only child has its perks. “But travel would be stressful on my heart.”
A chuckle bubbles up my throat. “Dad, your heart is fine. I went to the doctor’s appointment with you, remember?”
“Yeah, well. Things can change in a few days.”
I shake my head, and we eat, talking about cases he left me and new ones I’ll acquire as I settle into my role.
When I graduated law school, I worked at a major law firm in Seattle, about an hour and a half from our small town of Tourneville, but I got burned out rather quickly. They didn’t care about the employees, just the numbers. Icame home one weekend to visit my dad and put in my two-week notice that following Monday when he offered me a job at his firm. The law firm he built from the ground up is reputable and does a lot of business in town and in the surrounding cities.
Besides wanting a slower pace, I was running away from Seattle. A failed relationship would do that to you.
After we finish lunch, we walk slowly back to my office. I glance over at Dad, and a frown mars his face as he glances up at the sky. “What is it?” I ask.
“He’s in recovery, Jax.” I don’t need to ask who “he” is. “How will he take this news? She was a right bitch for not protecting him, but she was still his mother.”
I shrug. “I think he came to terms with her not being in his life fifteen years ago. He could have reached out at any time, but he didn’t. Maybe to him, she was already dead.”
“That’s probably the truth.” He peers over at me with serious eyes. “Don’t beat around the bush when you tell him. Be straightforward with him.” I nod, already planning to give him the news in one quick go. “If he needs anything, tell him he can call me.”
My parents got as attached to Wesley as I did, and I know it hurt Mom when he didn’t return any of her phone calls. I’m still pissed at him for making her cry with his refusal, but as I’ve aged, I’ve understood why he didn’t. As a kid, having that trust broken is irrevocable.
“I will. I swear it.”
The rehabilitation facilityWesley is in is nice. Right near the beach, overlooking beautiful yellow sand andcrashing waves against the shore. If I hadn’t known what the place was, I would have thought it was a luxury spa.
Cucumber water sits on the front desk as I sign in, and gentle nursing staff keep asking if there is anything I need. The lobby is all glass and chrome, colorful paintings adorning the walls. Even the couches in the waiting room provide comfort.
Maybe with this kind of support, he can come out of this on the other side, stronger than he was before.
Ten minutes after I arrive, a woman in a sharp business suit calls my name and waves for me to follow her. “I’m Doctor Hargraves, the director of this facility.”
We walk several paces before she speaks again. “We don’t normally allow visitors so early in the recovery period, but from what his manager told me, this is of utmost importance?”
“It is. His mother is deceased. She passed away, and I’m here to inform him.”
“Ah,” she says sadly. “It will be hard news to hear, but it’s best to tell him while he is in a controlled environment, where he has the support he’ll need. Are you his next of kin?”
“No,” I say as we round a corner and walk through a set of double doors. “My father was listed as his mother’s next of kin, but he is unable to travel. I have a release that he signed, allowing me to deliver the news.” I pull the paper from my inside breast pocket and hand it to her.
“Thank you, Mr…” Her eyes scan the paper. “Collins.”
As we continue down a long hallway, I take in the surroundings. Large windows are everywhere, a lot of natural light coming in. A few people are sitting around at tables, either playing board games, talking, or simply lookingout at the view. The energy is subdued, calmer than I would imagine a rehab facility.
At the end of the hallway, we make a left, and she stands outside of the first door we encounter. “I need you to brace yourself. He won’t look or act as you might imagine. He is detoxing, and that will bring out the worst in people. Someone will be outside the door in case you run into issues.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I know him.”
Or Iusedto know him.
I push inside the room and come face-to-face with Wesley for the first time in fifteen years. But I didn’t prepare myself like the doctor just told me to, and my knees almost give out when his haunted eyes meet mine.
He looks awful, his usual bright brown eyes dull and listless. His once lush brown hair is lanky and dull, hanging around his face like curtains. Even though red splotches appear on his cheeks, his pale skin is prominent. Dry, cracked lips lift in a sardonic smile, even though his eyes reflect surprise.
“Didn’t expect to see you here. Then again, you’re always around for my rock bottom.”
“It’s…good to see you, Wesley.”
He scoffs. “No it isn’t. You haven’t seen me in fifteen years. What? Wanted to catch a glimpse of the superstar at his lowest?”
