Page 111 of Roommate
“You—what?”
“She’s a fan,” Zara says from the counter. “Audrey, leave that boy alone. You can go home, too. This wasn’t supposed to be your shift.”
“But I’m here now.” She swings her feet onto an empty chair and rubs her belly. “I’ll only go home if you guys promise to come to Thursday dinner next week.”
“What’s on the menu?” Roderick calls from the back. “Kieran needs an incentive to be dragged out to Tuxbury and gawked at.”
“There will be no gawking,” she says with a sniff. “But there will be buttermilk-fried chicken, creamy potato salad, spicy Asian pickles, and corn fritters.”
“Oh man,” I breathe. “The gawking might even be worth it.”
Everybody laughs.
* * *
Around noon, my dad is moved into a regular hospital room and is allowed a couple more visitors. “I should go up there,” I say, dreading it. How is my father going to feel about me now that his secret is out?
“We’ll go together,” Roderick suggests. “We can get noodles afterwards.”
All the noodles in the world won’t make it easier. But I head to the hospital anyway, with Roderick at my side.
When we approach my dad’s room, we see my mother standing at Dad’s bedside. She notices us and joins us in the hallway, closing the door behind her. She looks exhausted.
“Sally,” Roderick says. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But when is the last time you slept?”
“I don’t remember,” she says.
“Let me take you home, Ma,” Kyle says, appearing in the hallway with a cup of coffee. “I’ve been saying that for hours.”
“Okay,” she says. “Thank you. Let me get my coat.”
While she’s fetching it, Kyle puts a hand on my shoulder. “You okay?”
“Sure,” I grunt. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Because this is stressful as hell. Is he taking good care of you?” Kyle nods toward Roderick.
“Well, yeah. But I’m all right.”
Kyle crosses his arms and frowns. “I’m sorry I was a tool yesterday.” He turns to Roderick. “And I’m sorry if I was a tool to you at any point.”
“I’ve met bigger tools,” Roderick says curtly. “But this macho big-brother thing you’re working today is kind of hot.”
“Roddy.” I sigh.
He snickers. “Sorry. I’m more inappropriate when I’m nervous.”
Kyle flashes him a quick grin. “Okay. Whatever. I’m taking Mom home now.”
“You want help tomorrow?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. I got it. Go on.” He points at Dad’s room. “You take over here. He’s been asking for you.”
“Okay,” I say as my stomach rolls.
I can’t avoid it any longer. I step into the room alone. My father is lying on his back, his eyes shut, his face pale. There are bandages visible on his chest, and he seems frail, older than a man in his early fifties.
I’ve spent plenty of time irritated at my dad, but until now, I never spent much time wondering what it would be like to lose my dad. And I’m not ready. I sit down heavily in a chair and try to hold myself together.
