to challenge her.
Angela took Philip’s hands, still crying.
“I am so, sorry, Philip. I had no idea you’d gone through such a thing.” She glanced at Jonathan, her sorrowful expression soothing his anger. “And I’m sorry to you also, Jonathan.” She struggled for words, grabbing a tissue from purse. “I feel like such an idiot… and feel so bad… and don’t know what to say.”
“Shhh,” Philip touched her head and let his fingers tread down her braid. “No worries, Angie. It’s alright.”
She blew her nose into the tissue and sniffed. “And how are you now? Are you okay?”
Rubbing Philip’s back, Jonathan cut in. “A-ok. He’s one hundred percent healthy and cancer-free for five years.”
“Thank God,” she whispered, stuffing the tissue back into her purse. “I wish I’d known. I work with some top-notch oncologists. Who was your physician?”
“Jacobs at Sloan,” Jonathan answered.
“One of the best,” she said. “That’s good. I have some friends at Sloan Kettering if you ever need anything. And I mean anything .”
Philip glanced at Angela and chuckled. “Don’t suppose there’s any of my little guys, healthy little guys, still hanging out at the sperm bank?”
Jonathan gently slapped his back. “That’s too weird, Philip. And I think there’s something illegal about that?” He asked, glancing at Angela for a response.
“Probably,” she agreed. “Now let’s get off of this topic. I already feel bad enough.”
Five minutes before, Jonathan was ready to pull Angela to the front door by her hair. But now, he’d opened up a bit and sensed her sincerity. The hair on the back of his neck settled a little and he could feel himself breathing deeper.
Jonathan drummed his fingers on the table and stood up. “Well, I have an article due tomorrow morning by eleven. So I’m going to hit the computer.”
“And I have to get going,” Angela responded, leaping from her chair. “It’s getting late. Can you call me a cab?”
“Cab my ass,” Philip said, “I’m driving you to the station. Let’s check the train schedule, and if we have time I’ll show you some of Westport.”
Angela walked over to Jonathan, caressed his face and, wrapped her arms around him. Hugging him tightly, almost squeezing, she whispered in his ear. “Thank you for tonight and for taking care of him.”
Jonathan hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re welcome for both.” He looked at Philip, then back to Angela. “I don’t say this very often, but I like you and would love for you to come visit again.”
“He’s right. He never says that. So you must be special,” Philip said.
She squeezed him again. “I definitely will,” she said.
Three minutes later, Jonathan watched from his office as the Beemer’s headlights backed out of the driveway and lit up the street. Seconds later, they were gone.
*
More than two hours passed before the headlights swung into the driveway. Jonathan waited to hear the car door shut before sauntering to the front door. He leaned against the wall, waiting for it to open. When it finally did, he didn’t say a word.
“Hey, babe,” Philip said, closing the door behind him. When he saw Jonathan’s expression, he stopped. “I know, I took a long time. But we did some more catching up, I showed her downtown, we had to wait for the next train, blah, blah, blah.”
“I figured,” Jonathan said, scolding himself for worrying. “That’s why I didn’t call your cell. I didn’t want to be like my grandmother used to be.” He kissed Philip’s cheek and started walking back to his office.
“Are you kidding me? You are your grandmother!” Philip smacked Jonathan’s ass and followed him down the hallway.
“Ha. Well if it wasn’t for my grandmother, I wouldn’t be here now, would I?” said Jonathan, falling into his desk chair.
“No, you wouldn’t, and I say a prayer to her in heaven every single day for having a grandson like
Angela took Philip’s hands, still crying.
“I am so, sorry, Philip. I had no idea you’d gone through such a thing.” She glanced at Jonathan, her sorrowful expression soothing his anger. “And I’m sorry to you also, Jonathan.” She struggled for words, grabbing a tissue from purse. “I feel like such an idiot… and feel so bad… and don’t know what to say.”
“Shhh,” Philip touched her head and let his fingers tread down her braid. “No worries, Angie. It’s alright.”
She blew her nose into the tissue and sniffed. “And how are you now? Are you okay?”
Rubbing Philip’s back, Jonathan cut in. “A-ok. He’s one hundred percent healthy and cancer-free for five years.”
“Thank God,” she whispered, stuffing the tissue back into her purse. “I wish I’d known. I work with some top-notch oncologists. Who was your physician?”
“Jacobs at Sloan,” Jonathan answered.
“One of the best,” she said. “That’s good. I have some friends at Sloan Kettering if you ever need anything. And I mean anything .”
Philip glanced at Angela and chuckled. “Don’t suppose there’s any of my little guys, healthy little guys, still hanging out at the sperm bank?”
Jonathan gently slapped his back. “That’s too weird, Philip. And I think there’s something illegal about that?” He asked, glancing at Angela for a response.
“Probably,” she agreed. “Now let’s get off of this topic. I already feel bad enough.”
Five minutes before, Jonathan was ready to pull Angela to the front door by her hair. But now, he’d opened up a bit and sensed her sincerity. The hair on the back of his neck settled a little and he could feel himself breathing deeper.
Jonathan drummed his fingers on the table and stood up. “Well, I have an article due tomorrow morning by eleven. So I’m going to hit the computer.”
“And I have to get going,” Angela responded, leaping from her chair. “It’s getting late. Can you call me a cab?”
“Cab my ass,” Philip said, “I’m driving you to the station. Let’s check the train schedule, and if we have time I’ll show you some of Westport.”
Angela walked over to Jonathan, caressed his face and, wrapped her arms around him. Hugging him tightly, almost squeezing, she whispered in his ear. “Thank you for tonight and for taking care of him.”
Jonathan hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re welcome for both.” He looked at Philip, then back to Angela. “I don’t say this very often, but I like you and would love for you to come visit again.”
“He’s right. He never says that. So you must be special,” Philip said.
She squeezed him again. “I definitely will,” she said.
Three minutes later, Jonathan watched from his office as the Beemer’s headlights backed out of the driveway and lit up the street. Seconds later, they were gone.
*
More than two hours passed before the headlights swung into the driveway. Jonathan waited to hear the car door shut before sauntering to the front door. He leaned against the wall, waiting for it to open. When it finally did, he didn’t say a word.
“Hey, babe,” Philip said, closing the door behind him. When he saw Jonathan’s expression, he stopped. “I know, I took a long time. But we did some more catching up, I showed her downtown, we had to wait for the next train, blah, blah, blah.”
“I figured,” Jonathan said, scolding himself for worrying. “That’s why I didn’t call your cell. I didn’t want to be like my grandmother used to be.” He kissed Philip’s cheek and started walking back to his office.
“Are you kidding me? You are your grandmother!” Philip smacked Jonathan’s ass and followed him down the hallway.
“Ha. Well if it wasn’t for my grandmother, I wouldn’t be here now, would I?” said Jonathan, falling into his desk chair.
“No, you wouldn’t, and I say a prayer to her in heaven every single day for having a grandson like
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