Chapater 116 To California
Emily emerged from the room feeling completely exhausted. “He’s asleep.”
Sylvia was pouring herself a stiff drink, having only eaten a slice of pizza. “Teddy has something to do with this, I’m almost sure of it.” She sighed deeply. “I thought seeing his father would be good for him… Obviously, that didn’t work out.”
“Do you know where he lives?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, a farm somewhere in California. He has a website and everything. Why?”
Emily was beginning to come up with a plan. She needed to see Teddy in person, maybe even convince him to come back to Vancouver. If only he could talk to Byron, they would resolve their differences like they did once before.
“I wonder if you could take care of Byron for a couple of days…”
“You’re going to see my ex-husband?” Sylvia asked in disbelief.
“I feel like something is missing,” Emily said. “Some piece of information. I don’t think Byron has talked to Teddy recently, or if he has, he hasn’t told me what was said. Maybe if I can get them to talk again…”
“I don’t know… If Teddy was the one who caused this, isn’t it better for him to stay away?”
“No, there’s something here that needs to be resolved,” Emily insisted. “Byron needs to know that his father cares about him.”
“And you think he does?” Sylvia looked very doubtful, or maybe it was just the bitter taste of the alcohol making her grimace.
“I was so sure of it. At least if I go over there, I’ll find out the truth.”
“You may have a point,” Sylvia said, “Byron couldn’t get any worse, so I suppose anything is worth trying. I can take care of him while you’re away.”
“Right. I’m going to book a flight.”
Emily decided to do it without overthinking the issue. Perhaps she was underthinking it, but she was desperate. Each day, Byron’s state of health was getting worse. He didn’t even bother to get out of bed or get dressed most of the time, and he missed an appointment with his therapist. Although Emily tried to persuade him to go, he wouldn’t hear of it.
Even if the flight was a waste of money and the two days away from home a waste of time, Emily felt she had to do it. She told Byron that she was going away on a business trip. He acknowledged what she said, but Emily wasn’t sure he was really even listening, lost in his own world of sorrow.
She could barely make it through the next two days, always distracted at work, and she was relieved when the morning of her flight finally arrived. She could have asked Byron’s personal pilot to give her a lift, but she did not want anyone to ask questions about where she was going and why, so she got on a regular commercial flight.
Emily had a window seat on the plane, and she watched the green, mountainous landscape of western Canada change to a hilly contour, with patches of yellowish desert appearing here and there. After a couple of hours, sprawling neighborhoods spread out below as far as the eye could see. Some clusters of houses arranged in symmetry, others in what looked like total chaos and randomness seemed to reflect the lives of different people within them. Why were some blessed with perfect families while others struggled to understand what it was like to have a loving father?
The plane landed in San Francisco, but Emily had quite a ways to go.
“Are you here for business or pleasure?” the customs agent, a serious and stern young lady asked at the airport.
“Business,” Emily said. She knew it was better to be precise when dealing with border agents, and this trip, although it involved family, felt more like a mission than a social visit.
Emily rented a car at the airport and drove north to the area near Mendocino, where Teddy’s farm awaited. The closer she got, the more determined she was to convince Byron’s father to help. After all, if he hadn’t been such a deadbeat in his early years, none of this would have happened.
It was late afternoon when she found the farm. The house, a medium-sized bungalow painted a cheerful shade of green, looked well taken care of and welcoming. Rows of broccoli and other vegetables grew around the house and barns. Farther off, grape vines and walnut trees stood in orderly ranks.
Emily had tried to call, but Teddy never answered his phone lately, so she had no idea what kind of reception she was get. She gathered up her courage, determined to speak her mind. She knocked loudly…
After an agonizing wait that seemed to take forever, a teenage boy with dark, wavy hair and sun-bronzed skin answered the door.
“Hi,” Emily said, “I’m here to see Teddy. I’m Emily, his son’s fiancée.”
The teenager smiled, pleasantly surprised. “Wow! I must be a very lucky guy. Although I don’t recall ever meeting you before…”
Emily was dumbfounded for a moment, but then she burst out laughing. “I can see why you might be confused. I mean his other son, Byron. You know of him, right? I hope I haven’t just spilled a well-guarded family secret.”
“Yeah, we know about Byron. Our dad is always telling us how awesome and successful he is.”
Emily breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, that sounds like a pain in the neck.”
“It’s okay.” The kid flashed a charming smile. “I know my dad’s proud of me too, even though I’m not yet a billionaire at seventeen. But before I tell you my whole life’s story, maybe you’d like to come in?”
