Chapter 31

The next day, Lilly was talking about her visit with Charlotte at the hospital and how much better she looked and sounded. I was glad that they had a good visit and hoped that meant that she was nearly ready to come home.

The day was completely mundane in every way and I breathed a sigh of relief at the break. Lana drove me to my appointment with Carl and afterwards, he and I talked a little while she did homework to amuse herself.

“How’ve you been this week?” he asked, knowing I hadn’t taken the news well, the week before.

“I’m doing better, I think,” I said truthfully. “It came as a complete shock when you told me, but the more I’m thinking about it, I’m just grateful that we have time to spend together. Yeah, I’m grateful we can bring in a replacement, but I’m more glad I have some time to spend with you before things turn into an emergency.”

He nodded and we talked of more mundane things. “When things get a little closer to the end, I have some things I want you to have. I’m doing the same with Victoria. I don’t want my will to hold things up, so I haven’t named those things in it. Instead, I specified that the things I want you to have aren’t there because I’ve already distributed them to you both. Well, there IS one small thing that’s in my will, but that’s not something that I want to be talked out of, so you’ll have to wait until the will is read.”

I smiled and wiped my eyes. “I’m touched that you wanted me to have something of yourself,” I told him and he smiled.

“I think if I gave you my collection of fridge magnets, you’d cherish them like you would prized artifacts from my career,” he joked lightly.

I laughed. “You’re probably right,” I told him. “The fact that they were yours lends them importance.”

“Well worry not, son. What I have for you will be much more useful to you than knickknacks. I think you’ll approve. For now though, you need to go home. Hug someone and be young. I’ll email you anything you need to know and I’ll see you next week.”

We hugged before I left and I told him that I loved him and thanked him for everything he’d done for me. We both knew there’d come a day that I wouldn’t have the chance to tell him again, so I made the most of it.

On the way home, Lana brought it up. “He’s really putting you in his will?” she asked, surprised.

“Sounds like it,” I said. “I don’t imagine it’s anything big. I’d guess most of his estate will go back to the college in donations or to charities he believes in strongly.”

“Still, you’ve made a big impression on him for him to do that,” she said.

I nodded and wiped my eyes. I suspected I was going to be weepy for the rest of the night.

When we got home, I heated up something simple for myself and went downstairs to post a new video. Instead of waiting to post something, I embraced what I was feeling and talked a little about how sad I was that Carl was dying, but how I was trying to turn that into a positive by focusing on the charity event for April 2nd. I talked about being grateful for all the people in my life and for my own health and hoped that everyone watching was doing well.

“My mentor told me tonight to go home, hug someone and be young. I think that’s good advice. So go home, hug someone and be young.”

I stopped recording and posted the video before starting my workout. When I was done, I got my shower and started work on Tricia’s Christmas gift, sketching out the portrait in the rough before I started painting it. I was doing it on canvass and started on the most challenging part of the painting: her mother. I kept an eye on the pics I’d printed from her Facebook and the ones I’d seen of her in their living room. I intended this to be a family portrait that they could hang in the living room and be proud of for years to come. I worked on the painting until I started getting tired and then I hid the canvas in the closet where it wouldn’t get jostled and went to bed.

Wednesday was a similarly tranquil day. Cheryl had started sitting with Tricia at lunch the day before and the two of them were hitting it off. That made me happy for both of them. My lunch was spent surrounded by the cheer team and Beck. We took up three tables and when I arrived for lunch, they already had my spot picked out in the center with my lunch waiting for me. I chuckled and told them they were gonna spoil me.

“Maybe, but we already have your dance card for Saturday filled for any dance you’ll let us have,” Jessie told me.

I chuckled. “That’s not my call. You have to ask Tricia. I’m there with her. She gets as much of my attention as she wants. If she wants it all, we’ll have to dance another night. That’s the way it should be. I’ll try to dance with all of you though if your dates will put up with me sweeping you off your feet.”

“We’re all flying solo,” Gina said. “After that party, we all kind of decided that the guys in this school can fuck off. Present company exempted, of course. Since we’re all a little hazy on who was there, we’re not taking chances.”

“Maybe we should put together a list of who was there from everyone’s recollections,” I suggested. “Kind of narrow the no-fly list a bit and then let some of the other girls know what they might be getting into.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Lana said. “At least then we can get a clear picture of who was there so that we don’t date anyone that was there, but they didn’t see or didn’t remember.”

We had a relatively good lunch and the afternoon went just as quickly. Lana and Beck took me to see Dr. Spencer and to my surprise, came in with me. “You’re meeting Dr. Gionetti today, remember?” Beck asked me lightly.

“I remember. I didn’t know that it was going to be a group round table though,” I told them.

“Is that okay?” Lana asked uncertainly.

“Sure. I just wasn’t aware of the circumstances. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

We knocked on Dr. Spencer’s door and when she opened it, I smiled. I could smell the roses already. “Hello, Dr. Spencer!” I said in my most chipper voice. “Is that a new perfume I smell?”

“No, Matthew,” she said a little more formally than normal. “Someone sent me flowers. The card was cryptic, so I’m left to guess at who would be so extravagant.”

“Undoubtedly someone who’s deeply grateful for you. I only wish I’d thought of it,” I said loud enough for everyone and then muttered, “sooner,” under my breath for her ears only.

Lana and Beck gaped at the bouquet that filled to coffee table. “Wow! Those must have cost a fortune!” Lana gushed.

“I can only assume,” she said, taking her seat.

