“If only modern medicine wasn’t so expensive.” Dad coughs.
“Agreed. I know how hard it is, but you shouldn’t think about that now. Stress will not help your condition. My colleagues will take you to your scans soon. I assume you’ll want to say hello to your family. They’ve been guarding your bed around the clock.”
“Thanks, doc.” Dad smiles at us and my mom and I rush into his arms. “So,” he eventually says after we let go of him, his hospital gown soaked through by our tears. “How are you guys? How long have I been out? Anything new to report? Other than Olli’s new boyfriend?” He looks over to mom. “Did you get remarried yet, darling?”
Mom punches his arm, careful not to actually hurt him, then takes his hand and kisses it. “You know, I promised to wait until you’re actually underground.” They both smile through the tears. “But what was that about Ol’s new boyfriend?”
“Sorry,” he waves me off. “I know you made me promise to keep it between us…”
“You heard that? You were awake?”
“Ahaaa,” he shouts and immediately has to cough. “So I didn’t dream that. I knew it.”
I rub my neck, embarrassment creeping up my spine as both their gazes remain focused on me. It feels like that moment when you watch a movie with your parents and a sex-scene comes on, so you just kind of stare straight ahead, hoping it will pass soon. “There’s nothing to tell,” I explain when the scene doesn’t pass as quickly as I had hoped. “We work together. That’s it. Well, we worked together. Not anymore.”
“Right.” Dad nods. “You know what I always say: You’ll find your…”
“… Chef Charming eventually. I know, dad. Or not! Either way is fine. Takeout options are great these days, especially in the city.”
“The city, yes. What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have to work?”
“You almost died, dad!”
“Nonsense.” He takes my hand and squeezes it, his strength visibly draining the more he talks. “You should know me better than this. I can only be killed by ghosts, dragons and I’m pretty sure by ‘cleaning up around here’, though your mother tends to disagree with that one.”
Shortly after, the nurse returns to take dad away. Mom and I hug for a long time while we wait for him to get back. When he does, he sleeps for almost an entire day, with brief moments of lucidness in-between. You’d think that a couple of days in a coma would mean you’ve had enough rest, but apparently that is not the case. The next couple of days are more of the same, with dad slowly regaining more and more of his strength until he gets released on Friday. Considering that he is doing reasonably well, I decide to stay until Sunday before heading back home to Sienna and probably begging Isabella on hands and knees to get my job back. My phone stopped working after I dropped it, but I saw on my laptop that I have some unopened emails sitting in my inbox. Despite knowing how irresponsible it is, I don’t have the mental strength to even think about work until I finally say goodbye to my parents and return to Sienna and the chairman.
When I get there after a torturous ride in a bumpy bus and a smelly train, my roommate is already waiting with my favorite food, cheap Chinese takeout. She greets me by throwing a fortune cookie at my head with a big grin, while our beloved cat closes his eyes and decides not to acknowledge my presence.
“Welcome home!” she shouts and jumps into my arms. “So glad to hear that your dad is doing better. Your email wasn’t very extensive, though. Better tell me everything!”
I do as I am told while we eat and share a bottle of wine. Sienna listens to everything intently until I finish, which is when she presses her lips into a tight line, letting me know that something seems to be wrong.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Sienna…”
She sighs, fumbles something out of her pocket, and holds a pair of keys out to me, the keys to Carla.
I guess I won’t be seeing Phoenix again.
“How did you get those?” I ask.
“Your… Phoenix came by. Dropped your stuff off and the key to Carla. You won’t recognize her. Got her fixed up and everything. It’s like a new car.”
“That’s… unfortunate.”
“That he cares enough to do that for you?”
“Yes, I’ll have to pay him back for that as well. He already paid for my glasses. I didn’t even know glasses could be this expensive.”
“He said he doesn’t want your money.”
“And I don’t want his charity.”
“I don’t think that’s what this is. He explained that you worked for him and that this is the least he could do.”
