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These thoughts still jumble in my brain as the doctor approaches, introducing herself and talking about my dad. His heart is good, which takes an enormous pressure off my shoulders. But his gallbladder needs to be removed.
He’ll have a laparoscope surgery early in the morning, which is the best way to remove his gallbladder. Even though he'll be under general anesthesia, it's not the worst-case scenario. He can go home tomorrow night or the day after if all goes well.
Surgery isn't the best, but the doctor has a great deal of experience with this and talks like it's no big deal.
Relief fills my chest. The bottom line is he's going to be all right.
When Archer comes back with two sandwiches and bottles of water, my heart skips a beat. Fuck.
"I found a vending machine. They said the turkey club is organic." He gives me one bottle and one sandwich. "How did I do with time? Am I fired yet?"
I smile. I'm not particularly hungry, but I appreciate the gesture. "You're good for now, but don't test me."
He opens his sandwich and takes a bite. "I'll keep that in mind."
I look at him, admiring his handsome features while he eats. Damn. Then his gaze catches mine and steals my breath away. I chew my lower lip.
"Any news?"
"He'll need surgery to remove his gallbladder. They'll do it tomorrow morning. The doctor said this is a routine thing."
He squeezes my shoulder. "I'm glad they caught it before it got worse. Are you okay with it?"
"Yes." I mean, I want them to solve the problem and for my dad not to be in pain. "I'm betting my dad having high cholesterol and eating all kinds of crap behind my back didn't help the whole gallbladder issue."
"You'd be right."
I make a note to restrict my father's diet even further. It's hard because he's so caring, and I don't want to be a nag. But I also want him around for a long time. "Thank you. I know you said your mom was sick, right? For a while?"
He runs his fingers through his hair. "Yeah. It got worse."
"That must have been hard as a child." I was not equipped to deal with these things as a kid, for sure. I was blissfully ignorant of the darkness of the world. Mom and Dad gave me a great childhood, and I didn't suffer many losses.
"Yeah."
"Did you have a family to give you any support?"
I know he's an only child like me. I don't know when his father left him—if it was when he was a baby or much later in life, as an adult. I shouldn't care about all this, and the most disturbing thing is that, after tonight, his past matters to me. Anything that can give me a glimpse into the intriguing man he's become—this asshole boss who drove me to the hospital and grabbed me something to eat.
When he's off the clock, what's his most consistent version? The asshole boss or the supportive date?
Archer takes another bite of his sandwich. "My father was married to her at the time. He came back after ghosting her for many years. Found out she was sick, stuck around, and when she died, he left."
An immense wave of sadness rolls over my chest. How sad. My life wasn't perfect, but my parents loved each other. Even now, without my mom, my father supports and loves me no matter what. I can't imagine how hard it must be not to have that, especially as a child.
I thread my fingers together, unsure about what to do. Should I try to hug a man who's eating a sandwich? I want to reach out, but even sitting, he's well-postured, like he doesn't need anything. "That's shitty."
"That's life, I guess. He took what he needed and bounced," he says emotionlessly. “Died a couple of years ago. Alone.”
"That's life? I'm sorry you think that way. He was an asshole and a horrible father. No one deserves that," I say, and second guess myself. I shouldn't insist on personal shit with him when he's obviously hit his limit for the night.
"Not even the asshole boss with the timer?" he asks, and a sarcastic note trickles into his voice.
I bite back a smile. "Not even him."
"How are you so sure?"
"You were a kid, that's how I know."
