Page 58 of Damnation
Leila sighs. “That’s another reason I called… The hospital admitted our father this morning after a respiratory crisis.”
I feel a cold chill but, after what I’ve found out, I can’t say I’m actually sorry for the man.
“I’ve put off telling Thomas for a while but, I think it’s time.”
“I get that. I’ll pass you back to him, then?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to you about something first. Can you move away from him?”
Thomas and I are currently stuck in a house on top of a tree, suspended twenty feet in the air. “Uh…not really,” I answer, trying to sound casual so I don’t arouse his suspicion.
“I’m making this hard for you, aren’t I? Sorry, that wasn’t what I wanted. I just feel like I need to talk to someone about it. Someone who won’t freak out the way my brother probably will.”
I’m starting to get nervous, imagining the worst. “I’m listening; talk to me,” I encourage her, pressing the phone more tightly against my ear.
“Our mother wants to see him. She wants to see Thomas, now that our father isn’t at home anymore.”
Oh, that’s all? My shoulders immediately relax. “That sounds like a good thing to me.”
“Not for Thomas, as you know. I would really appreciate it if you could convince him to accept her invitation.” Leila knows that her brother told me everything about their childhood. But she probably doesn’t realize that, after that night, we never broached the subject again. I don’t want to make him feel harassed, but I also know that he and his mother haven’t been in touch for a long time. He told me that the first time he took me to this tree house.
“I don’t think…”
“Thomas listens to what you say, much more than you think. It feels like, after so long, I might finally have my mother and brother under the same roof again. I don’t want to watch this opportunity slip away just because he’s a hothead.”
My heart is aching. I can only imagine how much suffering Thomas’s obstinate refusal to come home is causing her. I bite my lip. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it. Or at least, I’ll give it a try.”
I can hear her sigh deeply. “Thank you so much. You are the best, I swear, the best! I won’t ask him right now so I don’t dump too much on him, but I will soon. Now you can hand me back to my idiot brother. I’ve already taken up too much of your time.”
Gathering my courage, I hand him the phone and wait for the truth to hit him, prepared to soften the blow as best I can.
***
“Hey, is everything okay?” I ask in a whisper as soon as Thomas hangs up. He brings a cigarette to his mouth and takes a long, deep drag, the center of his forehead wrinkling slightly. Then he stubs the cigarette out in a small ashtray, starting at some point in the middle distance. I know his mind is wandering off somewhere else, far away from me, but I want him here. Right here with me.
I put a hand on his shoulder and rub it. “Thomas…”
He turns with a start, making me jump as well.
“Are you okay?” I ask again.
He nods. “I’m fine. You wanna go home?”
“No, I like this place. It relaxes me.” I shrug, breathing in the coolevening air of the woods. I crouch down next to him and wrap my arms around his neck.
“They admitted him to the hospital this morning…”
“Yes, Leila told me. Do you want to talk about it?”
He shakes his head. “Did she say anything else? She seemed a little weird on the phone.”
“Um, not really. She just asked me to fill in for her at the school newspaper while she’s away,” I answer vaguely. He gives me an uncertain look. I don’t know if he senses that I’m hiding something from him, but for whatever reason, he decides to drop the subject.
We stay cuddled there in silence for a little while. Until, trying not to appear too nosy, I decide to take a chance. “Thomas, I know we haven’t talked about it since the other night but…would you like to tell me what happened after the accident?”
He doesn’t release his hold on me, but I can feel his body stiffen.
I rub his back gently. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But if you feel the urge to talk…well, just know that I’m here.” I press a soft kiss to his jaw.
