False Starts

Chapter 19

“DO you think the flowers are too much?” Michael asked Hilary as he moved the vase of lilies slightly to the left of the table. 

      His sister rolled her eyes and moved it back. “The flowers are fine,” she said. She smoothed down the bedspread and fluffed the pillows while Michael fiddled with the scented candles on the dresser. “Will you stop rearranging everything? They’re fine right where they are.”

      “Sorry, I’m just nervous,” Michael huffed out, raising his hands and backing away from the dresser. “I just want everything to be –“

“Perfect, I know.” Hilary rolled her eyes again. “Everything is fine, so can you please relax? Otherwise, you’ll stroke out before Abbie even steps through the door. What time is she getting in tomorrow?”

“Probably a little before dinnertime. She’s driving out from Charlotte in the morning,” Michael answered. He chuckled and put his arm around his sister. “Thanks for helping me get the place ready for her, Hil. Everything’s perfect because of you.”

“It’s fine,” Hilary replied with a shrug, then ducked out from under her brother’s arm to go into the kitchen. “I’m having a soda, you want one?” she called out to him.

“Grab me a beer,” he replied, following her to the kitchen. Sensing that something was off, Michael took the bottle she handed him and looked at her curiously. “Ok, what is up with you?” he asked, twisting the cap off. “That was, like, the fourteenth time you’ve said ‘fine’ in the last hour.”

Hilary opened her mouth to answer then seemed to think better of it. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, come on, Hilary, don’t give me that bullshit.” Michael leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you have something to say, say it.”

His sister frowned, fiddling with the ring on her soda can. She seemed to be debating whether or not to say anything at all. “Mike,” she began, finally, after a few seconds, “Whit and I, we’re kind of worried about you.”

Michael didn’t say anything. He just waited for Hilary to go on because he thought he knew what they were worried about.

“All this prepping for Abbie,” Hilary went on, without looking at her brother. “We’re worried you think this – coming to live with you – is something it’s not. We don’t really think it’s good for you. Don’t get me wrong, Abbie’s a great girl and we love her to pieces, but, Mike, she doesn’t… you know…” Hilary didn’t quite know how to finish her sentence without hurting Michael’s feelings.

It didn’t matter. Michael knew exactly how to fill in the blanks. “What? Love me?”

“Well… yeah.” Hilary lifted her eyes and looked ruefully at him. “I’m sorry, Mikey.”

Michael’s first response was a shrug. “I know she doesn’t feel the same way I feel,” he said, not without a hint of sadness. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t. And before you say anything else, I didn’t ask her to move out here because I’m hoping she’ll magically fall in love with me.”

“Then why did you ask her?”

“I asked her because…” Michael paused and heaved a dramatic sigh. “Because I know she needs to be with someone she can be herself with right now. Someone she doesn’t have to pretend to be strong for.” 

      Hilary looked at him with concern in her eyes, tinged with pity. “But Michael, you don’t have to be that someone, I’m sure Abbie’s got other friends who are perfectly capable of –“