Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
I didn’t tell Lilly about my proposition to help mainly because I didn’t want to overwhelm her. She had that look about her that clearly said she couldn’t handle much more in the way of complications for the day and besides that, I could tell she was uncomfortable with me being involved.
Not that I gave her much choice. I saw Lilly needed help, so I stepped in and I have no regrets about that. She seemed tepid when I left her apartment earlier today though.
My phone rings and I walk into the kitchen to grab it from the counter. It’s the call I’d been waiting for. “Hello.”
“Hey… It’s Harlow.”
“Thanks for calling. I’ve got someone who needs help.”
Harlow Alston is the fiancée of my line mate, Stone Dumelin. She’s an attorney here in Pittsburgh but more important to my needs right now, she’s an alcoholic. She’s been sober for a handful of years, routinely attends AA and isn’t shy when talking about her past troubles. She’s always ready to help others and she was the one person I knew I needed to talk to when I left the Hoffmans’ apartment today. I’d shot Stone a text asking him to have her call me when she got a minute.
I tell her about Steven and how I came to meet him. I tell her about what happened today, including my suggestion of rehab or AA. Harlow listens quietly but I can hear her inhale when I say, “I’ve been through this before with my father.”
“I had no clue,” she says gently.
“He’s fifteen years sober.” There’s no mistaking the pride in my voice. “My dad went into a thirty-day rehab program but I’m not sure that’s feasible for Steven, especially with Aiden in the hospital. I’m not sure I understand what’s going on with him.”
“His son’s illness is a stressor,” she muses. “But depending on circumstances, time might be a precious commodity. There are good outpatient programs in the area but he might need a medical detox. I’ll put together a list along with a suggestion for a good inpatient facility, if that’s an option. And if you’ll tell me where he lives, I can find an AA meeting place and sponsor that are convenient for him.”
“That would be great. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re a good man, Boone.”
“Nah,” I drawl, blowing off the compliment. “Just trying to pay it forward.”
Harlow promises to text me the information as soon as she has it and when I hang up, I expect to feel good because I’d put into action something to help Steven. Yet I feel unsettled, as if I’ve got more work to do.
I think about calling Aiden to check on him but dismiss that. Deep at my core, it’s not what’s troubling me.
My gaze catches the time on the oven clock as I lean on the small island counter that separates the living room from the kitchen. Is it too late to call Lilly?
Should I even be calling her to check in?
Accepting that I’ve never been one to shy away from things I shouldn’t do, I flip through the contacts and dial her number. It rings four times and just as I think I’ll get her voicemail, she answers in a low whisper. “Hello?”
“It’s Boone. Is this a bad time?”
“No,” she says softly and I hear rustling. “I’m in Aiden’s room and he just fell asleep. Let me step out.” I wait a few seconds and then she says, “Okay… I can talk. What can I do for you?”
What can she do for me? A smile comes unbidden. “I wanted to see how things were with you, Aiden and your father.”
She lets out a fatigued sigh. “It’s fine. I ended up coming back to the hospital to hang out with Aiden all day. My dad called a few hours ago and he’s sober. Very apologetic but as I’m sure you know, since you’ve been through this, that’s par for the course.”
“Yeah. The regrets are always there but will they be enough for change?”
“I don’t know how much worse things need to get for him to decide to stop drinking.” Frustration and anger lace her voice, and she’s not wrong to feel that way.
“I talked to your dad for a few minutes today about getting help. He seemed receptive. What’s his history with alcohol?”
Lilly doesn’t respond right away and I think I’ve overstepped, but then she huffs out another sigh. “I remember him drinking some after my mom died but nothing that ever impeded his ability to take care of me and Aiden.”
“How old were you?” I move to my couch and settle into it, kicking my feet up on the coffee table.
“I was twelve and Aiden was two.” Her voice remains low but it’s above her original whisper. “We struggled for a while but Dad sort of threw himself into work. He and Mom ran the deli together so he was suddenly on his own, but I think it helped him not focus on the sadness. When Aiden got sick the first time, his drinking worsened. Still, he managed to get up in the morning to open the deli and I helped out after school for a few hours. When Aiden was in the hospital, I’d take the bus to stay the night with him.”