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I sat on the porch swing and waved at our neighbor before making the call. Paul answered on the second ring.
“Nadia. I was expecting your call, which means Ben has arrived at your home.” His tone was light as if his controlling behavior was perfectly natural.
“I don’t need Ben here and I’m sending him back to you. You had no right to change my flight.”
“Your original return flight was at nine a.m. If you left on that flight, you wouldn’t have been able to visit your dad. So changing the flight was the best option.”
Dad receiving his kidney had been so surprising that I had forgotten to check my flight. Paul was right. Dad’s visiting hours started at nine a.m. I’d need to arrive at the airport two hours ahead to make the return trip.
“Oh, yes. I hadn’t thought that through. But I could have changed it myself.”
“Yes, but you know I want to see you. This way we can talk…How’s your dad?”
“Dad’s…He’s…I don’t know.” My voice was shaky. I paused to muffle the phone and take a moment to collect myself. Mom needed a brave face from me, but Paul saw me at my most vulnerable. Something about sharing that with him made my walls break down. I wanted to tell him that Dad’s fine, but all I could see was his fear today. He was terrified that he’d not pull through this time.
“Nadia, are you crying?”
“No, I’m not,” I said nasally.
“You are. Damn it. I’ll fly to Wisconsin—”
“No, Paul. Please don’t. I’m fine here with Mom; I’m just upset. It’s hard to see my dad sick.”
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. When my dad had a heart attack, I was terrified.”
I tensed. “I didn’t know Jonas had a heart attack.”
“No one but our family knows, and the hospital had additional NDAs on file. We had to keep it out of the news to avoid his shareholders hurting the company. But I remember being scared we’d all lose him, and all his responsibility would become my own.”
That was quite an admission from Paul.
“I’m sorry, Paul. Jonas is really kind. I like him, and I’m happy he’s better.”
“He likes you, too. I want you to know it’s okay to feel upset, but I also want to assure you that your dad has one of the best surgeons in the world treating him.”
“How do you know?” I sighed heavily.He knows because he’s already interfered.
“I’ve requested they treat your dad as a VIP. They’ve moved him to a private room—”
“Paul, you can’t do that. Our insurance doesn’t cover that—”
“I’m taking care of it—”
“But we can’t afford it or pay you back. Mom doesn’t want you to help us. She knows about the…arrangement, and she disapproves.” My hand rested over my churning stomach.
He went silent for a few moments. My leg jittered, and my heart pounded as I waited for him to speak again.
“Well, she’ll just have to accept my help. It’s for you, Nadia. I want you to have your dad for as long as he can be with you.”
“You keep doing stuff, and I’ve asked you not to. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done. But I can’t see you anymore.” My voice trembled.
“Because of your mom? I’ll talk to her.”
“No. Because of me.” I cleared my throat. “I’ve found a place to stay—”
“Where?”
I chewed my lip.Should I tell Paul?He’ll freak.
