Page 17 of The Un-Apparent Heir

“He is in end-stage liver failure and cannot even be transferred home for hospice. Lucy, are you hearing me?”

“Yes, Mom,” Lucy replied.

“It would make his life to see Malcolm here with Connor,” Brittany, Lucy’s sister, said.

She spoke about Lucy’s new baby. They hadn’t yet met. They only saw him on FaceTime.

“Mom, I don’t… I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“Lucy, this isn’t about you. Can you just care about anyone for a moment other than yourself?”

Lucy wanted to throw the phone across the room.

“I am Malcolm’s mother. It is my job to protect him—above all else. Even if you never cared to protect us from Dad’s jealous rages, I will do anything to ensure Mal never sees that. It is my job, Mom. My primary objective.”

“Lucy, he’s sober. Very sober. And he’s dying. And he wants to see the boys together. That is all. And, sweetheart, I am suffering here. I know your father has done terrible things. I am asking because if I didn’t try, I would never live with myself. If you do this for no one but me, please.”

Her mother pleaded in a way Lucy never heard.

“Can we do this after the new year?”

“He will not make it, honey. I don’t know how many ways to say it. He won’t make it.”

Lucy took a deep breath. “We’re in Norfolk. I cannot just… I don’t know when we can catch a flight. I will talk to Winston, okay? We must get our belongings and?—”

“Please, just consider it.”

“I will try my best, Mom,” Lucy said.

She hung up and found Winston downstairs with Natalie and George, looking through family pictures. He and George had done better as of late. Malcolm clung to Lucy as she held him on her hip. He sensed something was wrong, too.

“Winston, I… I don’t even know what to say. We need to go to Chicago. Dad is dying. He won’t make it. I would say fuck it, but Mom sounds different. She needs me. I can’t tell her no for some reason. We need to bring Malcolm and…”

Lucy started to cry. “I’m just… I don’t even know what to do. What do I do?”

Winston stepped back and took Malcolm as Lucy sobbed. Malcolm fought him but stopped fussing as he realised his mother was distressed.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy apologised.

“Don’t apologise, Lucy.” Natalie hugged her friend. “Jesus. That sounds so stressful. I can get clearance to fly you?—”

“No, no.” Lucy knew the stakes for Natalie.

She needed scans and treatments and had no time to waste.

“We’ll take you. Fly you back,” George said. “Put you up. Whatever you need. In the apartment in the city. It’s… nothing. The least Pat and I can do.”

“Oh, George, please, don’t?—”

“No, no, Lucy, it’s nothing.”

“It’s a lot of trouble. And with the baby?”

“Leah’s even younger and more hassle,” George chuckled. “We’ll all be jet lagged together. And we can watch Malcolm if there is something that requires Lucy and she’s not up to having him. I insist. Really.”

“I couldn’t ask that, George.”

“This is not a discussion,” George grew stern. “It’s happening. Winston, do you have moral objections?”

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