Part 13

The next morning Ella was up making coffee before I woke up. It was unusual for her to get up before me, as she always liked lounging in bed a bit. But we’d been having a rough patch after the whole blow up about Mike. I suppose it was bound to happen every now and again, those two would never mix well and I’d always be in the middle.

“Mornin,” I said.

“Coffee?”

“Hmm.” She brought me a mug. It was a little cold, so it must have been waiting for me awhile. “Thanks.”

“Welcome.” It was these odd awkward silences that bothered me. The key to our relationship had always been that we never had awkward silences. I don’t mean we talked all the time, but it was never awkward when we didn’t.

“I’ve been thinking.” She said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, about Mike.”

I groaned. “Look, I know that you don’t really like him and all but…”

“No, nothing like that. I want him to come home for dinner sometime, like we used to.”

“He doesn’t want to go out with us El, we already tried.”

“Not out, and not a setup or anything. I want him to come here, just for dinner. I have a friend I want to have over and it’d be easier if you had a friend too. And she’s just off a bad breakup and they wouldn’t be a good couple or anything. I know he’s not looking and neither is she. Just a dinner party, just to have him over.”

“Not a setup, eh?”

“I wouldn’t set up Mike for a rebound, you know that.” It was true; when Ella tried to get people together she swung for the fences.

“I’ll ask him.” I said.

“No, that’s not good enough. You tell him Will, he’ll do what you say, always has. You’ve been right, I’ve probably been hard on him, maybe a little insensitive.”

“You’ve never been insensitive to anyone in your life.”

“You were right about him needing to move on at his own pace. I still don’t think he will unless someone pushes him, but that’s not really up to me, is it?”

“Neither of us.”

“But he’s a big part of your life, and he used to be part of mine too. I miss Margot and Sarah, and Mike’s all we have left of them. He’s family Will, yours and mine. He should still come over. We should make a habit of it.”

“Okay, we’ll set it up sometime.”

“This weekend, Sylvia’s coming Saturday.”

“Whose Sylvia?”

“Just a new girl at work, she’s nice but new to town. Left some guy back East somewhere, so I’m really not trying to set him up, Will.”

“Okay, Saturday. I’ll tell him. He should be free.”

“Well, he doesn’t work, what could he possibly be doing?”

“He’s got his own life El, I don’t know. But I’ll tell him it’s important.”

“I don’t want him to hate me.” She said.

“He doesn’t hate you, never has never could. You two just… don’t mix I guess. You’re very different from each other.”

“But we have you in common.”

“Well, there’s that.” And I had to smile. This is the first conversation that felt easy in awhile. “I’ll call him later from the office, I doubt he’s up yet.”

“You’ll talk to him today?”

“Promise.”

“Thanks.”

“Any time babe,” I said. “Big plans today?”

“I have to interview with the department head about that maternity position today, but it should be fine. We’ve known each other a long time.”

“That’s great, right?”

“I think so. I better get ready, you need the shower?”

“Go first, I don’t have any early clients today.”

“Okay, thanks hon.”

“Yep.”

And she walked back to the bedroom, leaving me alone with my cold cup of coffee. I didn’t really know whether I should be happy or worried about her wanting to take a more active role with Mike. He’d rather just be left alone, but it’d be easier on me if they had a more cordial relationship.

As soon as I got to work I called Mike.

“Hey Mike, it’s Will.”

“Kinda early, isn’t it?”

“Sorry, but I have to ask you a question. You busy Saturday?”

“Depends, why?”

“You’re coming over for dinner.” I tried to say casually.

“C’mon Will, we’ve been over this.”

“Look, Ella’s been busting my balls about you lately so I need you to come over. She’s having a friend over but it’s not a matchmaker thing. Apparently it’s just some new girl in the hospital, so she doesn’t want her to feel like a third wheel or something.”

“Sure, that doesn’t sound like a setup at all,” Mike said.

“She’s always upfront about that stuff, you know that.”

“I do?”

“Look, you’re coming over on Saturday for dinner, no big deal. Just help me out man, it’s not like we’re going out on the town or anything. Just at the house.”

“Fine, whatever. Can I go back to sleep now?”

“Sure bud, I’ll see you Saturday.”

He grunted and hung up. Can’t say I knew what to expect on Saturday, but it was going to be interesting.