Unexpected Arrivals(41)

“That’s really sad. I can’t imagine. I’d kill to be able to go home.”

“Did you live in Chicago all your life?”

“Yep. Our house wasn’t anything special and certainly nothing like the mansions in Geneva Key, but my mom worked hard to provide for me. She always made sure I had what I needed, and the rest she made up for with attention.”

“How’d you end up here?”

“My mom is in a treatment facility in Tampa. And Dottie—that’s her best friend—convinced us both we needed to be closer so she could help me.”

“It’s a shame so many people fall prey to addictions. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”

I sensed the shock that took over my face. “Oh no. Not that type of treatment. She has Huntingtons.”

“Is there a cure?”

I shook my head and inhaled deeply. “She’s lost the ability to speak and swallow, and the tremors are bad. I try to pretend there aren’t signs of dementia and memory loss, but they’re there. And most days, I still see the recognition in her eyes when she looks at me.” I tried to put on a brave face. This disease had been at the forefront of my life because of my mom and her ties to charities and research, although most people didn’t live that way.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have any idea.”

With the flick of the wrist, I waved him off. “It’s okay. This didn’t sneak up on us. Even after she developed symptoms, it took years to get to this stage.”

“Do you have any other family?” Genuine concerned laced his voice.

“Just Dottie, but she’s not related by blood—just love. I don’t know my dad, and my grandparents passed away when I was in high school. I’m the only child of an only child.” I shrugged. Others saw that as sad, I didn’t know any different.

The waitress saved us from the conversation going deeper. It was a welcomed reprieve—not for me, I could talk about my mom all day, but strangers didn’t know how to handle death being prominent in my life.

One bite of the shepherd’s pie had made me a believer. “Oh my God.” I moaned after swallowing the calorie-laden entrée.

“Right? What’d I tell you? Amazing, huh? There’s nowhere in New York that even comes close—and I’ve looked.”

“How’d you end up in New York?”

“My best friend, Neil, and I bought a wealth management company after college. Cora, the girl I told you about last night, moved with me to attend grad school. Neil’s girlfriend, Hannah, followed us, too. The four of us lived together until Cora went to Paris.”

“How long has she been gone?” I’d learned some of the details from what he’d told me walking on the beach.

“Fourteen months.” The longing in his eyes broke my heart.

“Do you think you two will be able to fix things when she comes home?”

“Guess that depends on whether she actually comes back. She’s career-minded and in a prime position to go far. I’m not sure she’s willing to leave the company she works for. Cora’s boss is pretty influential in the world of engineering.”

“Maybe she’ll surprise you.”

“Anything’s possible, I guess.” He didn’t believe it.

“Do you want it? The relationship, I mean.”

He studied me from across the booth, probably wondering how I could ask such a silly question. Carp had confided in me how much he loved her. He’d even gone so far as to tell me last night shouldn’t have happened. I wasn’t insulted. His remorse had nothing to do with me or the fact we’d gotten busy in the sand. It had to do with his own guilt for not waiting for a woman who hadn’t given him any hope when she’d left, and thinking if he loved her, he should have held out.

“Of course.”

“I don’t know squat about relationships, Carp. I won’t pretend like I do, because I’ve never really had one. Don’t get me wrong…I’ve dated, although nothing ever lasted longer than a year or so. But my mom has known for years she might not make it to my wedding, and that she may never meet a grandchild. And because of that, she lived every day like it was her last. So if you love this girl, if you believe she’s it, then you have to fight for her.”

Carp paid the bill after a bit of a hesitation from me. It wasn’t a date, and I didn’t care for it to feel like one. I liked the guy, yet with the things going on with my mom, I wasn’t in the headspace to bother with any type of commitment.

Standing on the sidewalk outside of Galen’s, I wished Carp luck with Cora and thanked him for lunch. “It was really nice to have someone to hang out with. I love Dottie, but spending time with a woman old enough to be my mom’s mom just isn’t the same.”

“You’re welcome. Look, I’m not sure if I’ll have any more free time while I’m here. But if I do, let’s try to get together before I leave.”

“I’d like that.”

“And, Chelsea? Even if we don’t, you have my number. Don’t hesitate to use it. If you need someone to talk to or just a distraction—I can always lend an ear.”

I nudged his shoulder with mine and tried to hide the goofy grin that had taken over my face. “You, too.”