“I’ve asked Emma to come by tonight,” he told me on the way home from the hospital on the fifth and last collection day. “I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t check with you first. It was a spur of the moment idea.”
“That’s fine.” Emma had been staying with Valerie to placate her after the blow up we’d had, but she’d been visiting her dad more than she had when he’d been going through chemotherapy.
“I wanted to discuss something with the two of you,” he continued. “I thought about what you said before, about involving you in important decisions, and I want to respect that.”
“Do you have an important decision to make?” I couldn’t imagine any that would involve both Emma and myself.
“Not a decision so much as planning. We can discuss it tonight.”
Neil being cryptic. That was always a good sign.
When Emma arrived that night, she was just as wary as I was. I was getting dressed for dinner when she knocked on the bedroom door.
“Come in,” I called, leaning my head to one side to fasten my earring.
“Oh good, you’re not naked,” she said, with her characteristic Emma bluntness.
“I could be, for the right price,” I quipped. “Do you have any idea what Neil wants to talk to us about?”
“None at all. And that makes me nervous.”
“Yes! He’s such a pain in the ass sometimes. Why doesn’t he just tell me what he wants?” I turned to face her and smoothed my skirt. I was wearing a lovely navy-blue dress that hugged my body and ended in a very high hemline. As long as Neil’s libido was still checked in, I was going to take advantage of it. I’d been dressing to impress him every night.
“Wow,” Emma said, then made a face as she looked down at her jeans and sweater. “Am I underdressed for this?”
“No, this is all for your dad’s benefit, while he can still enjoy it,” I admitted, then added, “Sorry.”
“If you guys are happy, I’m happy. Just as long as I don’t have to hear you two being ‘happy.’” She made finger quotes around the word. “I’m a little afraid he might be wanting us to discuss... arrangements.”
I frowned. “Arrangements?”
“You know. For a memorial?” She shrugged. “I used his iPad to check my email the other day. His browser history was like, porn, porn, porn, caskets, porn, porn, cremation urns, porn.”
“That’s grim.” I didn’t want to talk about that kind of thing with Neil. We were so happy lately. We both knew that his transplant and the high dose chemotherapy he would have to endure came with the potential for fatal complications, but right now, we were taking things a day at a time. I wanted to keep doing that.
“What’s grim?” Neil asked as he came into the bedroom, startling both Emma and I. I’m sure we looked completely guilty.
“Oh, I was telling Sophie about my soon-to-be-sister-in-law and her insane suggestion that my bridesmaids wear all black.” Emma had spent more time lying to Neil than I had, and she handled the response like a pro.
“Ah.” It was a masterful move on Emma’s part, because Neil wouldn’t want to discuss anything having to do with his daughter’s wedding to Horrible Michael. Neil turned to me and said, “Wow, darling. You look fantastic.”
I’d heard that nearly every day, but I still preened ridiculously. “Thank you. I’m trying to impress a guy.”
“Well done.” He clapped his hands together. “Shall we have dinner? I’m terribly excited to discuss something with both of you.”
I shot Emma a glance. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Would funeral arrangements qualify as something to be excited about?
Because the weather had been so nice lately, Neil had asked the staff to serve us dinner on the terrace. The outdoor heaters were on, chasing away the twilight chill.
“It was like, nineteen today,” Emma commented on the weather, and I laughed.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to Celsius. Where I come from, ninteen degrees is a hell of a lot colder than this.” I scooted in my chair. “What are we having tonight?”
“Black bean burgers,” he said happily. “I thought eating burgers outside would remind you of home.”
“Are you going to make us plan your funeral tonight?” Emma blurted.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Neil look so startled. I’m sure my eyes had never opened as wide as they were at that moment, as I stared at Emma in mute horror.
“Um. No...” He looked at me. “Is that what you thought?”
“Not until Emma mentioned it.” Why did I sound so defensive? Was I tattling on Emma?
“You said you wanted to discuss something important with us. And I looked at your browser history when I was using your iPad the other day—”
“Good lord.” Neil grabbed for the pitcher of water on the table. “Please, don’t ever do that again.”