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“Tobias didn’t tell you?”
“No.” I shake my head.
The unspoken questions hang in the air, and the weight of our history together feels palpable in the small cafeteria.
He twists the band around his finger, his expression pensive. “I asked him not to tell you, but I’m still surprised he didn’t.” Brooks puts his hands in his pockets. “Her name is Elizabeth, and we got married a little over a year ago.”
“Why didn’t you want me to know?”
Brooks shrugs, a touch of bitterness in his tone. “I’ve been mad at you a long time, Lore. I didn’t want you or your lifestyle to infect my relationship with Elizabeth. She knows very little about you.”
His words cut deep, and the years of resentment between us become all too apparent. The strains in our relationship have clearly left lasting scars.
Not wanting to argue with him, I abruptly change the subject. “You were a good father to Tobias.” Brooks looks into my eyes. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Happy?” he repeats with a puzzled expression.
“Well, yes. You and I were never a good fit, but you loved and looked after Tobias. He adores you.”
“It’s your fault we weren’t a good fit, Lore, not mine.” His words hit me like a punch in the gut.
The harshness of his words surprises me.
“Brooks, we were not a good fit, and it wasn’t all on me.”
“Actually, it was,” he counters, unyielding.
The tension between us flares once more, a reminder of the unresolved issues that have simmered beneath the surface for years.
“Now isn’t the time to argue. Can’t you, for once, just be civil?” I plead with Brooks as we reach the front of the line.
He ignores me as he orders two coffees. I move to the end of the counter, where you pick up your coffee. Brooks pays for our drinks and then stands next to me.
“You were supposed to pay for the coffee.”
“You were being a dick, so you got to pay.”
Brooks stares straight ahead, his lips going into a hard, thin line. It’s a familiar sight. He used to act this way when we were together, and the memory of it stirs up old emotions. Dirt might have his problems, but he never shied away from an argument. With him, I always knew where I stood, but Brooks would give me days of silent treatment, and I hated it. Still do.
“Is Elizabeth with you?” I ask to change the subject.
“Yes,” he replies curtly.
“Why didn’t you bring her to the hospital?”
“She’s waiting at the motel.”
“Which one?”
As our coffees are placed in front of us, we both reach for our Styrofoam cups.
He closes his eyes momentarily, then shakes his head. “I can’t remember. It’s blue.”
I take a sip of my coffee. “I’m staying there too.”
Brooks spits out his coffee as he coughs. “You can’t be serious?” he splutters.
“Pearl isn’t exactly a big town, and it is the closest to the hospital. It makes sense you’d choose to stay there too.”