Dr. Gionetti was sitting in the other chair across from her and I went to shake her hand and introduce myself. “Everyone else here knows each other,” I pointed out. “This is the first time I’ve had a chance to meet you. Thank you for helping Lana and Beck,” I said as I settled on the end of the couch closest to her, with the girls to my right.

“It’s my pleasure,” she said with a smile. “They really are delightful girls. What’s gone on has been unfortunate.”

“Events have evolved this past week. I’d say my understanding of events downgrades them from unfortunate to ghastly. I don’t know if the girls talked to you about it, but I updated Dr. Spencer when I became aware of what had happened.”

She nodded. “Lana and Becky called me after you brought up the issue of how the drugs were paid for. I’ve also heard that you’re paying for HIV tests and abortions for all.”

“That makes it sound a little like I’m giving away prizes,” I said dryly. “I’m just making sure those girls all get tested and explore their options. Fortunately there was only one pregnancy. She’s considering what option is right for her. When she makes up her mind, I’ll do what I can to help.”

She nodded. “That’s pretty much what the girls told me and more than anyone has a right to expect, particularly from someone as young as you are.”

“I can’t take credit for that,” I said with a shrug. “Dr. Spencer is responsible for a lot of my most level-headed decisions. If not for her, I’d have long since run screaming into the wild blue yonder.”

She chuckled. “A good therapist only works with what’s available to her.”

“Well, I keep telling her I’m available to her, but my good looks and charm don’t seem to be having an affect on her. Maybe I should consider sending her flowers,” I sighed dramatically, tapping the table with my toe.

“Yes, I see what you mean, Victoria,” she chuckled, amused.

Dr. Spencer smiled and inclined her head slightly. “He’s like this most of the time,” she chuckled. “It’s when he’s not flirting that I worry about what’s going on in his head.”

We talked for about an hour, all told before she took the girls back to her office and left the two of us to talk.

When the door closed after them, Victoria looked at me with a small smile. “I understand that Carl has put you down in his will,” she said lightly, ignoring the elephant in the room.

I nodded. “Has he told you what he’s placed in there?” I asked.

“He has,” she said cryptically. “I approve of what he has in mind. I think you will too, but you’ll want to protest if he tells you about it beforehand.”

“That sounds ominous,” I said, worriedly.

“Let’s just say that Carl has arranged things the way he wants them and you will find them satisfactory once you get over your initial reaction.”

“I may just surprise you,” I said lightly.

“Oh?” she asked. “In what way?”

“I respect and trust you and Carl both. You both say this is something that I’ll be pleased and agree with. Even if it’s a shock, initially, I can’t see me protesting. Carl’s last wishes are important to me. Whether they catch me off guard or not, it’s so important to honor them to me that I couldn’t object.”

“Well, he’s named very few people in his will,” she said delicately.

I nodded. “He said that a lot of the things he wants us to have personally, he’ll gift to us ahead of time and make note of that in his will. I also expect that he’ll donate a lot of his estate to charity or back to the college.”

“He has made some bequeaths of that nature. He hasn’t named me in his will and I have agreed with that. He knows that neither of us has a need for money and that his gifts for me are sentimental in nature. Books mostly. Carl had a passion for first editions that I appreciated so his library will come to me over the next few weeks. In return, I bought him a new tablet and filled it with books for him so he wouldn’t miss the literature.”

I nodded. “He said he has a few similar presents for me, but he hasn’t gone into much detail.”

She smiled. “I think you’ll be happy with them. No hints from me though.”

I nodded, understanding. “They’re his surprises to reveal,” I agreed.

“That’s something for next week though. Right now, I want to talk about your plans to punish the boys that have done all this. You’re still moving forward?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I mean if they broke into the house in the middle of the night, I’d gleefully accept them as a gift from the Gods. If they were subdued by someone else and that turned out to be a clean getaway, also great.”

“And what would you do if they fell into your lap unexpectedly?” she asked.

“I dunno. I don’t think they’d survive it though. I know I’d give the girls a chance to get their own back from them. They deserve to punish them more than I do.”

“That is undoubtedly true and you’ve already taken steps to punish them yourself. I would advise you leave it at that unless they give you more reason to be angry with them.”

“I sort of agree. The misery they caused creates a sort of a moral objection to that. Sort of a complicity with evil conflict that I struggle with, but I suspect that they’ll give me a chance to resolve it.” I shrugged and let the thought go. “They’ll probably be in casts for weeks still. From what I remember, it’s about six weeks for bones to heal completely. I dunno about hip or knee surgery.”

“See if you can stay out of trouble,” she suggested with a slight smile. “Now, about the flowers...”

“I apologize,” I said. “I should have done it long ago.”

“They’re very nice,” she admitted. “They’re also very extravagant.”

“Have you sent a picture to Samantha yet?” I asked playfully.

“Worse,” she chuckled. “I had her meet me here for us to go to lunch together. She’s anxious to talk to you.”

“Wants to discuss the size of the arrangement?” I laughed.

“Possibly. I refused to tell her what had earned me this unexpected surprise, partly because I had no idea and partly to see what she’d do with it.”

“Nefarious, doctor,” I congratulated her. “I like it. Consider those flowers just another way that I tell you how I feel about you. I hope you’ve already sent a picture to Carl. He’ll be delighted to see it.”

She chuckled at that. “I think so too,” she agreed and snapped a picture with her own phone, sending it to him. “Now what shall we do for Samantha?” she asked. I was delighted by the playful smile on her face. It was a side of her that I was seeing a little more frequently. I’d become a collector of smiles thanks to Lana.