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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
whispered.
Warm colors decorated the waiting room, dark reds and
chocolate browns. Table lamps provided islands of soft light
and Cody occupied one of these, head down, filling out the
53
Aftermath
by Angel Martinez
various forms. Vic sat beside him on the high-backed sofa,
pretending to read a three month old issue of Life.
Cody reached the line titled "Spouse/Domestic Partner".
He bit his bottom lip, hand poised above the paper. Slowly, as
if each letter held some ceremonial value, he printed "Victor
L. Szoldos".
"What's your title at work now?" He nudged Vic with his
knee.
"VP of Business Engineering."
"Oh, we're all just so impressed," Cody muttered.
Victor shrugged, choosing to ignore the sarcasm. When the
door opened, he expected a receptionist or a nurse and was
surprised when the tiny woman said, "Cody? I'm Dr.
Simmons. Paula, if you'd rather."
Cody rose, wiping his palms on his jeans, and offered a
shy, little-boy smile with his outstretched hand. He might be
reluctant to be here, but still retained his manners. She
whisked him away and Vic was left alone in the empty waiting
room. He gave up pretending to read and slumped on the
sofa, inertia setting in. Probably should call the office. A
hundred things were piling up there. None of them seemed
important, though. Odd how he felt these days. Whenever he
sat down alone, he wanted to go to sleep.
Just so damn tired. Forever and always tired...
"See what I mean?" Cody's voice drifted into the fog of his
dreams. "Like he's narcoleptic or something."
A weight depressed the sofa next to him and Victor sat up
with a start, heart pounding at waking in an unexpected
place. The tiny woman and her halo of blonde, frizzy hair
54
Aftermath
by Angel Martinez
swam into his vision. She smiled. "Hello, Victor. We spoke on
the phone."
Vic pulled himself together for introductions, fighting the
fuzz in his brain, then looked at his watch. The hour had
flown past while he napped.
"Cody and I had a nice chat. I'd like him to set up regular
appointments for awhile. Individual ones for Cody and for you
and then a once-a-week for the two of you together." She
patted his arm. "Would you like some coffee or water? Cody
tells me you haven't been feeling well."
A glance at Cody showed him looking almost smug.
Conspiracy seemed to taint the air.
"I'm fine, thanks." Victor scrubbed his hands through his
hair. "Look, I can see us coming in together but I don't need
my own appointments. I'm not the one with the " He nearly
said "problem" but cut himself off. Cody was giving him a
dark look, arms folded over his chest.
"Are you..." Paula pointed a finger back and forth between
the two of them. "Part of this relationship?"
"Yes, of course I am."
"Then you're involved," she said. Her tone was one of
simple fact, not of judgment. "You're a very large slice of
Cody's life and your perspectives are important in this too."
Reluctantly, Victor agreed and found himself railroaded
into all sorts of appointments.
In the car, driving Cody over to visit with the still-
housebound Wyatt, Victor found himself at a loss. "What, um,
what did you talk about?"
55
Aftermath
by Angel Martinez
"Oh, this and that. My art. My family. You." Cody's voice
was light but his head was turned away so Vic couldn't see his
expression.
"Not about, the, um...? She didn't ask you any questions?"
"Lots of questions. Like where had I studied and who are
my favorite artists and did I go to the Dada exhibit at the
Smithsonian."
Victor gave up. Not that he claimed to know anything
about therapy but he had expected her to at least touch on
the assaults. It sounded like she and Cody had simply had a
chat, as if he had taken her out to lunch or something. For
this he was paying $150 an hour?
Cody did seem calmer and even offered him a quick peck
on the cheek before he slid out of the car. Vic watched him
ambling up the walk to Wyatt and Kurt's house, hands stuffed
in his pockets, looking younger than his actual years in high
tops, black jeans and a Myazaki t-shirt. He wanted to call
Cody back, to tell him ... something, anything to bridge the
chasm between them. I love you. I'm sorry...
When had Cody started to dress like that? When had he
changed? Vic straightened his tie, a tired, harried stranger
staring back at him from the rearview mirror. A terrible,
sinking rush hit him in the gut. Cody hadn't changed. He had.
56
Aftermath
by Angel Martinez
Chapter 5
Persistence of Memory
"Can I get you anything? Tea, juice, banana?" Wyatt rose [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
