Page 26 of Comforting the Grump

Okay, I needed to leave, create some distance between us. But before I could get up, the shrill ring of my phone sliced through the morning calm. One look at the caller ID had my stomach churning. “Hey, Fir.”

“Hey, Marnin. I have your results. Are you able to talk?”

“Yeah.” I didn’t know why, but I put my phone on speaker. Ennio stepped close to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Your PSA test was positive.”

Positive. Fuck. Did that mean I had…? “That’s not good, right?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. Remember what I told you about this particular test being notorious for false positives? A negative would’ve been conclusive, but a positive doesn’t indicate anything definitive yet. I know it sounds scary, but there are a lot of factors that can affect the results. It doesn’t automatically mean cancer.” Fir’s calm voice was a soothing balm against my rising panic.

“False positives?” I grasped onto the term like a lifeline.

“Inflammation, infections, even recent sexual activity can skew the numbers. You’ll need a follow-up appointment with a urologist for further tests.”

I swallowed. “I’ll call first thing tomorrow.”

“Good. Please keep me posted. And, Marnin?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be rooting for you. Reach out if you need me, as a doctor or a friend. My confidentiality is a given in either role.”

Warmth filled me. Fir and I had only recently gotten closer, but he was still offering me his support. It spoke volumes about him as a doctor and as a person. “Thank you.”

I ended the call and met Ennio’s eyes. “Monday. I’ll call the urologist first thing.”

He nodded, his hand still warm on my shoulder. “Good. You’re taking charge, Marnin. That’s what you do best.”

I snorted, a halfhearted attempt at humor to mask the tremor of vulnerability within me. “Control freak, you mean?”

“Analytical,” he corrected without missing a beat, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You understand how to navigate complex systems, solve problems. It’s what makes you brilliant at your job—and it’ll see you through this.”

“Maybe.” The word hung heavily between us, but I let out a breath. There was comfort in Ennio’s unwavering belief in me, even if my own confidence wavered.

“Hey”—Ennio leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper—“you’ll tackle this like you tackle everything else. Head-on, with no bullshit. Just…maybe with a little less whiskey next time?”

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, surprising me with its genuine warmth. “No promises.”

10

ENNIO

Hmm, something was missing. I took another spoonful of the mushroom sauce I was making in my kitchen, a test before I’d put it on the menu at The Lodge. It had that earthy mushroom taste, a hint of roasted garlic, some herbed de Provence, enough salt and pepper, and that round, full sensation only cream could give. So what was missing?

I closed my eyes as I let the taste roll around in my mouth, lingering on my tongue. It was too round. It needed a touch of acid. Some lemon juice should do the trick.

This was my favorite part of being a chef: developing new menu items. I was always off on Mondays and I loved spending some lazy time in my own kitchen those days, playing around with ideas for recipes and trying out new things.

Marnin had left for Seattle after breakfast the day before. Despite the circumstances, I’d liked having him here. It didn’t have overnight guests often or someone to cook for and eat breakfast with.

But I was alone once more, so I’d set out to try another version of a new mushroom sauce I’d been playing around with. The silence had been a little too loud after Marnin’s departure,so I’d connected my phone to my Sonos speakers, which were now blasting Taylor Swift’s latest album. God, I loved that woman.

I’d just added a spritz of fresh lemon juice when my phone buzzed with an incoming text. Marnin.

Got a urologist appointment this Friday. Wish me luck.

I wiped my hands on the kitchen towel, then quickly thumbed out my reply.

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