GLENN
Emory and I both crashed hard last night. There was no denying my brain was less chaotic when she was curled up beside me. She even slept through the two alarms I set. That wasn’t a problem, I’m a pretty light sleeper. I guess all those nights in on-call rooms have permanently altered my ability to fall into a deep sleep. Especially during residency, you never know when you’d get a call or a page, the smallest sound could wake me up now.
Callum’s temperature had started to go down, even though it did take its sweet ass time. I wasn’t seeing any other symptoms of sickness, so the cause of this entire thing was still unknown. Part of me envies parents who can just give a dosage of fever reducer and move on with their day. Knowing that Callum’s stomach could knot back up at any time meant that we’d be on edge for some time. At least as he got older, he could verbalize how he was feeling. I knew the right move was going to the hospital and having all of the scans done, even if they didn’t give us any answers. Better safe than sorry.
The sun had already started to peek through the curtains the second time I got up to check on Callum. It was good timing because when I opened his door he was moving back and forth in his crib, doing his best to roll over. When he heard the door, he tilted his head all the way back until he saw me. “Hey there, little man.”
His arms and legs started thrashing around and he was making excited noises. It was a positive sign that whatever had taken his spark away was on its way out. I picked him up and noticed that his pajamas were soaking wet and it wasn’t from an overflowing diaper. “I guess your fever broke, huh?” I grabbed the thermometer sitting next to the bed and it confirmed my diagnosis. He was back to a happy and healthy baby temperature. Rather than waking Emory up to do the morning routine, I changed his diaper, made him a bottle in the kitchen, and settled onto the couch in the living room.
“Your appetite is sure fierce this morning, that’s a good sign too, huh?” Callum didn’t answer back, he just kicked his legs while he was going to town on the bottle. It was easy to get lost in the moment, looking at his big, bright eyes enjoying his morning meal. My heart must have grown ten sizes since he came into my life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he already changed so much in just the week we were apart.
What was I doing? Being long-distance wasn’t going to work. I’m sure Emory and I could handle it if it were just the two of us, but Callum throws a wrench in that plan. I already work insane hours and trying to fit travel into those hours just makes things crazier. It was nice to be able to work my normal schedule when Emory came to visit, but that first trip wouldn’t always be the reality. What was the point of them coming to visit when I was working 75% of the time? My heart was with the two of them and I knew we couldn’t do this for much longer.
I checked the time and did some quick math, it was early here in Strawberry, but back on the East Coast, I’m sure my dad had been up for hours already. He was probably sitting comfy in his office, he hardly worked with patients anymore unless they were VIPs. The phone rang three times before his voice came over the speaker, “Glenn, son, it’s not my birthday or anything.”
His laugh reminded me of nails on a chalkboard, even the cheery way he said son as if he’d ever treated me like that. “Hey, Dad. I’m actually calling because I have some big news to share with you.”
“Oh, you do, huh? Are you finally pulling your head out of your ass and taking that position at Boston Children’s that I recommended you for?”
“No, Dad, that isn’t it.”
“Well, it should be. I was just talking to my buddy over there last week and they lost another head of their gastro department. He asked about you and I gave him your number again.”
“I know you did, he called,” I groaned, reliving that conversation again.
“And you’re telling me that you’re not taking it? I don’t understand you, Glenn. I’ve seen the benefits package and they are desperate you could probably squeeze another 20% out of them. I know that is more than you are making at that little hospital you’re at now.”
“Dad, It’s not a fucking little hospital. I work at the best children’s hospital in the state and there is nothing to be ashamed of not working for a large research hospital and not taking a cushy job.”
“Well,” he scoffed, “I’m not saying you should be ashamed, but you’re wasting your talents.”
“I have a son.” This wasn’t exactly how I planned on telling him, but it may be the only way to get him off this topic. Lord knows he would go on for an hour or two if I let him. “Congratulations, you’re a grandpa.”
“A son? Why…well…that wasn’t the news I was expecting. Last time we talked…”
“I didn’t know about him the last time we talked,” I finished the sentence before he needed to say more. “The whole story was a bit crazy, but I’ve known for about six weeks now.”
“I see. I assume that you’ve had a DNA test done.”
“No, Dad, I don’t need to get a DNA test. Not only does he look like me, but I trust his mother.”
He scoffed into the phone again, “You say you trust her, but how long did she know about the baby without telling you? She probably saw the kind of car you drive and decided to trap you. It’s stupid to not get a test.”
“Emory isn’t like that. I’m not going to break it all down for you, but just know that the moment Emory could tell me about the baby, she did. I’m in his life now and it’s perfect, he’s perfect. I just thought you should know.”
“Is this why you aren’t coming to Boston? I know a good lawyer here. Massachusetts custody laws lean way more toward the father than other states.”
“Geez, Dad. Will you listen to yourself? I’m not taking the job in Boston because I don’t want to work there. I’m happily my own person out there, not just referred to as your son. You probably don’t even realize how many people think I got an easy path through medical school because of you.”
“A little nepotism never hurt anybody, Glenn. I don’t know why you’ve always been so damn stubborn about my help.”
“Because I don’t want your help!” Callum was startled at my words, but with a gentle rub of his stomach, he calmed back down, taking my thumb in his tiny hands. I lower my voice back to a calm level and finish my thought, “You were never there when I needed you, Dad. I was never good enough, even when I was at the top of my class. Why would I want to be anywhere near you in my professional life? You’d just criticize everything anyway.”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“You’re just being your normal, asshole self. All I know is that I’m not going to do to my son what you did to me. I guess I can say thank you for that much. I’m going to do whatever the fuck I need to do to be in his life and involved in everything he does and I’m not going to make him feel like he is less than for any reason.”
“Good luck with that, Son. You’re still in the early stages of parenting. Once you realize that being a parent isn’t conducive to your job, you’ll start acting more like me than you think.”
“Never,” I spit out. “I’m willing to make sacrifices for him, something you know nothing about. I’ll give up being a doctor if it means being a good dad!”
My dad laughed on the other end of the phone. It was so condescending that I wished I could reach through the phone and strangle him, “You are so naive, Glenn. Call me when you’ve finally come to your sense to take that Boston job.”
“You’ll be lucky if I ever call you again,” I seethed. He started to comment back, but I disconnected the call and tossed my phone to the other side of the couch. Rather than let my father’s words of poison flow through my veins, I picked up Callum and held him to my chest. “I’m never going to let you down, Callum. I’ll even quit my job if it means I can be with you all the time.”
“You will?” I turned around the see Emory leaning up against the wall, her eyes as big as the moon. I don’t know how long she was standing there, but at least long enough.
“For you and Callum I will, Butterfly. I don’t need my career as much as I need your love.”
YOU ARE READING
Leave the Pieces (Strawberry Inn Book #5)
RomanceAfter her last serious relationship fizzled out and ended in a turned-down proposal, Emory Bishop decided to focus less on relationships and more on her work planning events for the family vineyard. Her very first large-scale event was a success and...
