Page 68 of Beck and Call

I found a change of clothes in her room and brought them down to Evie. "I thought you'd want to get out of that gown."

"Thank you," she said, finally speaking to me.

"Your aunt's room is on the right of the staircase." I'd already changed, so I started working on getting a fire going and using my phone to make a video call to the nurse in charge at Callie's care facility.

The call connected just as Evie descended the stairs. I muted myself and faced her. "I'll answer any questions you have after the call. I do go and visit my high school girlfriend almost every Friday. I don't know how Matilda found out about it. I certainly never told her. Before you judge, I want to introduce you to Callie."

Evie moved closer but didn't speak. I unmuted the video call. The nurse came into view. "She's had a bad day today, Mr. Anderson."

"I'd really like to introduce her to my fiancée if she can chat for just a minute."

"I think she can handle it for a short period of time."

She moved the phone so that Callie came into the picture. Evie gasped, but otherwise didn't say anything. It never escaped me how different Callie was from the girl I knew. She had to have help eating because her fine motor skills weren't very good. She was very thin, and since she didn't get much exercise, her muscles lacked tone. Instead of thirty-eight, she looked both younger and older. The result was unsettling.

"Hey, Callie," I greeted. I fought the urge to talk to her like she was a child, although I wasn't sure if it would make a difference to her either way.

"This is the woman I was telling you about. Evie."

She looked into the camera, which let me know that she really did understand a lot more than I'd previously thought.

"Hi," Evie greeted softly.

Callie looked back toward me, and her lips twitched. It could just be wishful thinking, but it seemed like she was trying to smile.

Evie looked at me and nodded. “Would it be alright if I came and met you in person the next time Beck comes to visit?”

Again, Callie’s lips twitched.

“I’m going to let you and Beck chat. I’ll visit you properly soon,” Evie said, and stepped out of the video frame.

As usual it was a one-sided conversation, therefore I didn't extend it too long. I ended the call when she started squirming in her seat.

"That's the old girlfriend I spend Friday nights with. I hope you aren't still threatened by her."

"Do you still love her?" she asked.

I sat down on the arm of the sofa. "That's a hard question to answer. I still care about her as someone who has been in my life for twenty years. If you are asking if I wish we were still together, the answer is no."

"What happened to her?"

"She tried to kill herself. We had a fight toward the end of our senior year, and I told her I needed time to myself. Everything was always up and down with her. I needed some peace, but instead it's been an unending nightmare."

"You blame yourself for what she did, don't you?"

"It was my fault. I should have known she wasn’t in a good place and gotten her help instead of pushing her over the edge."

Evie came closer to me and put her hand on the side of my face. "You didn't make her ill, and you certainly didn't make her try and take her own life."

"You really don't think this is my fault?"

"Do you think it's my fault that my mom killed herself?"

"Of course not. You were a child."

She pushed my hair out of my face and ran her hands through the strands. "So were you."

I shook my head. "It's not the same thing. I was eighteen, and legally an adult."

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