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Chapter 7
Xander spentmost of the holiday wandering the streets of Manhattan. He stopped by the hospital once again to visit his mother. She was asleep, and his father was not there. He kissed her cheek and left. He took a cab to his parent’s apartment in midtown. He had a key, and when he opened the door, his father was just coming out of the shower.
“Where were you all day? Your mother was worried. Did you at least see her before visiting hours ended?”
“Yes, Dad. I just saw her not long ago. She was asleep. Can I use the guest room tonight?”
“You don’t have to ask. Just make sure you leave the bathroom clean when you go. How long are you staying?”
“I guess after mom gets home and settled. When is she coming home?”
“If all goes well, she should be home tomorrow morning. You know Alexander, I know, and I’ve known for awhile now.”
Xander yawned and braced for the start of another argument. “Know what?”
“That you have been staying at Janelle’s for the past four years. I’ve known for a few years now.”
“How did you know?” He felt betrayed.
“Janelle’s mother told us. Gabby’s sister never could keep secrets. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t want us to know?”
“Because, it would be easier for you to not harbor this from Ava or any of the Keenes. I didn’t want you to have that burden.”
“It’s a burden you created. I want you to stop this already. Daniel told me she is dating someone now.”
Xander looked at him astonished. “Jacob said she wasn’t dating anyone and hasn’t for the last four years.”
“According to Daniel, she was taking him over to the barbecue today. Or do you want her to pine for you for the rest of her life?”
“Why do you care so much about whether she is dating or not?”
His father leaned in close to him. “Because whether you know it or not, I think she is your perfect match. I never saw you care about someone as much as her. You will regret it if you don’t let her back into your life.”
“She doesn’t want me. She told me before the accident.”
“That was out of anger, and you will never know if you don’t give her a chance.”
Peter Wilder went to his bedroom and closed the door leaving Xander to think about what he had said.
Xander had trouble sleeping that night. He was thinking about Ava. He had gotten his wish and seen her body. She had gained weight since they were last together and finally looked healthy again. Her body was more athletic than he remembered but she still had the same beautiful curves. He tossed and turned until the wee hours of the morning when sleep finally claimed him.
He had several dreams about her. One was about them marrying. He was at the altar, and she was walking towards him but she never quite made up the ground. Then poof, she disappeared, and he was left all alone. Another was her calling out to him, and he tried to find her. He couldn’t and he called for her then her voice stopped. He woke up to the sounds of his father walking down the hallway and decided he should get up since his mother was coming home today. He wanted to be there to help her.
“Good morning,” Xander said as he entered the kitchen. His father was making a pot of coffee.
“Did you sleep okay last night?”
“Not really. I had a lot on my mind.”
“You do need to make some decisions. Your mother and I would love to have you back in the city. Having Lidia in California is one child too many to be away from us. But you being upstate doesn’t help matters. Please think about coming back. You can always come back to the firm.”
Xander looked at him horrified.
“Dad, do you think I could honestly work around Ava? We would both be an emotional mess.”
Peter Wilder looked at his son. “Then do the right thing and go get her. Even if she doesn’t want to get back together at least, you will know.”
“And I would be devastated,” he mumbled. His father ignored him and served him a cup of coffee. As he drank it, he tried to decide his next move. He had a lot of thinking to do.
Xander spent the day with his parents. His mother got settled at home, and when he was sure she was okay, he prepared to leave. He packed his few belongings and kissed his mother goodbye. His father hugged him, and he set off to the Twelfth Street garage to get his truck. It had been there for two days, and he had a decent sized rental bill. On an attorney’s salary, it was no big deal, but he was no longer making that kind of money. He made decent wages at the lumberyard, but it was only a fifth of what he previously earned.
On the drive back to his cousin’s he hit traffic. It seemed that people were heading upstate to the lakes region for the rest of the weekend. He crawled northbound and was happy to see the sign for Saratoga Springs after more than five hours on the road. He had texted Janelle and let her know he was on his way. Pulling into the garage just before darkness fell, he went up to his apartment and was hit by stagnant heat when he opened the door. He immediately turned on his air conditioner and stood in front of it.
The old truck didn’t have A/C, and he sweated the whole drive in the ninety plus heat of July. He stripped and took a quick shower before exhaustion overtook him. He had missed two days, and made the two entries in the spiral notebook before putting it back on the pile. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he was off. He would call the lumber yard tomorrow to let them know he was back and would be in Monday. He lay down on his bed, and he fell asleep so fast that he didn’t hear the ping of his phone indicating an incoming text.
The next morning he woke up at 5:00 AM. It was so much of a habit that he didn’t have to set his alarm. He listened closely and heard rain hitting the roof. He hated running in the rain when it was this hot. The heat would spiral mist of the hot, slick pavement. He decided against it and closed his eyes only to remain awake. He finally gave up and got up to make himself some coffee. It was a new day, and he got the notebook off the pile and wrote his entry. He checked his phone and saw that a text had come in the night before. The number was hers.
Why didn’tyou see me?
He wasn’tsure if he should respond or delete it. In the end, he deleted it.
