Page 111 of Discretion

She panned the camera so Dad came into view. I smiled, but his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Hi, Dad.” I forced myself to continue smiling even as he maintained his bewildered stare.

Dad turned to Mom. “Who is that?”

My heart fractured into a million tiny pieces, and selfishly, I wished I hadn’t answered the phone. I was already feeling emotional, thanks to Kai’s procedure, and the fact that my dad didn’t recognize me was absolutely heartbreaking.

When Mom tried to explain who I was, Dad started to get agitated. To the point that she had to call one of the nurses. I watched all of it with increasing horror—for him, for them, at the reality of the situation. I hadn’t realized how much his disease had progressed. Or maybe I’d just been in denial. Ultimately, Mom left the room and went out to the hallway while the staff tried to help Dad calm down.

“Sorry.” Mom frowned, glancing over her shoulder. “I thought it was a good day.”

I was scared to ask, but I needed to know. “Has this been happening more lately?”

“We can talk about it later.” She smiled brightly, and I knew she—like me—was trying to hold it together. “Right now, your focus needs to be on Kai.”

“Mom. Tell me, please.” If she didn’t, my mind would keep spinning out with countless terrible scenarios.

She sighed. “The facility wants to bump Dad up to the next level of care.”

Jesus.The next level? We’d visited my parents when we’d first moved to the States, and I was concerned by how quickly Dad’s disease seemed to be progressing.

“What do you think?” I asked Mom. “Does he need it? Is he getting worse?”

“Honestly?” she sighed. “Yes. I just wish it weren’t so expensive.”

“Don’t worry about the money,” I said, unwilling to contemplate the cost. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Honey, I can’t ask you to do that.” Her eyes met mine, full of gratitude and sadness and love. “Especially not when you’re already doing so much. Your father and I would never?—”

“I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t do it. ’Kay?”

“Okay. It’s just…” She twisted her wedding ring on her finger. “There are options. We could move him somewhere else. Somewhere less expensive.”

I’d researched other places online before we’d decided to move him into his current facility. The reviews on some of the others were terrifying, especially considering my dad’s potential inability to advocate for himself. I didn’t want to worry her, not when she was already dealing with so much. Plus, we both knew that another move in such a short amount of time would only add to my dad’s confusion and agitation. My dad’s care, and my mom’s and my peace of mind, was worth more than anything.

I would figure out how to pay for it even after my temporary promotion ended. Maybe I’d rent an apartment instead of buying a house or not put as much into my 401(k). The point was, I would figure it out.

“I want the best care for Dad,” I said. “And Green Acres is the best fit.” The doctor entered Kai’s hospital room. “Mom. I gotta go.”

“Okay. Of course. Let me know what the doctor says. And I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

I nodded. “Looking forward to it. Love you.”

“Love you too, honey.”

I ended the call and stood, smoothing my hands down my thighs.

“Kai is in recovery now. He’s doing great. We’re going tolet him wake up some more, and then we’ll bring him back here.”

“Thank you,” I said, relief coursing through me. That had been the longest twenty minutes of my life. But Kai was a champ. He’d made it through the procedure. And I could only hope the test would help.

“We won’t have the results of the biopsy for a few days,” the doctor continued. “So I’ll call when I have a more definitive answer. For now, Kai needs rest. And continue to avoid gluten as a precaution.”

“Will do,” I said.

She gave me some more information on his care at home following the procedure. It was a lot to take in. As soon as the doctor left, I dropped into a nearby chair. I was emotionally wrung out from the events of the morning. Worrying about Kai. The call with my parents. Trying to figure out how I was going to pay for my dad’s care as it continued to get even more expensive.

I sagged, covering my face with my hands.I wish Jasper were here.