The Undertaking of Adam Novak

by Sofie Hern

  “Yes?”

  “Hi, sis!”

  “Hi, Irene. How are you?”

  “I'm doing okay. Listen, what are you two doing for Thanksgiving?”

  “Nothing big, the Sorensen brothers are gathering at our house.”

  “Do you have room for one more?”

  “You mean… what about Jordyn?”

  “She's spending the day with her friend.”

  “Of course we have room for you!”

  “Thanks, Sis. Should I bring anything?”

  “We’ll have plenty of food. See you at four.”

  She puts her phone away and knows that Ken will make it better. He’ll know what to do. She will save her marriage one way or another.

  50

  ADAM

  My relief is instant. It’s like having a bad toothache and once you get the tooth removed you feel a thousand times better. That’s the feeling I have after telling Irene about the divorce.

  Our fights were constant and there was no communication. She hated my job because, according to her, it kept me from being there for her and the kids, but for me, work was a welcoming distraction.

  The one thing I hated about traveling was leaving the kids with her. I love Colin and Jordyn as my own children, but from a young age, Irene put limitations on our relationship. If I wanted to take them out anywhere she had to be present. It was confusing for me, for the kids too, because on one hand, she wanted me to be there for them; be a father, and on the other, she didn’t want me to get too close.

  Colin’s father has been in the picture from the start so he’s had that support, but Jordyn did not, and I made it my responsibility to be there for that girl no matter what Irene said. Thinking about this now, in hindsight, I don’t think they were an excuse for me not wanting to leave because I truly care about them and their wellbeing.

  Colin was four when I met his mom and I taught him how to ride a bicycle, how to shower and when he was older, how to drive. It was tough when he left for Colorado, especially for Jordyn. Irene told me that Colin had tired of my telling him what to do and so he left. We rarely speak now, but thinking about this I pull out my phone and call him.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Colin. It’s Adam.”

  “Hey man, what’s up?”

  “Not much… just want to wish you Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Thanks, man. How’s Aaron?”

  Jordyn told me that since Colin heard the news about the accident, he keeps asking her for updates.

  “There’s been no change for over a week now. Still in a coma.”

  There’s silence for a moment, then he says, “I hope he wakes up soon.”

  “And you? How’ve you been?”

  He takes a deep breath. “It’s been rough, you know, but I’m hanging in there.”

  “You know if you’re not happy where you are, you can always come home, right?”

  He snorts and says, “Yeah… Well, I have to go. Please give my best to Jake and Aaron.”

  I want to ask why the cold shoulder, but don’t. “I will. Take care, big guy.”

  I lean back on the chair and scrub at my face with both hands. Irene’s right. I’m so damn tired. Those dream infested nights are taking a toll.

  I start to doze off when Jaycob and Jordyn walk in and she comes to give me a hug.

  “Happy Thanksgiving!” she says. Her hair smells of strawberries and she’s wearing her trademark black.

  Jaycob puts his stuff on the sleeper chair: a copy of Ulysses, his laptop, crossword books, and a few snacks. He’s fully prepared for the long night ahead.

  “Did you sleep?” I ask him and he nods, then gives me a strange look as if I have something on my face. I rub at my stubble trying to find what it is. “What?”

  “It’s just…”

  “What is it, Jake?”

  “I got invited to this thing and… Well, I—”

  “Go, man. I’ll stay.”

  His face brightens. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, go. Have a good time.”

  “But…” He points his chin to Jordyn.

  “Jordyn, do you want to stay awhile?” I ask.

  “Can I?”

  I nod, then turn to Jaycob. “See you later. I'll call you if anything happens,” I promise and he nods, then gives me a hug and then goes to Aaron. “I'll be back soon,” he tells him and gives Jordyn a hug before leaving.

  Jordyn pulls a chair next to me and we sit side by side facing the bed. I worry about what will happen to her now that I’m gone, but I know for certain that I won’t stop being a father to her.

