“I can see that, but why?”
"We're having dinner, Ella. What a silly question!" She giggled like a little girl who had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"What's going on here? You're yet to tell me where my father is. Look, his text made me really worried. Is he not at home? Where did he go?"
"Ella, let's all sit down for a second.”
Mr. Garner and I were already sitting down, so her invitation was pointless. Still, I waited, hopeful that this meant I would get some answers.
“Ella, you did not know, but your father has been a bit more lonely and withdrawn over the past month or so, and then something happened,” she began shakily."What does that mean? What happened?"
"It means that we – Mr. Garner and I – sent you that message to come home. We are also not sure that you are prepared to take this news."
The words came to me just as if someone had dropped an icicle down my shirt. I felt a cold rush from my spine and through my body. My hands and the tips of my fingers started vibrating, and my skin tingled.
I had known something was wrong. And I had known all along.
A rush of emotions buzzed through me, and I did not know which one to choose. Was I shocked that they were hiding something? Of course. Angry? You bet. Upset? Even more so. But more than all of these, I was curious to know what they were up to.
"I... don't understand. You sent me that message? Why would you do that?"
"Well...Do you remember our advice that you shouldn't leave your father alone in Coldport? Do you remember how we begged you to choose another plan other than going to New York?"
I felt my cheeks burning again at the nasty things I heard from them. We had been through this before — when I was leaving town years ago. It had caused a friction between me and the Garners and that was the last time we had a conversation, until today.
"I remember you telling me to go work at the sardine factory! Because that's where Dad worked, and you thought I had a real future there! And then, two years after I got into college, the factory closed, and everyone was laid off. Including my Dad! So, I suppose you were not right, were you?"
"Ella, that's not the point. We didn't mean to hurt you, we just thought someone should be around to look after your dad."
She waved her arms around as if to indicate that she had a point.
"Well, you did hurt me. How can you say that? Dad's job at the sardine factory never got him anywhere, nor Mr. Garner for that matter, so how is that logic working out for you? I pursued my dreams, and yeah, it didn’t work out as planned, but I haven’t given up yet. I’m going to start over, this time with a proper plan, and Maia and I will make it work."
I raised my voice, and Mr. Garner gave me a sad look.
"Listen, young lady," he interjected, "both you and your father are dear to us. We just want the best for both of you."
I was getting agitated now. "Would you have wanted me to stay here in Coldport living in my father's good graces? That wasn’t what he wanted for me. He told me to pursue my dreams no matter the cost. If anything, he should be the one lecturing me if this is how he feels. Out of interest, where is he? "
I frowned. I could see the discomfort from the Garners and I didn’t know why they would reopen this can of worms.
"No, Ella, it’s not like that. We want to let you know that your father is a little unwell."
"Umm... alright?" I spread my arms out. "I know his health hasn’t been great this last year or so, but he told me he was managing."
They looked at each other, and Mr. Garner nodded at her husband to talk.
"Ella, I wasn’t sure how you’d react to this, but honey, while your dad and I were talking about the business in town, he… he held on to his chest and slumped. He had a heart attack."
Mrs. Garner nodded. “We were scared and your dad didn’t want to scare you, so we sent you the message from his phone. We don’t know how to handle this now that you’re here. We wanted to protect you. I know you tend to be a bit erratic-”
I felt anger and pain boil in me. “Erratic?”
For the first time, the room went entirely silent. So silent that I could hear the buzzing of the TV and the other electronics plugged in. I could tell from their serious expressions that this was not a joke. They had actually hidden the fact that my father had a heart attack from me until now.
They might have thought they were doing me a favor. But they couldn't be more wrong. They should've told me this from the start.
"What...?" That was all I could bring myself to say. My voice came out raggedy and raspy as if I had not said a word in months.