Aunt Janet kissed Henri on the cheek. “This weekend things will be better.”
“Yes. This weekend we will be one step closer to fixing Henri.” Dr. Wilder smiled along with Aunt Janet.
Henri smiled, staring off. He promised Maven he would take her to the Hop. He wasn’t about to disappoint her. It meant a lot to her. It was something she was looking forward to. He would go to the ball and be back before morning. And then the doctors could have at it.
“You won’t say anything to Maven right?” He asked Dr. Wilder.
Dr. Wilder shook her head very quickly. “Of course not. Anything that happens in here is between you and I. Doctor’s oath, Henri.”
Henri hopped down from the table. As soon as he hit the hallway he was bum-rushed by his father, his arms crushing him as he squeezed the life out of him.
“I got on the first flight out here, dude!” His dad exclaimed, he let him go, but then grabbed him by the shoulders nearly shaking the life out of him.
Aunt Janet slapped his father in the arm. “Stop shaking Henri, he is still unwell Doug.” They embraced. Henri stood back watching. It had been some time since he saw his father—if that was what you would call a guy who left his mother to “explore” the world (and nearly every twenty-something waitress he ran into) as he put it. There was no rhyme or reason behind his departure. He just took off six months after Henri did.
Henri crossed his arms, his gaze falling on his mother now. She gave a wave from behind the chaos, a purse in one hand, a gift in the other. She let both fall on the floor as soon as she could get to him.
“I missed you, Henri,” she said, squeezing him lightly. Henri rolled his eyes, lifting her off the ground in an attempt to give her the best hug he could muster.
“I missed you too, ma.”
She smiled, tears in her eyes, unlike Henri she wasn’t afraid to share her emotions for the entire world to see. Crying was better left for behind closed doors, that was his father’s motto. Henri wiped her eyes with the back of his hand. “Stop crying. You’re supposed to be happy.”
UNSURE
BURSTS OF SUNRAYS spilled through the sheer curtains of Maven’s bedroom, making a large spotlight of warmth at the end of her bed.
She was perched in that exact spot. Her phone beside her, filing down her nails, trying to prepare for the day.
Summer wasn’t exactly how she would have wanted it to go. It had been a couple days since she saw Henri in person and a couple since she kissed Jake Summit for the last time.
Today was the Hop, the big dance the entire town of Portwood looked forward to attending. She glanced at her dress hanging on the hook by her dresser. She wasn’t that excited anymore.
Before she could ponder it any further her phone chirped.
Hey beautiful. Henri said via text message.
Maven rested her file on the bed delicately lifting the phone.
Hi, Henri. How are you? She missed him.
It only took a couple seconds before he replied back.
Good. My family came for a visit. My dad is even here. How weird is that?
Maven stood up, walking across her bedroom floor, staring at his response. She was afraid to ask why the sudden surge of relatives. She also knew how Henri felt about his father. They weren’t close after he left his mother.
Pretty weird. She texted back, opening her closet. She plucked a white dress from its hanger and slipped it on, sitting down on the stool of her vanity to slip her sandals on her feet.
I could use an escape. You want to take a walk or something?
Maven smiled. She couldn’t see how a walk could get them into any trouble with Jake. It would be pleasant and give her a moment to see Henri and explain herself to him. She knew she owed it to Henri to explain why she had been acting so strange lately.
I will be ready in five minutes. See you soon.
Henri pocketed his phone as another round of laughter shook the kitchen. His parents and family all gathered around the table eating an enormous assortment of breakfast foods. Everyone was on cloud nine after the news of Henri’s upcoming surgery, but even with good news, Henri didn’t have an appetite. He poked at the pancakes and hash browns on his plate making sure to keep a grin plastered on his face at all times.
Henri stood up. Everyone’s eyes fell on him, their conversations ending quickly. Every move he made seemed to invoke some sort of hushed silence in the house.
“Where you heading off to?” Flynn asked. “Are you meeting up with blondie?”
Henri sighed. His mother perked up even more at the utterance of a female in Henri’s life.
“Blondie?” She looked between Flynn and Henri.
Henri’s father leaned back in his seat a pleased grin on his face. “Thatta boy.”
“Why would you say that?” His mom asked. She glued her callous stare on his father. Henri knew what was coming next. “Have a little decency, Doug.”
“He’s a grown man, what would you rather me be doing, scolding him and sending him to his room for liking a girl?” They both stared at one another, daring each other to say anything else. His parents were like those knights back in the old days, jousting each other from horses at a high rate of speed.
“Her name is Maven. And that’s all I care to discuss with anyone. I’m sure Aunt Janet would be willing to fill you in.” He pulled his chirping phone from his pocket. “That’s her now and I’m late.”
His father stood. “Invite her over. We want to meet her.”
His mother sat back in her chair. She lifted her orange juice, refusing to agree with her ex-husband although she felt the same way.
Henri shook his head, looking down at his phone.
I’m outside your house, and you’re in trouble.
He winced at the sound of the doorbell. His father was already heading to the door to see what girl was willing to pay him attention.
Henri groaned.
Maven was a bit surprised to see an unfamiliar man answering the door to Henri’s house. But she knew the minute she looked at him that he was Henri’s father. It was the smile. The same big smile that was a tad crooked and reached his eyes and made them turn into little slits—just as attractive as his son.
He waved a hand, and then accepted hers. His skin warm and his nails perfectly manicured.
“I’m Doug Levitt.” He opened the door wider letting her in. “Henri was just telling us about you.”
Maven pushed some hair behind her ear. “Really?”
He nodded dramatically. “Oh yeah, but he left out the part about just how beautiful you were.”
Henri rounded the corner in time to see his father’s pathetic flattery pan out. He wasn’t one of those creepy older men, he just was too complimentary.
“Hey,” he said to Maven, running a hand through his hair. “I would have got out of here sooner, but as you can see...” He nodded toward his dad.
“Are you hungry, Maven?” His father asked, ignoring Henri’s attempt at taking off.
“No, I already ate, but thank you for asking.” She smiled warmly.
“Darn.” His dad looked between the two of them. “So what are the plans for the day?”
Henri grabbed Maven by the arm before she could answer and practically shoved her up the stairs. She looked back at Henri’s father and gave an apologetic wave. He waved back, shaking his head as he went back into the kitchen with the rest of the family.