“I’ll tell her, but not until we know more. Not until I see the oncologist and know all the facts.” He cemented his decision by verbally committing to the words.
“Okay, if that’s what you want.”
“It’s what’s best. She’s going to lose it Luke, and if it’s not as bad as I’m thinking I don’t want to put her through that.”
Luke just nodded and he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Take me home.” Jake whispered.
“I don’t think you should be alone.”
He turned and strode to Luke’s car, once he reached the passenger seat door, he looked over his shoulder at his brother and shook his head slightly. “Take me home, to mom and dad.”
They looked at one another, and Luke nodded sadly, knowing very well that they were about to shatter their parent’s world and break their hearts.
“Call Sam and tell her to meet us there. That we only have to do it once.” He said with absolutely no emotion in his voice whatsoever. He climbed into the car and sank into the seat. He was drained physically and emotionally. One word, one word could change a person’s entire life.
Cara couldn’t help but keep staring at her phone as if she was willing it to ring. She hadn’t heard from Jake in hours, and not for lack of trying. The last time she checked she had called him fifteen times and the last couple of those calls had gone straight to voicemail. She tried the tattoo parlor, but Pete told her he never came in today. She had a sickening feeling deep within, that something was wrong. In between re-stocking the bar and tending to the few stragglers that had come into the bar, she had called the Lanza’s. No answer from any of them. She glanced at the clock. She had told herself an hour ago, that if she didn’t hear from any of them she was leaving work to go in search of them.
The front door opened and she turned, praying it was Jake, but her shoulder slumped when she saw Nick. As he made his way towards her, she couldn’t help the dread that lurked inside her. Had someone sent him to break some sort of bad news to her? She stared at him, trying to read his expression. He must’ve been at Lanza Automotive all day, he had grease stains on his shirt and his jeans. His hair was mussed from his fingers, and she watched him drag them through, what she could only imagine was the umpteenth time. He leaned against the bar and gave her the same assessing look, she had given him.
“What’s the matter?” She choked out, her hands braced on the bar, waiting.
Nick shook his head let out a deep breath. “So you haven’t heard from them either? Great.” He said sullenly. “Let’s go.”
Startled and confused she looked up at him. “Go where?”
“Where else? Deb and Joe’s. We’ll start there.”
She nodded quickly. “Alright let me just tell Rudy I’m leaving.” She had never been so relieved to see Nick in her life. Not sure if relief was what she should be feeling, especially knowing he was just as concerned as she. She grabbed her pocketbook and quickly told Rudy she had an emergency. When she made her way back towards the bar, Nick was half way out the door. They got into his car, and he peeled out of the lot.
“What do you think is the matter?” Cara said, and realized she was afraid to hear the answer. A thousand dark thoughts ran in her head. Had something happened to one of them? Was it Jake?
“I don’t know. Luke never came to work. Sam left work early and signed Ava out of school.”
“How do you know?”
“No one’s answering their phones, so I called the school.” He said as he drove, his knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel.
“Jake didn’t go to work either.” She said with no emotion in her voice, she was beginning to realize that whatever was going on at the Lanza’s screamed disaster.
“I know.” He said and then glanced at her briefly before directing his eyes back to the road in front of him.
“Why wouldn’t they have called us?” She wondered aloud. When anything had ever gone on with the family, whether good or bad, Cara had always been included and when Nick had been around, so had he.
“I have no idea.” He said as he pulled into the driveway. Cara took notice that everyone’s car except for Jake’s was there. She felt the bile begin to rise and she thought she threw up in her mouth.
“It’s Jake.” She whispered, feeling her heart beating frantically. Nick was out of the car before she even had her seatbelt off, and didn’t hear her. She slammed the door and watched Nick bang on the front door with his fist. When she finally caught up to Nick, the door swung open and Luke stood in front of them.
Cara began to tremble once she caught Luke’s gaze. His eyes were bloodshot, and she knew he had been crying. He tore his gaze from her and sighed heavily, as if she was the last person he wanted to see right now. She felt like crying, just by the look he gave her.