I immediately type a reply.
Me: Of course not.
The real answer’s probably more nuanced than that—some doctors believe stress plays a role in all kinds of illnesses—but if Melissa’s worrying about this, she doesn’t need a nuanced answer. She needs reassurance.
And I wonder why she needs reassurance.
Me: Claire okay?
Melissa: Yeah, she’s fine.
Me: Claire’s mom okay?
Three dots appear, then disappear.
“We doing free weights?” Austin asks. “Or do you need to talk to Sloane?”
“Nah, I’m tired, and I operate tomorrow,” I tell him, ignoring the question about Sloane. “I’m gonna head upstairs.”
Austin gives me a nod goodbye as he picks up a set of dumbbells.
I ride the elevator to my condo with my eyes glued tomy phone, waiting for Melissa’s reply. It finally arrives as I’m unlocking my door.
Melissa: I’m fine.
And before I can second-guess the decision, I swipe the button to call her.
She answers right away. “Luke.”
“Hey, Milly,” I say, stretching out on my couch in my sweaty workout clothes.
“I didn’t mean to bother you,” she says, an apology in her voice. “I shouldn’t have texted, but?—”
“You’re not bothering me,” I interrupt, and it’s true. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing right now. “Tell me why you’re wondering about stress and appendicitis.”
A heavy sigh. “I was talking to my mother today,” she begins, then pauses.
“I can see how that would be stressful,” I tease. “But you can’t get appendicitis a second time, Melissa, regardless of how often you talk to your mother.”
She chuckles. “I know that.” Another pause. “But she sort of implied that the stress of the divorce might have made Claire sick. You know, with the move to Somerset and everything.”
“I hope you told her that’s ridiculous?” I can just imagine Melissa’s mother saying it; she’s always been great at tearing down Melissa’s confidence under the guise of being concerned. “Did you point out that you got appendicitis in high school, despite a home situation straight out of a fifties sitcom?”
Melissa laughs again. “I did, actually. Without the fifties sitcom reference, though.”
“Good. Tell her to call me if she has any more theories about your kids’ health.”
“She’d probably take you up on that.”
“No problem. I’ll set her straight.” I’m not thrilled about the prospect of talking to Melissa’s mother, but I’d rather she bother me than Melissa.
“She’s just worried about Claire, Luke. And maybe she’s right. Everyone says divorce is awful on kids, so?—”
“Melissa, I’m sure you had a good reason to divorce him.” I remember the girl who came to the hospital with Troy. “He cheated on you, didn’t he?”
A pause. “Yeah.”
I never liked Troy, but now I despise him. “Then of course you had to end it.”
