"I'm not sure," Mika answered with a wry shake of her head. "Albie said we had to come over because you had some good news to celebrate. And when we got here, Mom told us about Dad's fall."
Mika had enough on her plate with raising Albie on her own and her stalkery ex-in-laws, who'd been harassing her ever since her husband's death. I didn't want to stress her out any worse than she already was. But I also hated lying to her.
Nonetheless, I went along with the cover story, Dad and I had come up with before mom got home from her civilian job as a clerk at the Army base's Exchange store. "Yeah, that tumble off the couch was crazy. I mean, he hit the coffee table at just the right angle. It really banged Dad up. Did you um…have a chance to check him over?"
"Ugh, no. You know Dad," Mika answered with a frustrated shake of her head. "He insisted he was fine and that it was just a little black eye."
Yes, I did know Dad. And I also knew he probably didn't want Mika seeing the other bruises on his body—the ones that couldn't possibly have been put there by that same scapegoat coffee table.
"Mom said you found him lying on the floor when you got home. Did he show any signs of disorientation? Did it seem like he'd blacked out?" Mika asked, a worried frown puckering her brows.
"No, he was just lying there…kind of rolling around in pain." Another truth, but it didn't include the part about him begging me not to tell Mom and Mika what happened. That he'd bet big with all the money Mika had given him over the summer and that thugs had busted into the house to beat him up for the debt he owed them—the money he'd already spent to pay all the bills my mother's job couldn't possibly cover.
Mika shook her head again, but now she looked more sad than frustrated. "I just hate this setback. The new drugs were working so well. Can you make sure to tell me when his next doctor's appointment is? I'll try to get the time off so that I can come with you and advocate with the doctor to take another look at his regimen."
"Sure," I lied to Mika even as I made a mental note to forget I told her any such thing. She was only here until the end of August, just a few more weeks, so it shouldn't be too hard to avoid the subject until she left.
"Aunt Jazz! Aunt Jazz! How about your news?" Albie asked.
I looked down, surprised to find him still hanging off my waist. The conversation with Mika had been so fraught, I'd almost forgotten we were still mid-hug.
"Yes, what is this news?" Mika asked, a smile wiping away the worry on her face. "Albie wouldn't tell me, and mom swears she has no idea what he's talking about."
That was because I hadn't told her or Dad. If I had been smart, I wouldn't have even told Albie. But the kid loved to talk, and he asked all the questions. Mika, Dad, and Mom might not have wondered why I'd been living like a nun for the last two years, but he'd grilled and grilled me about why I never went out and what I was doing with all the money from my surf lessons.
"Oh, it was nothing," I answered Mika. "Brad's dad was talking about maybe selling Pacific Oahu Surf, and I was thinking about buying it. We were supposed to meet about it today, but I decided not to."
I kept my voice casual, even though it was all I could do to keep tears from stinging my eyes as I told her this. I'd been so close to making that dream come true. So close.
Mika's eyes widened. "Wait, you were going to buy your own business? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you do it?"
I shook my head. "It was a dumb idea. There's too much going on here. Maybe, I'll revisit it at a later date. When Dad's feeling better."
"When Dad's feeling better?" Mika repeated. "But Jazz—"
I cut her off before Mika could remind me about the obvious—that there was no getting better from what Dad had. "Listen, Miks, I'm crazy tired. I just want to get something to eat and go to bed."
And of course, Mika being a good big sister, immediately backed down. "No, I get it. We were about to head out ourselves."
Did I feel guilty as hell as I hugged her and Albie goodbye? Yes, yes, I did.
Also, after they left, I realized I no longer had anyone to distract me from thoughts of the true version of tonight's events.
I could hear my parents in their room, watching a re-run of This is Us way too loud. I should go in and say hi, tell them I'm home and check on Dad.
