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room. It still looked like a mess, even in the distance. He guessed they were still using it as an office, even though Jesse’s room had been empty for years.
    His mother’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “So honey, are you hungry? I made a carrot cake just the other day, your favorite. And we have chocolate milk. I even bought that sparkling water you like so much. Dang, what’s it called... San Pelican? Oh, well, whatever it is, what would you like to have?”
    She was speaking so quickly, Michael didn’t even know what to say.
    “Okay, mom, let the man breathe, he just got here,” said Annie. Michael shot her a look of appreciation. He thought to himself had it not been for Annie, growing up would have been a lot harder than it had been, even if she was a rat sometimes. Even though Annie was five years older, she and Michael had always had a connection. She’d always come over and ‘save’ him when things got bad. He was a bookish teenager with only a few friends and was often the butt of people’s jokes. Sometimes Michael had felt really alone, especially after Jesse died, but then Annie would be there with popcorn and videos.
    “Oh, I’m fine, Mom. A sparkling water would be great. No carrot cake for me right now, though. But I will try some later, if that’s all right.”
    Marty got his water and then sat down at the table. They all sat there in silence for a few minutes but it didn’t last long. Annie never could stand the quiet.
    “Guess I’ll just come right out and say it. We’re really glad you came home, Mikey. Dad’s in bad shape. We know things haven’t been the greatest between you two...”
    “Oh, hell, Annie. Michael, your Dad hasn’t been doing so hot for a while now and we think this has been a long time coming. I didn’t want to burden you with it but we’re in a bit of trouble now that he’s gone and had a stroke.” Marty let it all out in what seemed like one breath.
    “I don’t understand — did something else happen? Before the stroke? When? Where? Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t understand.” Michael’s words came out in a rush. Even though he hadn’t been home in all this time, it wasn’t like he hadn’t spoken with his family. They spoke every week, sometimes more frequently, and no one had said a word about his father having any health issues. And now a stroke, he knew that part. But had Michael known about his father being sick he might have come back sooner, he might have been able to help. Maybe he could have stopped this from happening. Who knows what could be different now, had he known.
    He had to stop himself, his thoughts were racing.
    Marty paused and took another deep breath. “Well, remember when you were graduating from your MBA? You were furious we couldn’t come down to see you for graduation because we had to ‘take care of inventory’? You had that crazy internship at that Goldfarb place they always talk about on the TV and you were so concerned about getting a good job that I couldn’t do that to you. You were just twenty-five, and your father had his first scare... a heart attack... and I just didn’t want to burden you, and neither did your father. It happened the day before you asked to speak to him...”
    Burden him? What did they think of him? That he was some kind of unfeeling monster? Sure, he had been mad at his father all that time, but he didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Although he sometimes hated to admit it, he still loved his father.
    Annie interrupted. “I told you he didn’t want to speak to you ‘cause I didn’t know what else to say...he didn’t want us to tell you...”
    “He didn’t want you to miss your graduation... I guess he was also afraid you wouldn’t choose him... that you wouldn’t come see him,” said Marty with tears in her eyes. “He never said that, but it’s the sense I got.”
    Michael was taken aback — he didn’t know what to say. He remembered that day. He was so upset they