Trygve suggested a game of Monopoly then, and the young people played ardently, wheeling and dealing and cheating when they could, squealing with amusement and amassing paper fortunes, while Page and Trygve quietly went upstairs to sit in his study. He put his arms around her there, and kissed her as he'd been longing to all afternoon. He was aching to spend more time with her, to have her spend the night with him, to go away with him. There were a thousand things he wanted to do with her. But he knew it was too soon. He knew Page couldn't leave Allyson right now, and he had his own hands full with his children.
“Do you suppose we'll ever get any time away from them?” he asked with a rueful grin as he held her. “Maybe even for a weekend?”
“It would be nice, wouldn't it?” she dreamed. She liked the idea of Lake Tahoe with him too, but she just didn't feel right leaving Allie. Spending her days at the ICU was her whole life now. She felt badly for Andy too, there was so much she wanted to do with him, that he needed now that Brad was gone, but Allie came first. That was just the way it was for the moment. They all had to wait their turn, including Page herself, and they knew it.
She hated to leave Trygve that night. She loved spending time with him, and the days when they meshed their families were particularly happy. Andy looked a lot happier than he had the night before when she had put him to bed, and he stared at her with a silent question.
“What's up? Did you have a good time today?” she asked on the way home.
“A great time. Chloe beat us at Monopoly, but she cheated. Bjorn says she always does.” Andy grinned. “So does Allie.” Page smiled at the mention of her. It would have been so nice to see her playing Monopoly. So nice if she could have.
“Bjorn says his dad likes you,” Andy said, looking noncommittal.
“What makes him say that?” She didn't comment one way or the other, but her heart was pounding faster as she watched Andy's face. She wanted him to like him. Just as Brad wanted him to like Stephanie, but he didn't.
“He just does. He says he's watched you guys a lot, he thinks you're really nice, and he says his dad says you're really pretty and fun to be with. He says you kissed him once, on the lips. Did you?” It was not an accusation, it was more a question. After the shock of Stephanie the day before, this was a whole new world for him, and he was examining the landscape. But it was a whole new world for her too, and she wasn't sure how much to tell him. Just exactly how much of the truth did she owe him?
“Maybe when I said good-bye to him, something like that. But yes, I like him.”
“Like …, like Dad?”
“No. I don't like him as well. But like a friend, like a very good friend. He's been wonderful to me while Allie's been sick.” Andy nodded. He didn't disagree. He just hadn't thought about him that way.
“I like him too …and I like Bjorn …but I like Daddy better.”
“Your daddy will always be your daddy. Nothing's ever going to change that.”
“Are you and Dad going to get divorced?” he asked worriedly. That really would mean it was all over. A lot of his friends' parents had gotten divorced, and some of them had remarried. He knew what that meant.
“I don't know.” In the month that he'd been gone, neither of them had called a lawyer. Brad had asked her to, and Stephanie was pushing him, but Page just couldn't bring herself to do it. Trygve had offered her the name of his, but she kept saying she was too busy to call. But she knew that one of these days, she'd have to.
Brad reminded her of it too the next time she saw him at the hospital. He came by one afternoon, he hadn't seen Allie in a week, and when she looked up, Page was suddenly startled to see him.
“Hi, how are you?” she said uncomfortably, trying to pretend she didn't feel awkward.
“Fine.” He smiled down at her, looking better than ever. He was an awesome looking man, sometimes she let herself forget that. “How's Al-lie?”
“Not much change. But she's still moving and making little sounds. It's hard to know what it means.” But the scans showed movement when Page said her name, she wanted to believe that that meant something too. But who knew? She was still sleeping, and the respirator still kept her breathing.
He stayed for as long as he could. Five minutes was his limit, and then he asked her to come out in the hall of the ICU and talk to him for a minute.
“You're looking good,” he said, watching her closely. She looked less tortured than she had, and happier, but there was still something sad in her eyes when he saw her. He wasn't sure if it was because of Allyson, or him, and a part of him still wanted to take her in his arms, and hold her, but he knew he couldn't. Besides, Stephanie would have killed him if she knew. She was ferocious with him, she said she wouldn't put up with any cheating on his part, not even once. She wasn't Page, in a lot of ways, and sometimes Brad really missed her. “Are you okay?”
“Hanging in there.” She was happy with Trygve, and hopeful with Allyson, but life wasn't what it had once been, with Allyson still so sick, and a divorce to be gotten through, and it made her sad when she saw him. Her life was reduced to such a small scale now. Hospital and home, and an occasional dinner with Trygve. There were no horizons to look toward anymore, except the constant hope that Allie would come out of her coma.
“I wanted to talk to you, and I haven't had time to phone. I think it's time to call our lawyers.” He said it apologetically and he felt like a total bastard when he saw the look in her eyes. She looked like Andy.
“You're right,” she agreed. But she hated to do it. It was the final death knoll to their marriage.
“There's no point hanging on. It's just painful for us, and I think it creates false hope for Andy. I think he'll adjust better if he knows this is it. And maybe we will too, who knows? You have a right to more than this too, you know,” he reminded her, and she nodded, not disagreeing with him. She had a right to a family, and Allie whole again, and a husband. She had a right to a lot of things. But whether or not she got them was another story.
“You're sure,” she asked quietly. “About the divorce I mean.” He nodded, and she inclined her head. She understood. She accepted it. It was over.
He wanted to marry Stephanie, to start a new life with her, and maybe this time, do it better.
“It's time,” he said sadly. “Do you have someone to call?”
“I have a name, but I haven't bothered to call him. I didn't realize you were this anxious.” There was an edge to her voice as she said it. And she was suddenly angry that he had come to tell her this here. Everything terrible had happened to her in this hospital …but good things had too …there was Trygve …
“We'll be divorced by the end of the year,” Brad said soberly, as Page mulled it over in silence. “Probably before Christmas.” Stephanie wanted to get married on Christmas Eve, if the divorce came through in time, and it might just, if they hurried.
“I can think of other things I'd rather put on my Christmas list,” she said ruefully. And then she looked up at him and took a deep breath. “I'll call the attorney in the morning.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He hesitated for a moment then, as though he wanted to say more, but wasn't sure how to do it. “I'm sorry, Page …”
“Yeah, so am I.” She touched his hand, and she went back to the ICU again. But Allie didn't stir all day, not even one little moan or rustle. It was as though she knew her mother was depressed, and she was leaving her alone. Page just sat there all day and watched her. And that night, when she put Andy to bed, she didn't even call Trygve. She needed one last moment to mourn for Brad before she moved ahead into the future.