Chapter 2

April 1, 2007

Philip reached for the phone and pulled it up to his ear. "Yeah?" he asked in a sleep filled fog.

"Philip."

He sat up and looked at the time. "Hey Janie, what's up?" He looked over to the figure in his bed and sighed, wondering what her name was again.

"It's mom.

His heart caught in his throat and he felt his world tilt. He swallowed, almost afraid to ask what was wrong. He didn't need to, his sister, 14 years his senior was answering the unspoken question.

"She's had a stroke."

Philip tossed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The woman next to him rolled over, her breasts falling free of the sheet, but her movements went unnoticed to her sleeping mind and Philip's distracted one. "How bad is it?" "They aren't sure yet. She's alive, but they won't know more until later today. She's resting."

"I'm on my way. You're at Hillside Hospital, aren't you?"

"No, remember they were down in Honolulu on their anniversary.

He took a deep breath. "Damn, I'd forgotten. Shit. What's the name?"

"Leahi Hospital, here in Honolulu. I've already got you a flight out. It leaves in an hour. There's a car already reserved for you at the airport, all you have to do is sign for it. A map will be in the glove box as well as her room number. You're staying at the Hawaii Prince Hotel, I've got your room key."

"Thanks Janie. I take it you called Matt?"

"He's on his way. Hurry Philip. It's really got Daddy down."

"Well I appreciate you lining all that stuff up for me. I'd be lost without you." He sighed into the phone when he heard her "somebody has to."

"I'll see you soon."

"Love ya Phil."

He hung up and buried his head in his hands. He took several long breaths, before he felt the woman he'd brought home with him, start to rub his back. "Hey baby, come back in here and warm me up," her voice dripped like honey.

Philip sighed. "Can't sugar, gotta go."

He stood up and grabbed his pants. It took him five minutes to find the rest of his clothes, during that time he felt her cold eyes on him. She'd called him an ass for leaving her after the nights they'd had, like she was some cheap slut. He remembered then how he'd met the sweet vixen, well she wasn't sweet now, he told himself. It was now Sunday morning and he'd picked her up Friday night, at one of the bars in Miami. She'd been a hot fix for his needs, but now he was glad he hadn't gone back to his place, but opted to fuck her at her cheap hotel.

He shut the door just as a lamp made love to the wood behind him. The crash surprised him and when he stopped by the front desk he paid for the damage and told them to refund the girl her money and he covered her tab. Philip headed to his condo and packed a duffle bag. He then called a cab and arrived at the airport five minutes before his flight was scheduled to leave.

The flight was almost full. His first class seat though was comfortable and welcoming. Had Philip been on the plane for any other reason besides the one he was on for, he'd have found the flight attendant's smile and her welcoming scent arousing, instead though he was too distracted as memories of his youth assailed him.

When his flight landed in Houston, he had a fifty-minute layover. He called Janie and had learned that his mother had awoken, but seemed very "out of it" and then went back to sleep. He took some time and grabbed lunch at one of the food establishments as well as picking up a traveling kit, which he used to quickly shave off his weekend growth of facial hair. He tossed the electric razor in his bag and headed back to wait for the boarding call.

His next layover was in Phoenix and he had an hour to kill there. He used it to grab something else to settle his nerves and when he boarded his plane he knew he had more than six hours to think of his Mother and the wonderful woman who'd struggled through twenty-two hours to deliver him. He silently fell asleep with prayers for her quick recovery falling from his lips.

After the long flight, he headed over to the Hertz rental agency, signed for the Lincoln Navigator and headed to the Hospital, using the map Janie had provided. When he got there, he was taken to his mother's room and he knocked gently on the door, before opening it.

Janie turned and saw her brother. "Philip," she cried, though her voice was soft. She ran to him, circled him and kept him close in her embrace. Though Philip was forty-one and no longer a child, she still knew this was going to be hard for him. She touched his face and pulled him out into the hall.

"Janie, I want to see mom."

"Philip, I'm sorry. You were too late. She suffered another one an hour ago. We've lost her." Janie watched her brother stagger to a chair that had been placed outside her mother's door. Janie was fifty-five and watching her brother collapse in sorrow made her feel as old as the woman who'd just passed away. "Philip, Matt's here. He's inside with Daddy."

