My breath caught.
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll explain tomorrow.”
“No. Explain now.”
Another pause.
“My father had a stroke last week.”
All my frustration disappeared.
“Oh, Adrian.”
“He’s stable. He’s recovering. My sister is with him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know.”
But I did.
Because he was frightened.
Because frightened Adrian did what frightened Julia did.
He became useful.
He handled things.
He disappeared behind responsibility.
Daniel had seen it eight years earlier.
“So London isn’t about the company,” I said.
“Not entirely.”
“Your father wants to go?”
“He wants me to take over several European operations personally.”
“Do you?”
“I don’t know.”
There was that sentence again.
I sat quietly.
Then I said, “You’re allowed not to know.”
He exhaled.
“I’m discovering that.”
“Come over.”
“Julia—”
“Not for a serious relationship conversation. Not to make decisions. Mia is asleep. I have leftover pasta. Come sit on my sofa and be a person who doesn’t know what to do.”
