Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Happy birthday, my sweet girl!” I exclaimed, and she grinned up at me. I assumed Valerie had spoiled the bejeezus out of her, and I trusted that Olivia already associated the word “birthday” with “mounds of new toys”.
I wasn’t about to teach the kid a lesson in moderation. I looked over my shoulder at Tony. “You know what, cancel that ride home.” I turned back to Olivia. “We’re having a Sophie and Olivia big-girl birthday-shopping day!”
* * * *
The beginning of June came and went, and so did my first wedding anniversary. The day was brutal. I should have been spending a romantic dinner with Neil, maybe a weekend trip to Paris or even the Venice apartment I’d yet to see. Instead, I’d thawed out our wedding cake top and eaten it with Mom while I’d cried and she’d done her best to comfort me.
I’d just climbed into bed with all of my pathetic adult lonely bedtime supplies—box of kleenex, tablet, phone, extra blanket, bottle of water, remotes—and clicked on the television when my phone rang. The screen showed “Arbor Rest”.
My hands shook as I answered. It was late. Why would he call so late? Before I could even say hello, I’d thought of myriad ways this could be bad news. I expected a nurse to get on the line to tell me that Neil had somehow harmed himself.
Instead, I heard the best person possible.
“Sophie.” There was an audible hitch in his tone. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear yours, too, baby,” I said, biting my lip to keep from bursting into tears.
“I’ve missed you terribly today,” he said. “I’m sorry that I’m not there to celebrate with you. Happy anniversary.”
He hadn’t forgotten. But he’d certainly taken his time.
“Happy anniversary.” If we couldn’t be physically together for the day, at least we could talk. His calls were few and far between. It hurt, even though I knew the reason for it, now. “How are things going?”
“Remarkably well, as it so happens.” He cleared his throat. “I’m ready.”
“Ready?”
“To leave.”
I threw back the duvet. “I’m getting my shoes on, right now. I’ll call for a helicopter—”
“No, no.” He halted. “I can’t come back to New York. That would be far too much.”
My hopes plummeted. He was ready to leave but not to come home?
“I was wondering,” he began, almost like a child too afraid to ask for something he really, really wanted, for fear of being turned down. “Would you considering coming to Iceland? With Olivia?”
“Iceland?” Pack up all the baby stuff and haul ourselves all the way to Iceland?
For Neil? “Absolutely.”
“Oh, Sophie. Oh, that’s wonderful.” He laughed. “I’m so excited to see you. And Olivia. God, I can’t wait to hold her.”
“She’ll squirm right out of your arms.” I hoped like hell that she would remember him. Though he would understand the limitations of baby brains, it would still crush him if she didn’t. “When do we do this?”
“Well, Dr. Harris is going to accompany me there in two days,” he said. “You could meet me on the weekend. Would that be enough time?”
“No, it’s going to be a mess trying to get packed,” I told him, and it would be. I added, “But, yes. I would swim us there.”
“Or you could take the jet,” he teased back. “I’ll have it on standby at JFK on Saturday?”
“Yeah, I’ll figure out a time frame.” This was so weird. Just casually talking about how in a few days, we would uproot and haul our asses to Iceland.
And we were uprooting Dr. Harris, as well. “Is Doctor Harris staying with us?”
“Oh, no. No, he’s coming for a week, and I’m putting him up in a very posh hotel. It won’t be a terrible hardship. After that, we’ll do some Skype sessions until I’m ready to come back.” Neil sounded relieved, and my heart loosened up. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been carrying my stress in a non-physical, fully metaphorical body part.
He was ready to leave the hospital. Ready to come home and be with us. Well, not to this home. “Why Iceland, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“There are too many chances at home to fall into my old problems, again.”
“I flushed all your cocaine,” I said flatly.
“Oh, thank god.” His deep exhale was audible. “I promise we’ll talk about all of this in Reykjavik.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” I was, even if it sounded a little unorthodox for someone’s psychiatrist to visit a small European country with them. But whatever. Stranger things happened in rich people world, and I was going to have Neil back.
“I love you…so much.” He laughed quietly. “And I’ve missed you.”
“You know what I’ve missed the most?” I asked.
He snorted. “I’m sure I do.”
“No, perv!” My laugh was like a recording of an extinct bird’s call. That’s how long it had been since I’d felt so happy. “I’ve missed sitting in bed watching T.V. with you.”