“Yes, that’s a good one for the gallery,” I say.
“Gallery?” My brother frowns.
“Yeah, we’ve got an artist amongst us,” I nod. “We need a gallery for all the artwork.”
Annie beams at me before lining up her coloring pencils and beginning another drawing.
It’s then that I dare to look at my boss. Alfie’s mouth crooks to the side, his first smile since sitting down. I feel his leg brush against mine under the table, and even though my shoulders shoot up toward my ears, I don’t move. I rest my calf against his, and his crooked smile grows even bigger.
Alfie
I eat my macaroni cheese with a chocolate shake quietly. How much dairy does one meal need? I swallow down the stodgyfood, sucking down the thick shake with such a force that had it been as viscous as water, it would have shot through the back of my throat. The shake didn’t help the food go down any quicker; it seemed to act as cement instead, clinging to the walls of my esophagus until it threatened to close up altogether.
Small bites, big breaths, dammit. Don’t fucking choke on your dinner when you’re about to ask your office manager/potential something-person to come back to her life in Seattle so you can treat her better. And don’t do it in front of her six-foot-something brother, who looks like he wrestles cattle for a living. His goo-goo eyes for his daughter don’t comfort me in the slightest. If anything, it makes him much more frightening. The man has multiple things to defend in his vicinity. His sister being one of them.
The rest of the meal goes without any drama. Despite the many heads that turn for a good look at me, or…Mia? It's not unheard of for small towns to quickly notice an outsider, but the patrons of this establishment seem to be more fixated on her than any intrigue I supply. And there was that subtle dig from the waitress when I first arrived about Mia liking older men. Mia isn’t one to cringe away from confrontation; she deals with my patients after all, who are for the most part safe, but often agitated. Yet, her chin quivered ever so slightly before she jutted it out in defiance. A well-practiced response? Perhaps.
Mia drove with her family, and I followed in my rental. Her brother had looked between us before jumping in his truck as if to say,why aren’t you driving with him?But Annie, the niece, had cried out that Auntie Mia needed to sit with her, and I’d conceded after seeing her shoulders visibly relax.
But now that Mia, her mother, and I were sitting in her living room, the silence was deafening. The old couch is worn, especially on the arms making me think that someone regularly perches on the edge of it. There are toys littered across the floorand family photos everywhere. A photo of Mia’s dad sits above the mantel, a funeral program tucked into the bottom corner of the frame, a small cross hanging over it. If I remember correctly, he died soon after she started working for me. I’d forgotten all about it, but Mia had never shown an ounce of grief, not at work at least. She took one week off and that was all. It was never mentioned again.
My eyes move on and I notice that I can’t see a single thing in this room that was bought in this decade. No modern appliances, no new furniture, even everyone’s boots look old. Taken care of, but old.
I clear my throat before speaking.
“Mia, I want to start again by saying that I’m truly sorry about what happened on the show. I had no idea they were going to show the photo of us outside the restaurant, or the one of me and Lottie. I thought it was just a conversation to introduce you as someone in my life.”
She nods stiffly, her mother’s eyes wandering to her daughters with an element of surprise. She’s been here for at least five or six days. How does her mom not know the reason why?
“In addition to that, I’d like to apologize for how I referred to you.” I pull my collar away from my neck before rubbing my hands together, my elbows on my knees. I fight the urge to remove my sweater. “I called you a title that is not fitting for the work you do for me. And I note that it wasn’t the first time I’ve done it. When I hired you, I suppose I thought that was what I was looking for, but ultimately you’ve shown me time and again just how valuable you are to the business and to me, far exceeding those initial expectations. I’m sorry.”
Mia nods again, her eyes turning glassy as she pulls her sleeves over her hands.
“What did you call her?” Angela asks.
“My receptionist.”
Her mother tuts, looking away just as Levi returns from putting Annie to bed. He leans his broad, imposing frame against the wall.
“Well, that’s just damn stupid. Thank God you came to your senses. Is this why you’ve been so upset, honey?” She slides her hand into Mia's.
“Thank you for coming all the way here, Alfie. I mean it. And thank you for the apology. But with everything that’s happened, the fact that I don’t have anywhere to live now, I think it’s time for me to move on. For real this time.”
Nowhere to live?
My confused expression must prompt her to explain. “My roommate Lana is working down in Puerto Rico. I need to move out. It might be a good opportunity to find somewhere new.”
The sinking feeling in my chest is back, and it swoops all the way down to my toes. Like an anchor being dropped into the sea, it hits the floor with a hard thud.
“What can I do to make you come home?”
She huffs out a laugh, but it’s not sincere. It’s exasperated.
“Now hold on there, Mia. Let’s hear the man out. What are you offering, young man?” her mother interjects.
“New title—Business Coordinator. A raise, and—"
“Nah.” Levi kicks off the wall and saunters into the living space, perching on the arm of Mia’s chair. “What are you offering long-term, Doc?