  “How are you, Jordyn?” I say after a moment.

  “Happy to be here with you guys.”

  I underestimated Jordyn and Jaycob. For a while, I saw them as fragile, weak and lost, but they are strong.

  Tianna loved Jordyn so much and they did things together, even though Irene tried her best to keep them apart. They were in constant contact and I want to believe that Jordyn has a bit of Tianna in her because at times she says things that Tianna used to say and does things the same way. I often see Tianna’s positivity in Jordyn, especially in times of hardship. I smile now because I know that Tianna’s memory will help Jordyn remain positive.

  Having her here in the room is always a treat, especially when she talks to Aaron. She reads to him and sometimes we watch a basketball game and she does play-by-play, for Aaron’s benefit, only for the both of us to end up in a fit of laughter, to the nurses’ disapproval.

  She’s always been a happy kid, curious about everything. She knows to come to me whenever she feels sad and we talk about whatever is bothering her then make cookies or milkshakes together.

  Irene lacks a lot of the elements that make a good mother. I remember how patient my mother was with us and I saw that in Tianna. Irene, however, lacks patience, especially when the kids are sick. I never saw her being sweet to them or loving or nurturing. She always yells at them, which led to endless arguments about her parenting skills. Her default response was always: “I’m the mother so I get to do whatever I want with them.”

  “What?” says Jordyn and I realize I’ve been staring at her forever. I smile and say, “I’m happy you’re here too.”

  51

  IRENE

  Jordyn called to let her mom know that she’s staying at the hospital with Adam for a while. Irene has lost her ability to use the kids as leverage, especially since Jordyn appears to have become close to Adam, something Irene spent years avoiding. She needs to find a way to keep Jordyn away from Adam and she needs it fast.

  –

  She arrives at Julia’s after three-thirty, rings the bell and Ken appears at the door.

  “Hey, you,” Irene greets him.

  Ken smiles and leans in to kiss her on the cheek, but Irene turns her head and their lips meet. Ken appears a bit nervous as he leads her into the living room. Their house is small but classy decorated—Ken sure has taste. There is no television in the living room; instead, they have a large entertainment center with a high tech stereo system playing Chopin at low volume. Two large sofas face each other in front of a large fireplace, a colorful rug in the middle and a long coffee table in the center. To the right is the dining room with a long table for eight, decorated for the occasion.

  The house smells of burning logs and pumpkin spice. Ken invites her to sit by the fire and she gets comfortable, putting her bag on the floor. He walks to a minibar in a corner of the dining room, which is too big for the small space, in Irene’s opinion. He pours two glasses of whiskey and brings them to the coffee table, then sits across from her.

  “Where's Julia?” says Irene, picking up her glass.

  “She's picking up our dinner.”

  “Didn’t she cook?”

  “Are you kidding?” He laughs. “I'm not letting her ruin my dinner.”

  Irene laughs along.

  Ken leans back on the sofa; one leg crossed over his knee and says, “So. How’ve you be
en?”

  Irene ignores this, gets to her feet and goes to sit by his side. Shifting on the sofa, she turns and kisses him, long and deep. Ken reciprocates, still holding his drink. He digs his fingers in her hair, which she let loose after the hospital visit. The kiss intensifies and their breathing becomes heavy. Ken manages to put his drink down on the table then takes her face in his hands and pulls her for another kiss.

  Earlier, when Adam touched her face, she felt that she would melt; now she feels nothing and for a moment imagines that Adam is kissing her and her heart flutters. Ken isn’t bad looking. Though shorter than Adam; he’s still taller than she is. Still, he’s no Adam. Adam’s facial features are incomparable as is his physique.

  Irene pulls back and gets on her knees. She unzips his pants, exposing him. He becomes hard instantly. Irene takes him in her mouth and his breath catches. She strokes the length of him and he places his hands on her head, dictating rhythm. His breathing quickens and they hear a car pulling in the driveway. Irene stops and Ken jumps to his feet and disappears into the hallway. Irene wipes at her mouth and fixes her hair. Smiling, she goes to get the door.

