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“Did you ask Hale to threaten Oskar to get your mother to back off about the house?”
I sat at my desk, unmoving.
“Elsa?” Dad called.
“Hale threatened Oskar?”
“Oskar is in town. I have more news, your mom and Adam aren’t going to make it. He’s asked her to move out. She asked me if maybe we can sort things out. I told her that wasn’t something I wanted, and reminded her it wasn’t something she wanted either. Oskar was here this past weekend, trying to help her find someplace to live. And he asked to have dinner with me before he went back to Boston. We had dinner last night. That’s when he told me Hale phoned him a couple of weeks ago and told him how things were going to go, and if they didn’t go that way, what would happen.”
This explained the quick about face. First, Mom was pushing, then all of a sudden, she was accepting the settlement.
Hale did that.
For Dad.
For me.
Slowly, oh so slowly, I smiled.
Then I said, “No, I didn’t know Hale did that. But I’m not upset he did. Are you?”
“Well, since she’s already signed the settlement papers, and there’s no going back, no. I’m relieved it’s done. And…well, even more news, there’s a woman I’ve known for a long time. I’ve always wanted to…obviously, I couldn’t do anything about it. It got to the point I could, I did, and we’re dating. Nothing serious yet,” he said that last quickly. “But we’ve been seeing each other a few weeks. So I’m looking forward to things finalizing with your mother. I don’t feel I can…take things to certain places unless I’m legally free to do so and that chapter is closed. However, she is your mother, she was my wife, and Oskar is my son. He said Hale was tandemly vicious and matter of fact about it.”
Oo, I wished I’d been there for that conversation.
“I complained to him,” I shared. “I was upset. Apparently, he didn’t like that.”
“No. He didn’t. He warned Oskar never to mess with you or me again.”
God, I was actually feeling all melty.
“Sorry, Dad, but I think that’s awesome.”
“Okay, honey, I watched your interview with him, and it was excellent. You could see the chemistry you two had then. But I also watched him say he was never going to commit to a woman.” A heavy pause I felt weighing on me before he said, “I know you’re smart. You’re savvy. But do you know what you’re doing?”
What I’d done Sunday night was, after we landed, get in the car with Hale, Paul driving, and I’d greeted Paul like he was a close personal friend.
Because he was a part of my life.
Paul had driven us to my place, where I’d packed a huge bag and two not-so-huge ones, because, while Hale was in New York, I was staying at Hale’s.
It wasn’t an invitation.
It was a given.
Nugget of news: Hale had given me a TV. It had been installed while I was in LA. Although I thanked him for it, effusively, I didn’t even turn it on.
Because I wanted to get home.
To Hale’s.
Dad was right. I was smart. I was savvy. I hadn’t forgotten Hale had said what he’d said.
What I’d done was choose to ignore it.
Maybe to the point I was in denial about it.
Damn.
