Page 31 of The Battery
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Leo
“Changes?” I asked.
Maribel, the hospice nurse, stood opposite me, the kitchen island between us. She pressed one of those sad smiles on her face. She’d done this before. Countless times, no doubt. Did it ever get easier?
“Yes. The increase in fatigue. I’m noticing less intake of food.” She leaned into the island. “He’s still strong, Leo, okay? But you should know that we’re likely entering the last weeks.”
“How many?” I answered without taking in any information she just shared but that.
“It’s hard to be exact with these things. Right now it could be a few weeks, but I’ve seen conditions change precipitously before and it could be only a week. You still have more time with your uncle. I just want to start setting expectations with you. Okay?”
“Yeah. Will you be coming by more often?”
She nodded. “Probably. The app should notify you of the new schedule and then any ad hoc needs. Have there been any changes in your schedule? I’m not sure how that works…” She had her phone out and laid on the counter and she swiped through menu options.
“It’s pretty solid up until postseason.”
She had her head down and selected scheduling options for the app her company used. “Okay. And when is that?”
I faltered. A catch in my throat. I blinked and looked sideways, then cleared my throat. Maribel looked up and, politely, didn’t push, waiting for me to find my bearings.
“October,” I said, though my voice cracked. Again, I cleared my throat and started rearranging the apples, oranges, and avocados sitting in a white ceramic bowl at the center of the island.
“I’ll increase visitation,” she said delicately without missing a beat. “I’ll extend through the end of the year. How does that sound? It’s always a good idea to make sure there’s a plan.”
“Yeah,” I said absently. That lump in my throat swelled.
She finished fixing the schedule in her phone, clicked it off, and dropped it into her handbag. “Leo,” she said softly. “Would you like me to stay for a little bit?”
I had my eyes on the fruit. The avocados were a bold shade of unripe green. “No. Thank you.”
Maribel walked around the island and laid her hand atop mine. Her eyes were so kind.
“Take care of yourself. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
With that, she was out the door. I stayed rooted in the kitchen.
I had been so focused on making postseason with Cody that I had lost sight ofwhy. Hearing Maribel provide the likelihood of my uncle not making it shattered a fantasy that should have never existed. Oh, I fully planned on winning for him, come what may, but a part of me had been expecting to see Uncle Andy there with me.
Now…
He’d be my fourth spirit, joining my mother, father, and Archie. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my soul to reach out and embrace them. I needed to feel my family with me in that moment. My legs wobbled and I braced my forearms against the countertop to stay upright. I refused to let a sob escape my mouth, but my very soul howled.
I knew Uncle Andy was on his way to a better place. I just thought he’d be around long enough to see me win that pennant.
I felt apologetic, as if I had my hand on the dial that controlled how much time Uncle Andy had left.
“Mom,” I whispered, barely loud enough to even hear myself. “Dad…” I needed to feel them. “Archie.”
My fucking twin. He should have been here with me. Now, only an absence. Nothing could ever fill that void.
I pounded my fist against the counter until it hurt. The pain snapped me back to what I could control. I stood erect, stupidly proud of not crying.
I finally left the kitchen and walked into his room. He had been sitting up with a tablet while playing a game. Freecell, his favorite. Gaunt, bags under the eyes. A family portrait sat on his nightstand, one of his parents and my father, another of my mother, father, brother, and myself taken on our ski trip before the accident that took them from me.
“Hey, kiddo,” my uncle said as I entered. He looked up from his game of Freecell. “Whoa. Hey now. I’m not deadyet, kiddo.”
