“Exactly.” He punctuated the word with a loud bang on his drum.
“We were friends, Dad. We had a . . . thing.”
“A thing?” He raised a brow. “Sounds serious.”
“It wasn’t. I mean it was, but it wasn’t. The idea of getting that close to someone gives me hives. I don’t want to spend my whole life just waiting for the day it’s going to end.”
“I married your mother believing it was forever,” he said. “I loved her. I still do.”
This was her chance. She’d never had the courage to ask him about the divorce, assuming it was a memory too painful to discuss. “What happened?”
With a sigh, he put down his sticks. “Your mom and I had much in common when we got together,” he said. “We were both professionals, both first-generation immigrants, both focused on our goals and being the best we could be. My art was just a hobby then and something I planned to pursue when I retired.” He removed his shoulder strap and put his drum on its stand. “Then I was in the car crash and my entire world changed. I lay in my hospital bed thinking that if I had died, I would have had only one regret—that I didn’t pursue my dream. So after I recovered, I quit my job, built the studio, and started to paint.” He paused to take a sip of water. “Your mother thought it was just a phase, but I had changed after the accident and she had stayed the same. She resented me for it. She said I’d emotionally abandoned her. She couldn’t see what I’d seen—that life is short and you have to live your truth, embrace your joy, and pursue your dreams.” He gave a wistful smile. “I wish I could have brought her on this journey with me.”
“How did it end?” She’d known about her father’s epiphany but not how her mother had felt betrayed.
“We were living an illusion because we couldn’t face the reality that we had lost each other and didn’t know how to find each other again. And then one day she decided it had gone on too long. I don’t know why it was that day or why it was so sudden. She came home from work, walked into my studio, and told me it was over and it was time for me to go.”
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” she said softly. “I can’t imagine how that would have felt.”
He was silent for a long moment, staring down at his empty hands. “I only wish we could have given you and Hari some warning, let you get used to the idea, but I was in shock. I couldn’t think. I loved your mother. She is a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman who used to sing like an angel and give Mehar a run for her money on the dance floor. But she lost herself in work and forgot what is important in life. If I could turn back time, I would still choose to marry her.” His expression was almost wistful. “We had some good times together.”
“But you would lose her again,” Zara protested. “You would get hurt again.”
“But I would have experienced love,” he said. “And love is worth the pain.”
? 26 ?
Jay was dreaming of being lost in the forest when someone shook him awake.
“How long have you been sleeping in the office?” Elias pulled the blinds, flooding the office with light.
“A couple of days.” He sat up on the couch, rubbed his eyes. Truth was, he was afraid to fall asleep in his apartment without Zara there to keep the nightmares away. He’d come to the office on Saturday after visiting his mom and worked until he was so exhausted, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Rinse. Repeat.
“How’s your mom?”
“Improving. She should be going home in a week or so. How are things going with Westwood Morgan?”
“Everything is in order.” Elias pulled the last blind. “The board is meeting this week. Brittany says at this stage it’s basically a rubber stamp of approval. She’s looking forward to traveling around the world with you, opening up all those new offices. Kinda wish our board had picked me to be the CEO instead of the CFO. I used to hate the travel when I was deployed, but now that I’ve had my feet on the ground for so long, I kinda miss it.”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Jay said. “If my mom isn’t fully recovered when we start the international openings, I’ll need to be here. No way I’m leaving her alone with Rick.”
“You look like shit, by the way.” Elias never pulled his punches.
“I’ll hit the showers in the downstairs gym and change before the rest of the staff arrive. I’ve got extra suits in the closet.”