Page 67 of The Facilitator: Part 2
Thankfully Mack laughed. He reached over and grabbed my dish. He spooned a huge mouthful between his lips and both Sandra and I semi-rose from our seats at the redness that coated his cheeks, the stream of tears as he swallowed, and the cough that, eventually, Mackenzie responded to. He handed his father his glass of water while patting him on theback.
“Too hot?” I heard. Ed stood at the end of the table. Mack was incapable ofspeech.
“Yes, I’d say so. Interesting, but a little too spicy for me. I’m sorry,” Isaid.
“An experiment. How about a juicy burger?” he said. I gave him a thumbsup.
A short while later, I was tucking into the largest, dirtiest burger I’d ever seen. Juice dripped from my lips as my taste buds exploded with the beef that melted in my mouth, a BBQ sauce, andsalad.
“This…this is…” I said, trying to wipe my mouth with a napkin I’d recently spatinto.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Mackenzie said, licking his fingers from eating his ownburger.
“Amazing,” I managed, betweenbites.
Sandra chatted, asking Mackenzie about his businesses, Gabriella and Alex’s wedding that had caused uproar in the town, although she said they were all looking forward to theconsolation party. More beers were placed on the table, and I asked for a Diet Coke. I needed something non-alcoholic, not that I thought the beer had much, to wash down the grease. I licked my lips and caught Mackenzie smirk at me. As we sat through dessert, I realised; they never actually spoke much. Mack talked to me, Sandra to Mackenzie, but it seemed father and son didn’t have a great deal to say to each other. It saddened me, but it wasn’t my business. Soon, however, it was time to go, and I got a sense that both Mack and Mackenzie were unsure what to do. Both wanted the other to leave, both wanted the other to stay a little longer. It was awkward, for sure. We left the diner and walked back the way we’dcome.
“How about we plan another visit before we head to Boston?” I said, hoping not to upsetMackenzie.
“That would be nice. Now, you kids, go and do some sightseeing,” Mack said, when we arrived back at thecondo.
Mackenzie was quiet for a little while as we drove back to his house. He pulled onto the drive and sat beforesighing.
“Beach?” I said, knowing it to be the one place that comforted him themost.
He nodded. “How about I grab us a blanket, some wine maybe?” I said. He turned tome.
“I don’t know if I could love you even more than I do, but after today…Well, I’m in awe of you,Lauren.”
I was completely taken aback by his statement. In that moment, though, I didn’t think I was going to get an explanation. He opened his door and walked around the car to mine. While he looked over my shoulder, he helped me from my seat. He gave me his doorkey.
“There is a blanket over the back of the couch,” hesaid.
He leaned down to untie his shoelaces and roll off his socks. I took those from him, and while he walked to the beach, I headed into the house. I grabbed a bottle of wine, two glasses, and the blanket. I kicked off my flip-flops and left them by the back door. I hesitated on the second step down from the veranda. Mackenzie sat on the sand, his knees bent and his forehead resting on them. Although I couldn’t see his face, it was a position I seemed to associate with sadness. I hurried to him. My man was hurting, I was sure, and I wanted to take that fromhim.
“How do you feel?” I asked, as I sat besidehim.
“He’s dying. Sandra told me. Cancer, and he doesn’t have long. He hasn’t said a word. He’s had it for over a year,apparently.”
Mackenzie looked out to sea. I poured him a glass of wine; he took it without looking atme.
“Who does that?” hewhispered.
“A man who doesn’t want to worry his son, perhaps. A proud man who knows he isn’t connecting as well as he should with his only child, and maybe he just doesn’t know how to correct that. But youdo.”
He sipped from his glass before he turned to me. A lone tear tracked down the side of his face. I caught it on mythumb.
“Your tears are mine, Mackenzie. I’ll share your hurt so it isn’t so bad. I can’t take it away. I wish I could. But I’m right beside you, no matter if you want to scream and shout, or say nomore.”
For a moment, he didn’t respond. “Like I said, I’m in awe ofyou.”
* * *
The following day,Mackenzie did what his father asked. We drove around the town and he pointed out the sights before we headed to Mrs. Collingsworth’s for a lavish and busy dinner. An intimate dinner, to her, was twenty guests, most of whom Mackenzie knew, and all of whom were interested in me. It was a little overwhelming and I felt totally on show. However, it was an enjoyable evening. Gabriella kept squeezing my hand and whispering what naughty activities each guest had been up to, and not always with the partner they’d brought to the dinner party. After dinner we were all escorted to thedrawing room.I assumed that was for me. I wasn’t aware the American’s used the rather archaic term. The women seemed to congregate at one end of the room and the men, the other. Mackenzie, however, had held onto my hand and I was stuck in the rather uncomfortable position of being in the middle of theroom.
“Did you know Frank is dying?” I overheard. An elderly gentleman had handed Mackenzie a glass ofwhiskey.
“No, I hadn’t heard.” His response was rather curt and should have been a warning he wasn’t interested. However, the gentleman wasn’t putoff.