Philip pushed his hands through his hair and wiped at the tears that were falling. He took several calming breaths. "When did Matt get here?"

"A couple of hours ago."

"I see."

"I'm sorry, you didn't get to say goodbye," Janie said and then hugged him.

"Me too." He stood up and opened the door. The room smelled of death. Funny, he thought to himself. Hospitals reek of odors. Cleanliness. Death. Sickness. Medicine. But when it affects you, you only smell the one thing, in this case it was death. He looked at the bed that seemed to swallow up his mother. His eyes traveled to her face, soft, and gently wrinkled. He closed the distance and took the chair his brother offered him.

"Thanks," he whispered. Matt gripped his shoulder and squeezed it hard. He walked over to stare out at the window. Philip's father, Chad was sitting on the other side of his wife of fifty-eight years. He reached over and touched his youngest child's hand. "She knew you were on your way. I think she knew you were thinking of her too."

"I'm sorry Dad. I would have gotten here faster if I could have. The planes even departed on time. But... I was too late."

Chad squeezed Philip's hand and held it for several long minutes as Philip said goodbye to the women, who'd fed him, changed him, helped him with his homework, played games with him, and did so much for him the list was too long to write. "She's beautiful, even now," he whispered and sat up, kissed her brow and then walked over to hug his father. The two men embraced and more tears fell.

In time Philip left his father's arms and hugged his brother. Matt was a couple years older then Janie, but Philip was close to him too, or so he had been until Matt married and got a family of his own. Now, they rarely saw each other, but their phone calls were constant. "How are the kids?" Philip asked, both Matt and Janie.

"Steven is at the hotel. We called Danny and Victoria. They are going to tell the kids sometime later today. Matt, spoke with Carol. She said she'd get in touch with the kids and let them know what was going on," Janie answered.

"Well that's kind of her," Philip sneered. Carol and Matt had divorced right after their youngest graduated school and she'd sucked every penny she could from Matt. Carol was not the Traverse family's favorite person, she was still the mother of Matt's three kids, so she was still kept informed when tragedies struck.

Philip sighed. "What do you need me to do?" he asked.

Janie smiled and took his hand. "Do you think you can hang with Daddy for a while?"

"Sure. I've got nothing going on. I'd be more than willing to help with the arrangements and such," Philip told them both.

Matt looked over to his father, who had returned to the seat next to his wife. "Well, Phil, we're thinking long term here. Dad's turning eighty-seven and you know he's prone to falling and, Mom was already having a hard time helping him up. His eyesight is failing... "

Dawning fell over Philip's features. "I think I understand. Let's discuss this back at the hotel."

"Philip. Daddy's not going to be able to stay at the Lake Cottage alone. It's that or we have to have him put in a home," Janie told him.

Philip sighed. "I understand. Let me think about it and I'll let you know later tonight."

"What is there to think about?" Matt demanded.

Janie touched her brother's arm. "Matt, this isn't the time or the place. He's considering it, just let him have some time."

"Whatever, but damn it Philip, if you don't do this..." Matt threw his hands up in the air and walked off. He made his way over to his father and squeezed his shoulder. "Pop, the Hospital is gonna need your signature on things."

Chad sighed and kissed his wife's lips one last time. He left the room and soon was swept up in the chaos of having his wife's body flown back to Tennessee. His sons and his daughter helped him through the mountain of paperwork and two days later, he was back on a plane heading toward a future he was unsure of.

After the funeral, Janie and Matt stayed with their father and Philip in the small lake cottage for several days before Matt approached Philip about the move he'd be making. "I think this will be good for you," he told his little brother.

Philip downed a swig of his beer and stared at Matt for some time. "Oh? Why, because I've no life, no kids, no woman waiting for me at home?"

Matt shook his head. "You know you've been spoiled all your life. Ever since you were four and..." he stopped talking.

"What? Ever since I was four... What? I haven't been spoiled."

"Look. Janie and I can't take care of Dad. We both have careers and Dad needs twenty-four hour care. It's amazing Mom was able to take care of him as well as she did."

Philip sighed. "I know you don't approve of my life, but I had all of that once."

