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“She won’t go for that,” I explained. “Her previous marriage was a long-distance relationship, and it ended badly. The whole thing is a nonstarter for her.”
Katie wasn’t buying it. “That’s silly. Lots of people make it work, even cross country.”
“I can’t convince her of that——nobody can. So I told her I’d stay instead of going to med school.”
“And that didn’t sway her?” Katie asked.
I shifted in my seat. I’d thought it sounded easy as well, until Amy had reminded me of my promise.
“The problem is, she thinks my promise to Roberta would screw up our relationship.” I had unconsciously brought out my Lincoln half-dollar and was rubbing it.
Katie pointed a finger at me. “Is it that damned coin again?”
“Give me a break,” I shot back. “Dad gave me this.”
She grabbed her purse and pulled out a dollar coin. It was a Susan B. Anthony dollar, the kind you didn’t ever see around anymore.
She held it up. “Dad gave me this one. It was to be my reminder of his most important lesson. But I let it fuck up my life. I let it overrule everything else until Nick got me to see how unhealthy it was.”
“Nick,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I don’t——”
“He’s family now,” she spat back, interrupting me. “What’s our number-one rule?”
I knew it, and she knew I knew it.
“Say it, Liam,” she demanded.
I gave in. She was right. “Family comes first.”
“That’s right, and now he’s family, so give him a break. You would like him if you gave him half a chance. Bill does, and Lauren too.”
That floored me. Bill had been as opposed to Katie having anything to do with Nick Knowlton as I was back in the day. Mentioning Lauren was the kicker. My sister-in-law was like a human scale; she could take someone’s measure quicker than anyone. If Nick was the bullshitter I thought he was, Lauren should have seen through him in two seconds.
Katie sipped her juice. “Now let me finish. I fucked up by not putting Dad’s lesson in perspective, and I don’t want you to do the same. Don’t throw out the lesson; just figure out how to work it into your life without letting it take over.”
I nodded. She had a point. We could all become a little obsessive about things.
“So what exactly was your promise to Roberta?” Katie asked.
Josh sat back. He’d been quietly enjoying seeing Katie scold me, and I would get back at him later when she wasn’t around.
I fingered my coin. I remembered it clear as day. “That I would become a doctor and heal people.”
“Look,” Katie said. “You can figure this out. There has to be a way to stay in Boston with her and still keep your word, at least well enough for you and her to feel good about it.”
“I tried getting into Tufts, Harvard, and BU. They won’t take me. Uncle Garth only got me into Hopkins because he knows the dean.”
“What about U Mass?” Josh asked.
I ignored him. I’d tried them as well.
Katie leaned forward to touch my hand. “We’ll figure it out. There has to be a way.”
I nodded. I didn’t see it now, but her confidence was reassuring, if misplaced. “I told you, I can’t get into any of the schools here. With my scores, I can’t get in anywhere.”
“You have to start with a better attitude.
I nodded.
