Page 12 of Love Bound

"Anyway, let's get back to your story, though. Far more interesting."

"Nothing to tell," I say. "He just wants me out."

"What can I do? There's must be something I can do."

"Nope."

"You told him this is your clinic?" Laurel asks.

"Yep."

"Did you tell him that we grew up here? That Mom and Dad are gone?"

I didn't want him to know that. Not yet. It somehow seemed like a sneaky move—using our parents to make a case—in some shady deal. "No, I didn't. It's not his business. He just wants his condos. It shouldn't matter why we want to do what we want to do, or why we should stay. I don’t want to pull on his heartstrings."

"Well, doesn't sound like there are any strings to pull on."

"That may be true," I say, "but I still don't want to play that card. Let's just save it."

"Since when did you become a poker player?" she asks.

"Since Jimmy Whitehead," I say, surprising even myself.

"That was a long time ago," Laurel says. "You've got to let that go."

How do I let that go? How do I let Jimmy Whitehead go? The boy I'd gone to high school with, the one who drove to Tufts in the middle of the night with a dozen white roses and a ring, the one who'd make me homemade ice cream and brownies. The one who held me when my parents died. The one who cheated on me with my roommate in vet school and then told everyone in town I'd broken off the engagement. How do I let that go? People still shake their heads about poor Jimmy Whitehead.

"Okay. All right,” I say. “Off the table. Not talking about it. Oh, for Christ's sake—"

The "Mommy!" from the next room nails me.

I mouth, "Sorry."

Cory's little voice, in careful monotone, explains, "That's a bad word. It offends people."

"Sorry!" I say again, calling out loud.

Laurel's grinning. "He's learning the rules, I guess. That's good. I wish he could do it organically or because he feels it."

"Oh, I bet he feels it. He just reprimanded his aunty." I rub her shoulder. "He's getting there."

But my touch makes her well up and she starts to really cry. As her face begins to redden she shakes her head and moves up off the couch, heading to the bathroom sink to splash water on her face.

"Don’t let him see you—"

"I know, I know, I know," she says, taking a towel from my hand. "I'm just really tired. Got zip sleep last night and I'm on at one today."

I only have three appointments, all small pets. "I can watch him for you. Why don’t you go take a nap and then I'll run him to Teresa's for you?"

Teresa is a young grad student at the University of New England who took an internship at the Prouty Center and apparently decided to stay. She's been with Cory nearly a year and a half, and she gets him. She's the reason the IEP is going to be a challenge to get.

Laurel closes her eyes for a moment. "That would be great. Thanks so much. I feel like I'm gonna crash and burn."

We move back into the kitchen and she kneels down to Cory, who’s still sitting like a little bird on the floor.

"Hey, you," she says softly, but there’s no response. "Cory," she says a little louder, and his head snaps up. "I’m going home to take a nap before work."

He glances down at his engine, which is now in four different parts, and says, "Okay."