Page 45 of Goodbye Days

Dr. Mendez gestures broadly. “Come here!” After they break the hug, he assesses her. “You look healthy and happy.” He has the faintest hint of an accent.

“I am both of those things. How are Steven and your kids?”

“Well, Aurelia is starting her first year at Harding Academy and Ruben starts at Stanford in a few days. And as for Steven…” Dr. Mendez holds up his left hand to show Georgia a silver ring.

She squeals and claps her hands to her mouth. “Get out. Congratulations! When?”

He beams. “June, in Sonoma, near where Steven grew up. Georgia, it was beautiful. Even my very Catholic madrecita was there, and I caught her shedding a tear.”

“I could not be happier for you two.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you.” His eyes fall on me. “Now, who have you brought me?”

“This is my brother, Carver.”

Dr. Mendez extends a hand. “Carver, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” His handshake is firm, warm, and generous.

“Good to meet you, Dr. Mendez.”

He gestures into his room. “Shall we? Without further ado?”

I walk in. Behind me, Dr. Mendez says to Georgia, “Are you staying? If so, we won’t bother with goodbyes yet.”

Georgia says she’s waiting until we’re done.

I look around. More sleek, modern furniture, mixed with antiques. On the walls are framed vintage maps and old botanical prints. It smells like spice and wood—warm, brown, and clean. There are floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with books. Diagnostic manuals and other tools of the trade, of course, but also books of photography and painting, fiction and poetry. Leather-bound classics. Books in Spanish and English. I’m impressed.

Dr. Mendez shuts the door and gestures toward two identical brown leather armchairs facing each other, a coffee table with a pitcher of water, glasses, and a box of tissues between the two chairs. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“I thought I was supposed to lie down on a couch.” I’m only sort of joking.

Dr. Mendez laughs. It’s a kind, warm laugh. “That’s only in the movies. Unless you really want to, and then maybe we can rig up a hammock or something.”

I make my way to a chair and sit. “No, it’s cool. Sitting upright is fun too. I enjoy sitting upright.” I talk too much when I’m apprehensive.

I balance on the edge of the chair, like I’m watching a scary movie, and try to keep my legs from bouncing. I fold my arms and then unfold them. Dr. Mendez’s hands are empty. “Don’t you take notes?”

Dr. Mendez sits, relaxed, facing me. “I do after the session. I find that if I try to while people are talking, I don’t listen as well. Will it worry you if I don’t take notes during the session?”

“No.”

“Your sister obviously loves you very much.”

“Yeah. She’s always kinda looked out for me.”

“How so?”

“I got a lot of crap in middle school, I guess. I was way into books, which isn’t a recipe for middle school popularity. Anyway, Georgia would stick up for me.”

“I noticed you looking at my books.”

I blush. “Busted.”

He grins and waves off my concern. “Not at all. They’re there in the open for all to see. But most people don’t seem to pay them much attention. You did. You’re a big reader?”

“And writer.”

“Is that so? That’s fantastic. I have a very boring novel I’ve been working on for, oh, twenty years. At this point, I enjoy the idea of writing a novel more than I actually enjoy the writing part. What do you write?”