Look to the Rainbow (6 page)

     Their marriage hadn’t failed or turned into a disaster because of her faults. They genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and were happy to spend time in the other’s presence. She learned to appreciate polo and enjoy it, he became well versed in discussing the art world in which she became quite successful. They both loved taking the sailboat out and wandering down the streets of Annapolis, which Evan considered to be his hometown, or taking in a museum in DC. As their relationship with the O’Briens grew, they found friendships that didn’t exclude either one of them. And ironic as it might seem, many of the best conversations they had took place in their bedroom, whether as they read the Sunday paper there, or were drifting off to sleep after keeping up with their busy careers. They were affectionate with each other, it was a partnership, a deep friendship. The one thing it lacked was the deep physical passion Evan never gave up hoping for, and children, which he’d have liked and she had never wanted. She worked around the children by volunteering to ‘borrow’ the O’Brien offspring often.

     Evan had, in deep sleep, let her go and rolled over on his side. She looked at him in the moonlight and wished could find a way to be everything he wanted and needed. As she fell asleep she promised herself, as she always did, that the next time he asked, she would.

Chapter Six

     Tara watched from a slight distance as Kel worked a crowd in downtown Baltimore. She thought it must get exhausting to shake so many hands and speak to so many people day after day, but he smiled as moved through the throng that surrounded him and took the time to speak to each and every person he shook hands with. It seemed as if the entire population of the city had turned into the inner harbor to hear him speak.  He had delivered a stirring speech with the American flag flying at Fort McHenry in the background and Mary Katherine assured her she had gotten that picture to use with the article she was writing about how he was doing on the campaign trail. The first installment in
Newsworthy
would be out the next week. She looked forward to seeing what had been edited out and the layout. There would be a debate in the Marriott hotel later this evening and Kel and John and Kimberly had flown in from three days in New Hampshire this morning. She was discovering that campaigning for public office was hard work. She moved in closer as he met with several reporters and listened to how he responded to their questions. She noticed that he spoke eloquently and never seemed to stammer or be at loss for words as she had heard other candidates do.  She had watched him on television over the last two weeks at every opportunity and Mary Katherine was right when she had said the camera loved him.

     He looked up and caught her eye and ended the press conference. He made his way over to where she stood. “So, you’re going to join us for the next couple of days?”

     “Yes, but I’m not sure I want to. It looks exhausting.”

     He smiled. “It can be. But it’s also interesting. I’m looking forward to the debate. As it happens, I’ve always been a capable debater.”

     She said, “Is there anything at which you aren’t capable?”

     “Not that I’m aware of,” he admitted with a wink. He was joking but his answer came from his own confidence in his abilities. He was never arrogant, but neither was he ever unsure of himself. “How familiar with Baltimore are you?”

     “It’s my first visit.” she said.

      “Then Little Italy will be the highlight of your evening.”

      “Little Italy?”

     “That’s where we are having dinner. Evan and Mary Katherine drove over from Georgetown and Skip’s at Johns Hopkins, so he’s joining us too.”

     They settled around a table at Sabatino’s, one of the many classic Little Italy bistros and ordered a tomato and fresh mozzarella appetizer. The conversation was casual and animated as the three on the campaign trail told about the last few days experiences. Skip arrived a bit after they sat down, gave a quick glance at the menu and ordered and was noticeably quiet as the others talked. John and Evan exchanged a glance and Mary Katherine whispered to Evan, “What’s up with Skip?”

     Evan shrugged and tried to bring Skip into the conversation without success. Kel and John were in the middle of expressing their need to bring on someone to handle the press and John threatened to steal Tara from Bobby for the job. They also discussed the need to find a more efficient way to travel as they were finding it difficult to book flights. Skip leaned over to Evan and said “Evan, can I talk to you for a few minutes?” He looked around the table . “Sorry everybody, I just need to talk with Evan about something.”

     Evan said “Of course,” and stood and followed Skip out of the restaurant.

     “Wonder what that’s about?” Kel asked.

     “Whatever he wants Evan to talk to Ross about for him,” John said. The others laughed and he explained to Tara, “For years whenever one of our kids wants to do something or is in trouble for something they know we might not approve of, they talk Evan into championing their cause.”

     Mary Katherine added, “Evan made sure Seamus got to run track ,that Janet and Sara got their ears pierced and Jim didn’t get grounded forever for breaking a Tiffany stained glass window with a baseball.”

     “It sounds like he does a good job on their behalf,” Tara said. John agreed with her and began to brief Kel on the issues he thought might come up in the debate and the tactics his opponents might be likely to use against him.

     Outside Evan and Skip found a quiet spot overlooking the water.

     “What’s bothering you Skip?”

