his dream. Hell, he wasn’t sure what his dream was, anymore.
“Your father has too much pride to ask you for help, Michael … and too much pride to ask for your forgiveness, so if you can’t apologize for your part of it, just try not to upset him today when we go to the hospital. He’s nervous about seeing you and he probably wants to pretend that nothing is wrong … just go along with that for now. It’s all I ask.”
She looked so sad and defeated. Michael was stewing inside a little about what his mother had said, but couldn’t let it show. She clearly thought the way he handled things all these years had been wrong. Maybe she was right. But he still didn’t like this. He had always hated confrontation. He couldn’t do it when he was eighteen and preparing for college, and even now he hadn’t been able to confront work with the fact that he knew they were going to get rid of him, and he’d been avoiding this visit for the past thirteen years. He had to stop running away. No matter how scared he was to face his father tonight, he would do it. And then he could stop being scared of what would happen if he saw him again, because he would have made the choice to go and speak with his father and be the bigger man and end this. Even though the past few days had been tough, they’d also been nice. He felt like he was getting to know both Judy and Jonah in a new light. And he also felt like his mother was finally treating him like an adult, by telling him how she really felt. He sighed.
“Mom, I’m sorry for everything that’s happened. I know I didn’t handle things very well when I left Maine for New York. There were so many times when I wanted to come back, but I wouldn’t let myself. I couldn’t let Dad be right. But I don’t know what that’s accomplishing anymore. I don’t care about being right anymore, or who’s right and who’s wrong. It doesn’t matter anymore. I want to help anyway I can. Any way you’ll let me. And I will be on my best behavior tonight when we go see Dad.”
She looked at him skeptically but smiled stiffly and said, “Okay, then. Well, let’s get back to work, Mikey!” She rose and Michael followed.
Michael went back to the office and sat in his father's chair. It was the only imposing item in the office. It was a large, overstuffed leather chair on wheels, like ones you’d see in a law office. He sat in the chair and let the weight of his mother’s words sit with him. He had to stop letting things just happen. It was like he was fourteen again. He had taken a firm stand only once in his life, and it didn’t sit well with him. But now he was going to do the right thing. But first he had to see how bad things actually were at Malone’s Market and he had to see if he could salvage his relationship with his family. For the first time his career was going to take a backseat to this rest of his life — and he liked the way that felt.
Chapter 5
Michael was infuriated. He had never encountered anyone more stubborn or ridiculous in his whole life. He had gone to the hospital earlier that evening with his Mother, his siblings, and even his nephews, to see his father. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. His father was in bad shape but even with half his body being immobile, and even dressed in a skimpy hospital gown, he still looked imposing. Michael played the exchange over in his head as he drove around aimlessly in Gray Harbor.
His father had been sitting up in his bed, his left hand clutching his right in his lap, with a bored look on his big face. His skin looked gray, and although he looked weak, you could see he was a strong man. You could also see a little bit of Jesse in his eyes and that strong Malone chin and jawline. Marty said to James, “Look who’s here, James. Mikey is in town to visit and he’s been a big help at the market and around the house this week.” Marty put on a smiling face as she addressed her husband.
“Hi, Dad,” Michael said
“Your father has too much pride to ask you for help, Michael … and too much pride to ask for your forgiveness, so if you can’t apologize for your part of it, just try not to upset him today when we go to the hospital. He’s nervous about seeing you and he probably wants to pretend that nothing is wrong … just go along with that for now. It’s all I ask.”
She looked so sad and defeated. Michael was stewing inside a little about what his mother had said, but couldn’t let it show. She clearly thought the way he handled things all these years had been wrong. Maybe she was right. But he still didn’t like this. He had always hated confrontation. He couldn’t do it when he was eighteen and preparing for college, and even now he hadn’t been able to confront work with the fact that he knew they were going to get rid of him, and he’d been avoiding this visit for the past thirteen years. He had to stop running away. No matter how scared he was to face his father tonight, he would do it. And then he could stop being scared of what would happen if he saw him again, because he would have made the choice to go and speak with his father and be the bigger man and end this. Even though the past few days had been tough, they’d also been nice. He felt like he was getting to know both Judy and Jonah in a new light. And he also felt like his mother was finally treating him like an adult, by telling him how she really felt. He sighed.
“Mom, I’m sorry for everything that’s happened. I know I didn’t handle things very well when I left Maine for New York. There were so many times when I wanted to come back, but I wouldn’t let myself. I couldn’t let Dad be right. But I don’t know what that’s accomplishing anymore. I don’t care about being right anymore, or who’s right and who’s wrong. It doesn’t matter anymore. I want to help anyway I can. Any way you’ll let me. And I will be on my best behavior tonight when we go see Dad.”
She looked at him skeptically but smiled stiffly and said, “Okay, then. Well, let’s get back to work, Mikey!” She rose and Michael followed.
Michael went back to the office and sat in his father's chair. It was the only imposing item in the office. It was a large, overstuffed leather chair on wheels, like ones you’d see in a law office. He sat in the chair and let the weight of his mother’s words sit with him. He had to stop letting things just happen. It was like he was fourteen again. He had taken a firm stand only once in his life, and it didn’t sit well with him. But now he was going to do the right thing. But first he had to see how bad things actually were at Malone’s Market and he had to see if he could salvage his relationship with his family. For the first time his career was going to take a backseat to this rest of his life — and he liked the way that felt.
Chapter 5
Michael was infuriated. He had never encountered anyone more stubborn or ridiculous in his whole life. He had gone to the hospital earlier that evening with his Mother, his siblings, and even his nephews, to see his father. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. His father was in bad shape but even with half his body being immobile, and even dressed in a skimpy hospital gown, he still looked imposing. Michael played the exchange over in his head as he drove around aimlessly in Gray Harbor.
His father had been sitting up in his bed, his left hand clutching his right in his lap, with a bored look on his big face. His skin looked gray, and although he looked weak, you could see he was a strong man. You could also see a little bit of Jesse in his eyes and that strong Malone chin and jawline. Marty said to James, “Look who’s here, James. Mikey is in town to visit and he’s been a big help at the market and around the house this week.” Marty put on a smiling face as she addressed her husband.
“Hi, Dad,” Michael said
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