  –

  Julia is unloading groceries from the car and Irene goes to help and greets Julia with a hug. Moments later, Ken emerges from the house and glances at Irene, giving her a sly smile then helps carry their dinner inside.

  –

  Irene goes through the dining room and into the kitchen. She puts the groceries on the table and Julia follows with Ken right behind her. The doorbell rings and Ken goes to answer it as Julia and Irene proceed to get dinner set. The kitchen instantly fills with the smell of roast turkey and stuffing.

  “So, how have you been?” Irene asks Julia, as they place food on platters.

  “It's been a tough week. Ken was gone and...” She stops, glances to the door and whispers, “I think he’s cheating on me.”

  Irene’s eyes go wide. “Why do you say that?”

  Julia shrugs. “It’s a feeling. One of those things, do you know what I mean?”

  They continue to take food from the big box. “I doubt that,” says Irene. “He loves you so much.”

  “Thanks, sis. I’m probably overreacting. There’s so much going on.”

  Ken walks in and takes two beers from the refrigerator. “Eugene and his friend are here,” he announces.

  Julia frowns and follows him out of the kitchen to greet their guests. She returns moments later and they carry the food to the dining room. Irene takes the mashed potatoes, then goes back to the kitchen with Julia.

  “And how are you?” Julia asks.

  “Having a bad day. Adam, he… he asked for a divorce.”

  Now it’s Julia’s turn to look shocked. Her eyes widen and her mouth hangs open. “What happened? I thought you guys were good?”

  “He says he needs to be with… the boy.”

  “I'm so sorry.”

  Irene says nothing. She places a few dinner rolls in a basket and covers them with a dish towel.

  “So you did all that for nothing?”

  This gets Irene’s attention and is face to face with her sister-in-law, holding the small basket. “We,” she hisses. “We did all that. Don’t you forget it.”

  Julia gives a slow nod and Irene can see the fear in her eyes. Irene stares at Julia for a long moment before taking the basket to the dining room, bumping Julia with her shoulder. She stops at the threshold and turns to look at her. “I won't give up, though,” she says and smiles.

  –

  Their final guests arrive, Ralph and Poole, and they greet Irene. Ken goes to the kitchen to get more beer and Irene follows.

  “Maybe later we can finish what we started,” she tells him with a sheepish look.

  Ken smiles and pops open the beer. Irene approaches as he stands in front of the refrigerator, two beers in one hand. She has one arm behind her back and places the other on his chest, walking two fingers up to his neck, then takes one step closer to whisper in his ear. “I need your help.”

  Ken steps away with a smile and when he says nothing she continues. “I need to get rid of the boy.”

  Ken chuckles. “I'm done with this shit.”

  “But—”

  He takes her by the wrist, twisting hard. “This is your fuck up. What the fuck did you think was gonna happen getting that asshole involved? Huh?”

  “How did you—”

  “What? You thought I wasn’t going to find out? You couldn’t just leave it alone, could you? What the fuck has the kid done to you? Fucking idiot.” He presses his finger to her temple. “I swear Irene if this comes to bite you in the ass you better keep your goddamn mouth shut about Tianna. Don’t fuck with me.”

  She doesn’t know what to say.

  “You fucked up, you fix it,” he says, pressing a finger to her chest and walks out of the kitchen.

  “Levy,” she whispers. “That fucking asshole ratted me out.” She’d been counting on Ken for help. Now what?

  52

  ADAM

  While Jordyn uses my laptop to watch movies, I manage a quick nap on the sleeper chair. Nurse Beth talked with Jordyn for a while and explained to her what the function of each machine is and how they help Aaron.

  I stretch my tight muscles, feeling much better after the nap. It’s nearly six in the evening and I’m starting to get hungry. Jordyn is sitting on the chair next to the bed with her legs folded under her, reading a book and looks up at me.

