“I think that was good. You needed him here.”
He nodded as he started the engine. “I don’t normally let myself get that angry anymore, but I could have lost—” He inhaled deeply through his nose. “We just figured this out. I can’t lose you when we just figured this out.”
“You’re not going to lose me,” I promised, and I was reminded, in that moment, of what Aruna had said to me years ago. Along with the occasional roaring, when you were responsible for the heart of a lion, you had to make sure you protected it as well as the lion protected you. And one way to do that, it occurred to me, would be to remove one worry from the equation. I took a deep breath and said, “The doctor you suggested I see, George’s guy, the psychiatrist…I want to talk to him. If I like him, I might see him on a regular basis. At least for a while.”
Eli turned to look at me before he pulled out into the street. “That’s a great idea.”
I smiled at him as he made the turn. “And also, how about we call your mother on the ship when we get home?”
He beamed. “Man, she’s going to be so happy. She loves you more than me at this point.”
I chuckled. “At this point? Please, she’s been telling me I’m her favorite for years.”
“What?”
“It’s because I listen to her.”
“I listen to her,” Eli said defensively. “I mean, I try and lis—”
“And I clean my plate.”
“That’s not fair. She always gives you way less than—”
“And I give her thoughtful gifts, even though I don’t make as much money as you.”
“I—I’m getting much better at—”
“We go to the movies together, we bird-watch together, and—”
“I hate birds. I hate all the fluttering. It’s creepy.”
“And I never miss services with her.”
“Hey, that’s a low blow.”
I shrugged playfully, but then I had a sobering thought.
Eli never missed anything when it came to me. He knew every expression that crossed my face. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s one thing to love me on my own. It’s another to love me for you.”
“No.”
“Yes. Come on, Eli, you’re her only son, and we both know she loves you more than anything in the world. She left her home in San Francisco to move here to be with you when you came to be a marshal in Chicago.”
“I’m aware.”
“I just—I hope she’s not upset or disappointed. That would kill me.”
“I promise you, she’ll be thrilled.”
And an hour later, Eli was proven right because she was over the moon.
“I knew it was going to be you, my darling,” she told me, smiling warmly. “The moment I met you, I knew you were the one. I’ve never seen my son love anyone before. It was only a matter of time.”
I was so relieved and happy, and I cried a bit because we were on FaceTime, so I could see the love in her eyes.
Eli looked so much like her, and he was lucky. He got her amazing cheekbones and dark eyes, long lashes and expressive brows. She also gave him all his thick, wavy hair, hers still just as gorgeous as it was in pictures from high school, only the color having changed.