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“I’ll try.”
Melissa looked me over and then waved her hand up and down in front of me.
“Stevie, how in the world are you holding up like this? Even with all you’ve been through, you look amazing.”
“Thank you. But I don’t think I look amazing with these big bags under my eyes.”
“What damn bags?”
I chuckled. Melissa had always been so blunt and funny. “These damn bags,” I said, pointing at them.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I waved her off, chuckling again. Then she asked me again how I was holding up so well.
“Denial and lots of Hendricks gin. That’s how. I just have to keep going. There isn’t time for anything else.”
“Stevie, you’re gonna have to make time to process your trauma. A trifecta has hit you all at once with you being taken hostage, you and Zac being over, and now this with your dad. If you don’t make time, then that deep wound inside you is gonna keep festering. It won’t go away on its own.”
“I hear what you’re saying and I know that I need to let myself start grieving yet again. I’m gonna have to take it really slow, though.”
“Of course. Grieving is not a fast process and it’s never linear.”
“No, it’s up and down, back and forth.”
“Have you thought about going to Destin like you did after Malcolm passed away? I remember how much good that trip did for you.”
I shook my head no. “I’ll never go back to Destin.”
“Why?”
“Because Zac took me there a few weeks ago. That’s why.”
I heard a light knock on the door and got up to go see who it was. Before I could open the door though, the person standing on the other side of it did. It was Graham.
“Hey,” I said, surprised to see him.
“Hey, Stevie. I heard about your dad and came to check on him. I hope you don’t mind me being here.”
“Um, no, it’s fine. Come on in.”
I stepped back and Graham walked into the room. Then he saw Melissa sitting in her chair.
“How are you?” he asked her.
“I’m doing well, Graham. How are you?”
“I’m doing well too. Thank you for asking.”
Graham looked back at me and I motioned toward my dad.
“You can go on over. His doctor has him sedated, so…”
“Okay.”
As Graham was walking over to my dad’s bedside, I looked over at Melissa and she bugged out her eyes at me. It was her way of asking if I was really okay with my ex-husband being here and I was. I nodded and then Melissa did.
After giving Graham a minute to be with my dad, I walked over to the other side of his bed, held his hand again, and then looked up to see the stress on Graham’s face. His eyebrows were knotted up and the sides of jaws were popping out from clenching his teeth.
