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Austin chuckled. “Well, if that doesn’t bring back the old days. How are you doing?”
“Oh, okay. We made it to Emilia’s place, and I’m just trying to figure some things out, but what about you? Made it home? How’s Pops? Mama holding up okay?” Charlotte burst the questions out as if she feared him asking her more and having to bring up the heavy conversation right at the beginning of their call.
“Yeah, we’re home. Pops is really sick. He’s not tolerating this chemo very well,” Austin said, his voice heavy.
“I’m so sorry. It’s a rough treatment,” she said, knowing a little about it from veterinarian school. “It’s very systemic.”
“It is,” Austin said and hesitated before continuing. “Mama found this place…they have a great success rate, but their treatments are gentler and more localized.”
“Really? That’s great! Can you guys get him into it?” Charlotte scooted to the edge of her seat, hope filling her.
“We’re calling in the morning, but, well, the thing is…it’s very expensive,” he said, his voice full of something more than just the money.
“I’ll call my parents. I’m sure they’ll help. They know how much Mama and Pops have done for me.” Charlotte looked at the clock, already trying to find the words she would say to her parents.
“That’s kind of you, Charly, but we’ve got this.” It wasn’t his words that stopped her, but the sigh of resignation. “I, uh, I told our agent that we’d do the commercial.”
Her thoughts raced. “I thought you didn’t want to do the commercial thing?”
“I don’t, but it will cover this specialized treatment for Pops. How can I not?” His tone tightened. “I…I don’t mind. That part will be fine. I’ll get over it.”
“Then what is it? There’s something more, isn’t there? Everyone else alright?” Charlotte pushed off the couch to resume her pacing.
“The commercial is being filmed on the days I said we’d meet.” He spat out the words as if expecting a fight.
“I see,” she said. Her plans of figuring out their future together, in person, faded. She couldn’t wait until he had time. She had to tell the residency clinics in only a few days…and sooner if she wanted to make sure that place on the ranch was hers.
“Please don’t be like that, Charlotte. It’s not like I told them to make it those days.” His tone became defensive, and she wondered how much emotion was behind it.
“It’s okay.” She swallowed. “You’ve got to do this for Pops.”
“I do,” he said, sounding a little relieved. “I should have known you’d understand.”
“Yeah,” she said, understanding more than what he said. “I’ll assume that you’ll be busy the entire time before I start my residency program?”
“Probably,” he said, “but I’ll try to visit whenever I’m in town. I thought we could take it easy after qualifying for Nationals, but our agent wants us at all these events. The more we compete, the more money we make, you know?”
“Sure. Of course,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut.
“With you in Wyoming, though, it’ll make it easier to stop by on our way home in between events,” he said, and the hope lining his voice both hurt and fueled her anger.
She drew in a deep breath, and a knowing filled her, deep and peaceful, though her heart raced with the possibilities of repercussions. “I…uh, I’m not taking the Wyoming residency,” she said, the words leaving her throat dry.
“What?” The incredulousness filling his voice bit, and she continued to keep her eyes shut, praying that she was making the right choice. “Why…why would you do that when you could be here?”
She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat and mouth. “But…you won’t be there, as you said. And…” She hesitated because she knew his faith lacked, but she needed him to know why she chose the way she did. “This is the way God is leading me…to California.”
“God?” He spat the word. “This isn’t about God, it’s about us. I need you right now, and you’re going to go halfway across the country…because you think God is telling you to go?”
“I’ll still be here for you, Austin. I’ll always be here for you.” She bit her lip to keep the sob from rolling out.
“How can you be here for me when you're fourteen hours away?” The anger had evaporated, but the resignation that filled his words was even more alarming.
“We can figure this out,” she said, her words half choked.
“Yeah,” he said, silence filling the phone. “Well, Mama needs my help with something, so, I, uh, we’ll talk later.”
“Austin, please, I love you,” she said, the admission flowing out unheeded.