     Skip took a deep breath and said “I’m failing Gross Anatomy.”

     “Really failing or you think there’s a slight chance you might?”

     “Really failing. I’m actually failing everything.”

     Evan said, “Everything?” Skip had always been a straight A student.

     “All five classes. Evan, I don’t want to go to med school.”

     “Actually,” Evan said, “I never thought you did.”

     “I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t and I don’t know how to tell Dad.”

     Skip looked suddenly desperate and Evan understood this was about something far deeper than grades or changing career paths.

    “Skip? What’s really going on?”

     “ I was dating someone I was getting serious about. Serious enough I was going to bring her home to meet everybody. I went to pick her up for dinner and she didn’t answer the door or the phone. Her roommate happened to come home and let me in. We found her in the bathroom dead. She’d  slit both her wrists.” Skip started to sob and Evan pulled him into an embrace and let him cry. “I couldn’t concentrate in class and I really couldn’t work on the cadavers. Faulkner reamed me out and said he was calling Dad about my grades. I can’t go back Evan, I can’t.”

     Evan could well imagine the conversation between their old med school instructor and Ross. The man considered James O’Brien to be the finest doctor to ever graduate from Johns Hopkins and Ross had been his personal protégé. He’d gone head to head a few times with Evan, but still considered himself to be responsible for the successes he’d had professionally too. He would have expected James’ grandson to be the student the rest of his family had been.

     “No, I can’t see you going back, not right now anyway.”

     Skip pulled away and looked at Evan and said, “How do I tell Dad?”

     “In all the years I’ve known you Skip, I’ve heard your father tell you he loves you and that he’s proud of you, but I’ve never heard him say he wanted you to be a doctor.”

     “He was so happy when I was accepted at Hopkins.”

     “Of course he was. He thought that was what you wanted. Half the people who start med school don’t finish Skip. You really do have to have a calling for the profession because it’s too hard to get there if you don’t. Better to stop now than later.”

     “O’Briens don’t quit.”

     Evan shook his head. “I’ve never heard that come out of your father’s mouth either. Sometimes I think there’s a reason you find yourself up against a big roadblock. It’s because you need to turn around and change course.”

     “So what do I do now?”

     “If you were paying attention to the conversation before we left then you know John and Kel need some help with the campaign. They need someone to handle the press and they need a pilot. You can fill both those slots.”

     “I could.” Evan had taught Skip to fly a plane years before.

     “So, I suggest you go tell John you want to take a break from school and help them out and I’m going to call Ross. If they need to leave for the debate before I get done, go ahead. I’ll catch up with you at the Marriott. And one more thing, have you talked to anyone about this? Specifically the suicide?”

     “No.”

     “From now on, when something really bad happens to you don’t try to handle it on your own. You don’t have to. You have a big family that loves you. If for some reason you can’t talk to one of them, then call me. I could have been here in less than an hour.”

     “I know, Evan. I just didn’t know how to talk to anyone about it. Thanks for listening.” Skip hugged him again.

      “Go talk to John.”

     Evan needed a few minutes before he called Ross, because the conversation with Skip had been just a little too close to home. He had just given Skip advice he hadn’t heeded himself. There were things he never talked about, even to Ross, and seldom to Mary Katherine that still haunted him. Things tied to Baltimore and Johns Hopkins. He faulted Mary Katherine for holding on too tightly to the hurts of the past, but he had ghosts in his closet too that refused to go away, no matter how hard he had tried make them vanish. He’d learned more about faith and prayer than he had ever considered possible since the tragic events that had ended his Olympic career and changed his life forever. “God,” he whispered, “help Skip right now. And maybe me too.”

     His phone rang and he saw Ross’s name on caller id. “Hey Ross.”

     “I just had an interesting conversation with Faulkner.”

     “I’m sure you did.” Evan said.

     “Sounds like you’ve already saved me the  trouble of asking you to ask Skip what’s going on. Faulkner said- and I quote- “Duncan seems totally disinterested in anything related to his studies.’ What did Skip tell you?”

     “Is Molly there? Can you put this on speaker so I can talk to both of you?”

     “Sure. Hold on. Okay we’re both here.”

     Evan took a deep breath and hoped this went well. “How often do you talk to Skip?”

     Molly said, “He usually calls me a couple times a week and talks to Ross once a week.”

     “When was the last time you talked to him?”

     “Actually I’ve just gotten his voice mail for the last three weeks. Maybe more. He’s sent me a few texts, but that’s it.”

     “When a kid that usually calls his parents three times a week suddenly doesn’t call for almost a month that should be a red flag, Molly. I’m not being judgmental here, and I haven’t talked to him in at least that long either. But the truth is, we should all have realized something was wrong and we didn’t.”