  “Good morning!” she says and smiles.

  “Sorry, I conked.”

  “No worries. I kept an eye on Aaron for ya.”

  “No Jaycob?”

  “Nope.”

  I go to Aaron and take his hand. “Aaron… buddy, wake up now. Come on. Enough sleep.”

  No reaction.

  With a sigh, I turn to Jordyn and ask if she’s hungry.

  “Starving!”

  “Let’s go eat.”

  I let Ruth—my new favorite nurse—know that we’ll be in the cafeteria for a little while and walk out of the double doors and into the elevator.

  –

  The first floor is abuzz. I’ve not seen it this busy the entire time Aaron has been here. Visitors and patients crowd the floor. Some are sitting in waiting areas while others roam.

  We make our way to the cafeteria and the smell of roast turkey and apple pie. People are queuing in to get food and Jordyn and I take a tray and join at the back of the line. I ask for sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and string beans.

  “Happy Thanksgiving!” says the happy woman behind the counter with a warm smile. Jordyn gets honey ham—not much of a turkey fan—mashed potatoes and steamed corn with two dinner rolls.

  The cafeteria has the feel of a food court at a mall; a few patients are enjoying dinner with their families while others eat alone.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart,” I say, toasting with a plastic bottle of sweet tea and she does the same with her soda.

  “Have you talked to Colin?” I say after a beat.

  “We've been talking a lot lately.”

  “That’s great news!”

  “He says he can’t wait for me to move to Colorado. I’m really excited.”

  “That’s very good to hear.”

  “You and mom are done, huh?”

  This is unexpected. I swallow hard, nod and say, “It's time.”

  “I agree.”

  I look at her for a moment and take a forkful of string beans, which taste delicious. “Jordyn, let me ask you something.”

  She looks at me with a knitted brow.

  “Tell me honestly about how your mom is doing.”

  “Sometimes she’s okay, you know? She cleans the house and all that, but other times she’s really angry for no reason.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jordyn.”

  “Nah, it’s cool. She's just jealous and angry that you left. She's convinced you’re coming back,” she says, biting on the last of her ham.

  I p
ush my tray away and place my elbows on the table. “I'm going to divorce your mom.”

  Jordyn doesn’t look shocked and I search her face, which gave away nothing.

  “It's for the best,” she says finally.

  “I want you to know that it won’t change a thing between us, okay? Me and you? I'll still give you what you need and be here for you. Always.”

  She smiles. “Thanks, Adam.”

  “And,” I add, “I'm going to adopt Aaron.”

  “Really?” Her smile is huge and beautiful. “That's awesome!” She gives me a high five. “You're a great dad, Adam,” she says and blushes.

  She’s grown up so fast and started wearing makeup a few months back, which makes her look much older. Three months ago, she came home with her nose pierced, sporting a silver ring and Irene was not happy.

  I knew Jordyn was trying to find her identity as we all do at that age, exploring her individuality. Although I tried talking to Irene, tried to show her that it was Jordyn’s way of finding herself—a phase—Irene was furious. “You’re not her father!” she’d said. I talked to Jordyn that day and we reached middle ground; she’d get rid of the ring and instead dyed her hair black with purple.

  “Why did you ask me about mom?” she says as we walk back to the elevators.

  “I want to make sure that you two are okay.”

  “She scares me sometimes.”

  “Why?”

  “Her mood swings.”

  I hear the sadness in her voice and wish that I can keep her with me, but I know Irene will never let that happen.

  “I hope it gets better,” I tell her.

  53

  ADAM

  “He's awake!”

  Jordyn’s cheering wakes me and for a moment I’m not sure what’s going on. I look up to find a commotion in the room with doctors and nurse surrounding Aaron's bed. Jordyn steps back, following their instructions and I go to the bed where Aaron’s eyes search the room.

  “Do you remember your name?” Dr. Jian asks but Aaron doesn’t answer.