"Sarah was a long time ago. Philip, you can't use that excuse anymore. I mean, ever since Mom and Dad brought you home, you've gotten off very easy in life. Maybe they felt sorry for you being..."

"Matthew," Janie shouted at her brother, stopping his words from leaving his throat.

He looked up and growled. "Jesus Christ Janie, I wasn't gonna say anything."

"What?" Philip asked. Suddenly feeling as if there were an elephant in the room and no one wanted to mention it. It'd been a long time since he felt that weight and he wondered why it had returned.

Janie shook her head, as did Matt.

"Nothing, Phil. I just wish you'd grow up. Sarah took you for a lot, and yes, you had all of that, a woman, a career, a life. But it's been fifteen years and you've been living the high life ever since. I think this will help you. Damn, Phil your over forty now and its way past time to be a man," Matt said, before taking a long draw from his beer.

Philip leaned back. He didn't believe for a minute that was what Matt was going to say, but he let it die. Matt had a point; he'd been living the "high" life for too long, but the idea of spending his free time with his dad wasn't exciting either. He knew he was being greedy, but he couldn't help but feel cheated. He made one last ditch effort to regain his freedom. "Matt, I'm gonna stay, but I am curious as to why you aren't willing to take Dad back with you? I mean, you're single and we all know we can afford a live-in nurse."

Matt's eyes grew hot, but he took a calming breath. "Philip, first Dad is not going to agree to a live-in nurse. So there is no way I'm going to make him have one, when we have someone capable of caring for him. He's not well Philip. I don't know how much longer we'll have him. He and Mom have lived here for the past fifty-five years. Are you going to tell him he can't spend his last years on earth in this house? I don't think so. Finally, I've met someone. I'm planning on asking her to spend the rest of her life with me. By this time next year, if God's willing, shit doesn't shine, and pigs don't fly, I'll be married to a hot little number and introducing her to my Father."

"Damn, I'm such an ass," Phil muttered.

"No Phil," Janie whispered and touched his knee. "You just need something to keep you grounded. This will be good for you. You'll see."

Phil rose up and finished off his beer. "I'll make a few phone calls. I guess you both are right. I don't have a life. When Sarah took my business, I pretty much just lived off my trust fund and my gambling. A new chapter in my life starts today."

Matt stood up, followed by Janie. "We're gonna say goodbye to Pop and then take off. You haven't been here in a while, but there have been a few changes here on the lake. Families come and go, but there's one thing that never changes. This place brings people together. It heals them in ways we never knew we needed it. It helped you with Sarah, me with Carol, and even Janie after the loss of baby Sam. You'll do well here Phil."

The siblings embraced. Janie pulled on Matt's arm and watched Phil leave. When he was gone, she shut the door to the living room and turned to stare at her brother. "What were you thinking?" she asked him.

"Huh?" Matt asked.

"You almost told him, didn't you?"

Matt sighed. "Janie, I wanted to. I've wanted to since he turned eighteen, but I haven't. I kept the dirty little secret."

"It's what Mom and Dad wanted."

"Well, Mom's gone and maybe we should let him know now."

"No. He's our brother and he's their son, no one else's."

Matt took a deep breath. "Janie, we've been lucky. He's been a great brother, a healthy brother, but maybe knowing he's adopted will give him a reason to do something with his life."

"Like what, get pissed off and hate us? We're all guilty. You and I were fourteen and sixteen when he came to us. We kept our mouths shut back then and damn it, we're doing it now too."

"You're being selfish Janie."

"So."

"I'll keep the secret, until after Pop passes and then I'm telling him everything."

Janie groaned. "Why Matt; why do that to him? He's ours."

Matt pulled her close. "Janie, Mom put that fear in you. Phil loves us. He's not going to leave us."

"You don't know. You don't know how he'll react." She buried her face in Matt's chest. "You can't tell him, Matt. Please, promise me."

"I can't promise that. But I won't tell him while Pop's still with us. I will promise to keep Dad and Mom's secret... for now."

Janie wiped away the tears and sniffed. "Then I'll take that... for now."

They said their goodbyes to their father and their brother, before getting into Matt's car and driving back toward their lives, leaving father and son alone.