“Hey,” I say. “What’s with the beard?”
He rubs the stubble on his chin. “Do you like it?”
“I can’t decide. When did you decide to grow it?”
“Right after you contacted me.” He grins at me. “It’s kind of my disguise.”
I laugh. “It’s a good one. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Yeah, I was considering an eyepatch too. And a fake scar. But then I was like, maybe too much.”
“I prefer being able to see your face.”
He rubs the beard again. “I’ll get rid of it then.”
“Just like that?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Is this what it’s going to be like? Anything I ask, you’re going to do it without question?”
He smiles at me, but a bob of his Adam’s apple betrays his true feelings. Everyone else has had a long time to deal with the reality that I’m dying. Harry found out today, just like me. For a moment, it looks like he’s fighting back tears. He wins the battle and his eyes stay dry. “What can I say? I’m crazy about you. I always have been.”
“Always?”
He squeezes my hand. “I don’t know if I ever told you this, because I thought you might find it weird. But the second I saw you at that computer store, I thought to myself, ‘This is the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.’ I’m glad I was right.”
“Well,” I say, “the rest of my life.”
And now it’s my turn to be blinking back tears. I never wanted to end up like my mother. I never wanted to have that feeling like the end is in sight—at least not for another forty or fifty years, when I’m old with a pile of grandchildren and maybe great-grandchildren. But that’s not my fate. Yes, I’m back with the love of my life. But my time with him is limited. Just a few short months.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the kitchen. I glance at the stairwell and drum my fingers against the table. “I wonder how long it will take to get that contract drawn up.”
The sadness vanishes from Harry’s face and is replaced by a sneer. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this. I can’t believe you’re letting that asshole run your company.”
I lift a shoulder. “The company isn’t what’s important. I don’t want to waste another second on it.”
“But Graham is not a good guy.”
“He was just trying to protect me,” I remind him. “He knew I couldn’t handle my diagnosis back then. He wasn’t doing anything to hurt me. He’s been taking care of me all this time.”
“No.” Harry shakes his head. “I don’t buy that. Graham doesn’t have your best interests in mind. Do you really want him to get your company and everything you’ve worked so hard for?”
I frown. “If this is about the money, I can change my will to leave some of it to Dad and to you…”
“I don’t want your money, Tess!” Harry bursts out. His face is pink. “Is that what you think? Jesus Christ…”
I don’t think he wants my money. But it’s not like I have any children I need to make sure are taken care of. I want my dad to get something to have in his old age, but I don’t care what happens to the rest of it. Maybe I’ll donate it to charity. And I don’t mind if Graham keeps running the company. It seems like he’s doing a good job.
“This is what I want.” I look into Harry’s eyes so he knows I mean it. “I don’t want to fight with him about the company. I want to sign the papers and be done with it.”
He opens his mouth but shuts it again at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. It must be Graham. That was quicker than I thought—we haven’t even been down here an hour yet. Despite everything, I appreciate Graham is hurrying this process along. I just want to get out of here with Harry.
Graham comes into the kitchen, brandishing a sheaf of papers in one hand and a ballpoint pen in the other. Harry’s brown eyes darken at the sight of him, but all I feel is relief. This contract will let me sever ties with Graham—I won’t have to deal with this stranger anymore and my company will be taken care of.
“I got done as quickly as I could.” He places the stack of about a dozen pages on the kitchen island and slides them across to me. “Feel free to look through it, but everything we discussed is covered in here.”
“Thanks for getting it done fast, Graham,” I murmur. The typewritten lines swim before my eyes.
He places the ballpoint pen on top of the papers. “I know you don’t have much time left.”
The reminder stings—it’s still all so fresh. I wonder how I’ll feel about it tomorrow. It will get easier each day—I’m sure of that much. I don’t want to go back to forgetting again. I’ve lost so much, and I don’t want to lose my mind too.
I flip through the pages, skimming the legal jargon. On the last page, there’s an X next to the line where I’m supposed to sign. I pick up the pen.
“Aren’t you going to get your own lawyer to look it over?” Harry speaks up. He shoots Graham an accusatory look. “You don’t expect her to sign it right now, do you?”
He shrugs. “You can bring it to a lawyer if you want, Tess. But it’s going to take weeks to sort through it all if you want to make changes.” He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I’m your husband. I’ve been taking care of you this last year. I’m not trying to cheat you. I wouldn’t do that.”
Harry lets out a loud snort. “You’re so full of it, Graham. Tess, you need a lawyer to look at that.”
I grip the pen so tightly, my fingers tingle. “It looks okay to me. I just want this to be done with.”
“Tess…”
I raise my eyes to meet Harry’s. “Please. If I sign this today, we can leave now. We can get on a plane tomorrow.”
Harry just shakes his head.
“Graham is right,” I remind him. “I don’t have much time. A few weeks… That’s a big chunk of what I have left. I need this to be done. Please understand.”
Harry’s shoulders sag. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“I know. And I’m okay now.” I add, “Really.”