“How did it go with the lawyer, babe?Are you still coming back tomorrow?I’m having trouble finding fill-ins to cover your overnights.”Jay managed the huge veterinary specialty hospital where I worked.This was about him wanting to avoid actually working a shift as a vet.He despised doing overnight emergency medicine, which I always found odd for the one who oversaw all the veterinarians.
“You don’t want me back because you miss me?”
“Sure.Your side of the bed is cold.”In other words, we’d missed date night Tuesday.The weight of our relationship gave me the same feeling I'd had since arriving back in Vision.I wanted to run.
“I’ve got some things to work out,” I said vaguely.“Their funeral is on Saturday.I need to stay until then.”
“Saturday?”He exhaled hard into the phone, like I’d personally inconvenienced him.“That’s four nights.You didn’t ask me—you just decided.”
“My father died.I have to.”I hated how defensive I sounded—and worse, how guilty, like I’d disappointed him.Didn’t I deserve at least a shred of sympathy for losing both my father and stepmother?
“This is simple, Erika.You hire someone to clear out the house.You sell the clinic.You show up at the funeral or don’t.You’re not staying there, and we both know it.So who’s even going to notice if you aren’t around?”
“They’ll notice,” I said flatly.I’d notice.Wasn’t a boyfriend supposed to offer to come with you to your father’s funeral?
The truth pressed in, ugly and undeniable.Jay lived in my condo rent-free and treated my personal life like an inconvenience.I’d been waiting for the right moment to kick him out.Having him as my supervising vet made that harder.
“I’ve been given guardianship of my eight-year-old brother.”
“What?You’re not mother material.”His tone hurt.
“What do you mean by that?”I stopped so abruptly on my walk to the car that Tracker ran into me.I whispered to him, “Sorry.”
The dog gave me an offended glare.
Jay continued as if he hadn’t heard me.“There’s got to be someone else to take the kid.Anyone else.”
I wanted to sock Jay in the nose.“There’s only me.”
“I don’t want kids when we’re married.We talked about this, and you agreed.That thing stays there.Maybe put him up for adoption?”
He’s my brother.He’s family.“He’s a child, not athing.I don’t recall ever talking about kids.Besides, marriage isn’t on the table.”
“Of course it is.You’ll be on staff as an associate starting in a few months and we’ll get hitched next year.”
My lungs locked up like they had earlier.“I don’t think so.We’ve only dated like four months.”
“Seven months, babe.”
Had it been that long?“Do you want to come here and help me sort this out?”
“No.”He huffed like he couldn’t believe I asked it.
“Isn’t that what almost-married people do?”
“I don’t have time for your family shit.One of us has to work.Taxes are coming due for the clinic.The flu and COVID have taken out half the staff.It’s a nightmare.You’re so goddamned independent that even if I did show up, you’d make me miserable for bothering.”
“How is my independence a problem for you?”
“You made it clear you don’t need me there.I’ve tried to be a part of your life.I really have.I even moved in to try to be a part of it.”He went silent.
He moved in a few months ago under the guise of convenience.Because he wanted us to spend more time together.But the truth revealed itself slowly, in the quiet creeping way rot spreads beneath floorboards.He wanted a vantage point.A command post.Somewhere he could watch me, monitor me, bend the shape of my days to his will.
Control—over everything.
I never questioned it at first.I was too worn down from the endless overnight shifts, too hollowed out to see what was happening right in front of me.Maybe too numb to care.While I worked myself raw just to keep my life afloat, Jay sat back, contributing nothing.Not a cent toward the bills.Not even after I confronted him about it a few weeks ago.
He wouldn’t even buy his own groceries.
