AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Clifton
I find myself watching my father’s chest rise and fall once more, but this time, I’m relieved.
He woke up this morning confused and weak, but alive. He recognized me and smiled, reaching out to touch my arm before falling back asleep. Somehow he'd come through, despite the life-threatening infection that they’d missed.
I can't count the number of times I've been told that my father's a fighter over the last few days. A car accident couldn't kill him. Sepsis couldn't kill him. My behavior as a teenager couldn't kill him... The man might be invincible.
He still looks frail and pale with all the wires and machines hooked up to him.
With all the odds stacked against him, he survived.
“I don't like that look.”
I glance up to see he's awake again. He gestures at my face. “You're going to give yourself wrinkles if you keep making that face.”
I shrug. I don't give a damn about wrinkles. “Well, I'm going to blame you because watching you teeter on the brink of death several times has aged me.”
He gives a weak chuckle, then winces.
“Are you in pain? I’ll call in a nurse.” I reach out to press the call nurse button, but his hand stops mine.
“I'm fine. And so are you.” His gaze locks on mine. “Thank you for being here beside me when I needed you the most. We both know I didn't deserve it.”
“Bullshit, Dad. You did the best you could with what you had, and I'm not going to hold that against you. Now moving forward, if you behave the same way, I will hold it against you.” I rub his arm above the IV and he relaxes in place.
“How are things at work?” he asks.
“I really don't think you should be worrying about work right now. But because I know you'll obsess over it if I don't give you an answer, everything is running great.” Pulling my chair closer to him, I watch him fiddle with the bed controls, raising himself up so he’s in more of a sitting position, gripping his ribs with his unbroken arm as he moves.
“Well, now you've hurt my feelings. The place runs fantastic without me there?” I can hear the laughter in his voice, and I'm so grateful that he retained his sense of humor. Right now, I feel like he's the luckiest man alive and I'm the luckiest son.
“That's exactly what I said. How are you feeling?” I want him to tell me - in his own words - how he's doing right now. All of the doctors and nurses have repeatedly assured me that he doesn't feel any pain thanks to all the pain meds in his system. But I need to hear him say it.
“Surprisingly good for a dead man.”
I smile, not at all surprised he knows how close his brush with death was.
“But enough about me,” he says. “There's something I want to talk to you about.”
I'm all ears, fully expecting him to talk about the firm and how he plans to work back into his position of power. I've already made a plan that will allow him to work remotely until he is comfortable coming to the office... when he’s ready and at his pace.
“Clifton, I know about Emma.”
My heart drops all the way to the morgue in the basement of the hospital, and it freezes as it stops beating.
“You what?” I don't even know what to say or how to respond. What exactly does he know about? Somehow, I manage to keep my voice calm.
He lets out a chuckle and winces. “That hurt. Don't play dumb with me, son. I've seen the way she looks at you and the way you look at her. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were both in love.” But he doesn't sound upset by the words coming out of his mouth, and that only makes me more curious. I know my face is turning red, but I don't know what to say or how to explain myself.
“Well, do you love her?” he asks, adjusting his IV tubing before looking at me again.
Swallowing hard, I nod my head, unable to make my vocal cords work.
A slight smile tugs the corners of his lips. “It's okay, Clifton. I'm happy for you. She's a wonderful girl. Smart, kind, beautiful. Perfect for you.” I sense there's something he's holding back, and I wait for the other shoe to drop.
“So why haven't you made her yours?” he asks, sounding curious.
A painful lump forms in my throat. I'm not sure how to tell him. Knowing how he feels now, I know that he is going to be very disappointed when he learns that I broke up with her.
