Page 11 of Drowning Erin

8

Erin

Present

Wednesday,Rob’s last full day in the States, comes too fast. It really isn’t a big deal that he’s leaving, so it’s hard for me to explain the sense of impending doom I feel whenever I think about it. Maybe it’s just that his trip has been extended at the last minute—instead of a week he’ll be gone nearly a month. I’m not even sure he’d have remembered to tell me if I hadn’t overheard him discussing it withBrendan.

He calls just after lunch. This in and of itself is unusual, because Rob never calls while I’m at work. But it’s his voice I find most alarming—flat, without inflection or apology, telling me he thinks he might worklate.

“Rob,” I sigh. “This is the last time I’m seeing you for a month. I’d think that just this once you could tell your bossno.”

“Yes, and I’d think that just once you might be able to tell your brother no, but apparently you decided to give him all of your money instead,” he shootsback.

Oh. Fuck. “Did Sean call you?” Iask.

“Yeah,” Rob says with a bitter laugh. “He wanted to thank me for being so ‘cool’ aboutit.”

There’s nothing I can say to defend myself. Ishouldhave discussed it with him. There’s only one reason I didn’t: because I knew I’d pay Sean’s tuition whether Rob agreed ornot.

“I meant to tell you,” I sayweakly.

“Don’t you think you should have discussed it with mefirst? I thought we were a team,Erin.”

“Sean was going to work at a bar,” I reply. “It would have been adisaster.”

“That’s not the point,” he snaps. “We’re supposed to discuss these things. We’reengaged. Or have youforgotten?”

“What’s that supposed tomean?”

“It means we’ve been engaged for 18 months, and you haven’t moved one millimeter toward picking a date or anything else,” he says. “You keep claiming you’re too busy, but when you do something like this, I have to wonder if that’s all itis.”

* * *

He doesn’t gethome until after eight. Dinner is cold. I’m mad, but my grounds for anger are so minimal compared to his that I push it downdeep.

“There’s food on the stove if you’re hungry,” I say quietly. “You’ll just need to heat itup.”

“I met Brendan and got something at the bar,” he replies, throwing his jacket on thechair.

I close my eyes to keep from rolling them. Being late is bad enough. Being late because he was hanging out withBrendan, however, is really doublingdown.

“Let me guess,” I say. “He told you to dump me for the hundredthtime?”

“No.” Rob sighs. “He said I should get clear on what bothers me before we have a conversation because you’re a fixer, and you can’t fix this until you know what the problemis.”

“Has the world stopped spinning on its axis?Brendanactually paid me acompliment?”

Rob laughs. “Not exactly. He said he hates fixers. But anyway, he meantwell.”

“Any other sage advice from the guy who’s never had arelationship?”

“Yeah, he said I should go home and getlaid.”

That sounds more likeBrendan.

Rob leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Look, I’m not happy about it, Erin, but I don’t want to fight with you tonight. So can we just table all this for a time when it’s not my last few hours with my beautifulgirlfriend?”

I agree with relief, and he throws his tie next to his jacket. “Then it seems to me you’re wearing too manyclothes.”

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