business .
Tony said, “Tell Meredith I’ll probably be out by the weekend, if all goes well.”
“Okay.”
“Tell her I’ll call her in a couple of days when I’m feeling a little better.”
Will you feel better, Tony? For how long? Why don’t you stop drinking? Why? Our lives could have been so different if not for your drinking. Why did you have to throw it all away?
His eyes drifted closed again. “I’m glad you came, Allie,” he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.
She waited awhile, then went outside to call Meredith, as promised. Her daughter answered on the first ring.
“How is he, Mom?”
“He’s in pain but he says he should be out by the weekend.” She drew in a deep breath, tamping down an old anger. “He’s been through this before. It usually takes about a week in the hospital, and then he’ll have to be very careful with his diet.”
“Do you think he will be? Careful, I mean.”
“Oh, honey. I don’t know. You know how it is for your dad.”
“Yeah. I know.”
It was at moments like these when Allison wanted to hate Tony Kavanagh, but she couldn’t. She didn’t like him much, but she couldn’t hate him. “He’s always pulled through before,” she said at last. It was the best she could do and still be telling the truth.
Allison
It was after midnight before Allison crawled beneath the covers of her bed. Exhausted by the events of the day, she fell into a troubled sleep. In her dreams, she stood beside an open grave. Tony’s grave. Meredith gripped her arm. Both of them wept.
What could I have done?
What could I have done?
What could I have done?
Allison bolted upright with a gasp, heart racing, fear strangling her. But as her pulse began to slow, anger surged. She shouldn’t have to visit Tony in the hospital. She shouldn’t have to dream about him. He’d made his choices. What he did shouldn’t matter to her any longer. Not even if it killed him. And if it wasn’t for their daughter—
A groan rumbled in her chest as she tossed aside the covers and got out of bed. The clock said it was four in the morning, but she wouldn’t fall back to sleep again. She was too agitated for that. Might as well get some work done.
But remnants of the dream stayed with her as she showered and dressed and made her first cup of coffee. They stayed with her as she opened Photoshop and set to work on another logo design. They were still clinging to her thoughts when a knock sounded at the door a little after nine o’clock.
It was Susan, returning Gizmo.
“Was he a good dog?” Allison asked as she held him in her arms and ruffled his ears.
“Yes. Although I think all the attention he got put my dogs’ noses out of joint. The big lugs aren’t allowed on the furniture the way Gizmo is.”
“Want some coffee?”
“Sure.”
The two women walked to the kitchen.
Allison pulled open the tray beneath her coffeemaker. “Full strength, half caf, or decaf?”
“Full strength, please.”
“Full it is.” She grabbed a K-Cup.
After the coffee started flowing into a mug, Allison turned toward her friend. “I sure appreciated your help. It was good not to have to worry about Gizmo.”
“How was seeing Tony?”
“Harder than I expected.” She shrugged. “It brought up so many raw feelings. I thought I was finished with them, but I guess not.”
“You and Tony were married a long time. You loved him. Maybe those feelings won’t ever go away completely.”
“I hope you’re wrong. I want to move on.”
Allison set the mug of coffee on the counter, then got the flavored creamer out of the refrigerator. While Susan doctored her coffee, Allison went to retrieve her own mug from her desk in the bedroom. By the time Allison returned to the kitchen and got her own coffee, Susan had taken a seat at the table. They were silent for a short while as they sipped.
“I dreamed again that he died,” Allison said at long last, her gaze fastened on the mug in her hands.
“Is
Tony said, “Tell Meredith I’ll probably be out by the weekend, if all goes well.”
“Okay.”
“Tell her I’ll call her in a couple of days when I’m feeling a little better.”
Will you feel better, Tony? For how long? Why don’t you stop drinking? Why? Our lives could have been so different if not for your drinking. Why did you have to throw it all away?
His eyes drifted closed again. “I’m glad you came, Allie,” he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.
She waited awhile, then went outside to call Meredith, as promised. Her daughter answered on the first ring.
“How is he, Mom?”
“He’s in pain but he says he should be out by the weekend.” She drew in a deep breath, tamping down an old anger. “He’s been through this before. It usually takes about a week in the hospital, and then he’ll have to be very careful with his diet.”
“Do you think he will be? Careful, I mean.”
“Oh, honey. I don’t know. You know how it is for your dad.”
“Yeah. I know.”
It was at moments like these when Allison wanted to hate Tony Kavanagh, but she couldn’t. She didn’t like him much, but she couldn’t hate him. “He’s always pulled through before,” she said at last. It was the best she could do and still be telling the truth.
Allison
It was after midnight before Allison crawled beneath the covers of her bed. Exhausted by the events of the day, she fell into a troubled sleep. In her dreams, she stood beside an open grave. Tony’s grave. Meredith gripped her arm. Both of them wept.
What could I have done?
What could I have done?
What could I have done?
Allison bolted upright with a gasp, heart racing, fear strangling her. But as her pulse began to slow, anger surged. She shouldn’t have to visit Tony in the hospital. She shouldn’t have to dream about him. He’d made his choices. What he did shouldn’t matter to her any longer. Not even if it killed him. And if it wasn’t for their daughter—
A groan rumbled in her chest as she tossed aside the covers and got out of bed. The clock said it was four in the morning, but she wouldn’t fall back to sleep again. She was too agitated for that. Might as well get some work done.
But remnants of the dream stayed with her as she showered and dressed and made her first cup of coffee. They stayed with her as she opened Photoshop and set to work on another logo design. They were still clinging to her thoughts when a knock sounded at the door a little after nine o’clock.
It was Susan, returning Gizmo.
“Was he a good dog?” Allison asked as she held him in her arms and ruffled his ears.
“Yes. Although I think all the attention he got put my dogs’ noses out of joint. The big lugs aren’t allowed on the furniture the way Gizmo is.”
“Want some coffee?”
“Sure.”
The two women walked to the kitchen.
Allison pulled open the tray beneath her coffeemaker. “Full strength, half caf, or decaf?”
“Full strength, please.”
“Full it is.” She grabbed a K-Cup.
After the coffee started flowing into a mug, Allison turned toward her friend. “I sure appreciated your help. It was good not to have to worry about Gizmo.”
“How was seeing Tony?”
“Harder than I expected.” She shrugged. “It brought up so many raw feelings. I thought I was finished with them, but I guess not.”
“You and Tony were married a long time. You loved him. Maybe those feelings won’t ever go away completely.”
“I hope you’re wrong. I want to move on.”
Allison set the mug of coffee on the counter, then got the flavored creamer out of the refrigerator. While Susan doctored her coffee, Allison went to retrieve her own mug from her desk in the bedroom. By the time Allison returned to the kitchen and got her own coffee, Susan had taken a seat at the table. They were silent for a short while as they sipped.
“I dreamed again that he died,” Allison said at long last, her gaze fastened on the mug in her hands.
“Is
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