Page 96 of Years in the Making

“I said, you being flippant about things stresses me out.”

“I’m not being flippant. I know what to watch out for, and I’m being honest when I say the headaches I’ve had haven’t been anything to worry about. I’d sooner be worried about a brain tumor than an aneurysm at this point.”

“That’s not fucking funny,” Zoe hisses.

I sigh and lay back on the bed, knowing there is no way Ican win. “If I go take my blood pressure now and send you a picture, will that ease your mind?” I stand and head for the door, grabbing the keys from the cabinet.

“That would be preferable to you claiming you’re fine, yes. Cold hard evidence is always appreciated.”

“You sound like a lawyer.”

“Well at least that degree isn’t completely going to waste.”

When I open the door, the yard is empty so I don’t feel like I have to sneak to the truck. It’s not that I don’t want people to know; I just don’t want them to worry, which they tend to do. Exhibit A: me with Nellie’s cut.

“Okay, the cuff is cuffed, and I’m about to start it. Tell me something good.”

Zoe tells me that Jordan’s pregnancy is going well, better than hers had been with my nephew Keenan. Will and his family were over last night for dinner, and she assures me she pestered him too. At least she’s consistent.

The first cycle ends, and I report the numbers to her as the cuff starts to restrict again. Three rounds, and the average is normal which finally convinces her that I’m not about to drop dead. We say our goodbyes, and I slide off the tailgate to start putting things away.

“Everything okay?”

I must jump three feet in the air as George walks up to the truck.

“Christ, George,” I gasp, leaning on the tailgate, trying to get my breathing to even out. I bet my blood pressure wouldn’t be so normal now.

George leans on the truck, his eyes glued to the bag I was in the middle of zipping. “What’s wrong with ya?”

I love how people over a certain age don’t care about societal norms. They’ll ask you whatever they want, whenever they want. and small-town people are even better at it.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Fine people don’t generally check their blood pressure in secret.”

“They do if they’re making sure they stay fine,” I say with as much confidence as I can.

“Why wouldn’t you stay fine?”

“These are pretty personal questions, George.”

He shrugs and looks back towards the bunkie. “If you’re protecting that girl from something, I’d recommend just being honest with her.”

“I have been honest…I am being honest. This”—I zip the bag the rest of the way—“is nothing. It’s something to keep my sister off my back.”

“It may be nothin’ to you, son, but I guarantee it would be somethin’ to her if you don’t tell her. At least check things in the bunkie rather than sneaking out to the back of the truck like some addict.” He pats the truck a couple of times and backs away. “I’ll see you in a few hours for our trip out to Betty’s.”

I’m fine; I know I’m fine. But I also know how I handled Nellie’s bleeding, and I doubt I would have reacted that way if I’d known about her condition. At least I hope I would have kept it together a bit better. The wordsI’m going to lose her, I’m going to lose herkept running through my head. I’d lost her once because I couldn’t handle something. Telling her had to be at the top of my list. Being honest with her even if it seems insignificant proves that I care about her and I care about her caring about me. I refuse to hear her say that she wishes I’d said something earlier.

“Come on, Kev!” I hear Nellie holler as I’m nearly at the lake.

She’s patting the water and waiting for Kevin to start towards her then she dips below and pops up on the other side, repeating the process. He pursues her just as enthusiasticallyeach time.I get it, buddy, I think to myself as I hang back in the shadows and watch for a few more minutes, wondering if I could freeze time. What if we just stayed here in this middle-of-nowhere bubble? Nellie runs the library, I work for Betty—ideal in every single way.

I’d once called the little town of El Nido in the Philippines heaven on earth, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this place, not when Nellie’s with me. Hell, the back seat of a beat-up old Ford pickup is Heaven when she’s there. Forget remote beaches, banana pancakes, fresh fish every night, and forgotten coral reefs. Nellie is all I need.

I announce my presence by diving in and swimming straight for her. She yelps as I grab her around her middle and pull her to me. It doesn’t take long for her arms and legs to wrap around me. There is absolutely nothing sexual about this, just two people in a remote lake hugging. Heaven.

Eventually, I let go and allow my body to stretch out with a few short laps to the shore and back to where Nellie and Kevin continue to play their little hide-and-seek game. After that I join in, only to discover that I’m not Kevin’s favorite. It’s a slight hit to the ego, but if I’m being completely honest, I get it. I’d pick her too.

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