Page 148 of Never Forever

“That she does. You tell her I’m sick and she’ll come running back here. Soon the two of you will be talking about putting off your move to Boston. I won’t have it.”

Well…that was already on my list of things to talk to her about.

I mean, I just didn’t see how I could leave until the doctor gave him a clean bill of health. That could take months.

“Dad, it’s not going to matter if I start school in September or January.”

“Well, I imagine it might matter to your coach,” he said, sitting up straight. “Help me upstairs. I want to try and take a shower. I stink to high heaven.”

I helped him up the stairs, and was prepared to sit on the toilet while he showered in case he got weak, when we both heard the doorbell ring from downstairs.

“Go,” he said. “I’m fine.”

The doorbell rang again as I was coming back down the steps.

It was strange, but it felt ominous, that doorbell. Like maybe I shouldn’t open it. Like maybe everything bad for me was waiting behind that door.

Stupid, I thought, and flung it open..

Cecelia Piedmont stood there.

She wore a heavy coat and had her purse over her arm, clutched against her chest like a shield.

“Mrs. Piedmont? Is everything okay? Is Carrie…?”

“She’s fine,” Mrs. Piedmont said. “Can I come in?” I was so stunned by the request that I stepped aside and opened the door for her.

“Can I get you anything?” I asked.

It was so strange to have her in my house. It looked smaller with her and her strange hand bag and her wide eyes taking in everything. The beat up old couch with the blankets folded on top. The cracked linoleum of the kitchen floor.

Nothing I was ashamed of, but still it felt uncomfortable to have her here.

“A glass of water would be fine,” she said.

I brought her a glass of water from the kitchen, and she took a tiny sip and set it down on the table by the couch.

“Do you need something, Mrs. Piedmont?”

“Carrie told me about your plans. To move to Boston.”

“Yes,” I said a bit stiffly. Because right now Boston seemed like a far off dream.

“Matt.” She stepped closer, smelling like an old lady’s perfume and sea air. “I don’t think I have to tell you about her potential. She’s going to be a big star.”

“I know that,” I said.

“This commercial in Los Angeles will lead to more work for her.”

Upstairs I heard the water still running. Dad had been in the shower for a while. Too much hot water would make his muscles weak.

“Matt?” Cecelia said. “Are you listening to me?”

“Look, Mrs. Piedmont, if you’ve come here tonight to give me some big dramatic speech about how I’m not good enough for your daughter, you can save it,” I snapped. “I’ve got bigger shit on my mind right now. Okay?”

There was a thump and a crash. I could hear Dad shout from upstairs.

Shit. I bolted past her and up the stairs. I pushed open the door and found Dad on the floor tangled up in the shower curtain, heaving into the toilet.

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