The three-bedroom bungalow in Cleveland Park, a neighborhood of approximately fifteen hundred residents tucked away in the northwest section of D.C., had been Lee’s home for the past twelve years. It was a spacious place for a single occupant, which could explain why it had all the personal touch of an IKEA showroom.
Lee had bought the property not long after his divorce from Karen, but before the cost of modest homes in the area skyrocketed. Usually the place did not feel too big, but on weekends, or the occasional quiet evening, especially now that he and Bethany were on the outs, Lee would think about selling, taking the profit to do something else with his life. He wanted to spend more time hiking and camping, two of his greatest pleasures.
Growing up in West Virginia had kindled a boundless love for the forest. Many of his fondest childhood memories involved forays into nature, and to this day Lee found the fresh mountain air rejuvenating in profound ways. While he romanticized the possibility of a second career as a park ranger, Lee’s pragmatic side told him it was nothing but a pipe dream. More likely, he would work at his family practice until his partner, Paul Tresell, got his way and they sold out to a hospital or some medical conglomerate. Then he’d retire and take up golf like the rest of his aging pals.
Lee noticed the time on the stove clock in his modest kitchen and thought about Karen. It had been more than two hours since she had agreed to bring Cam to the hospital. He had tried her cell, but his calls kept going straight to voice mail. His contact at the MDC, Brian Seneca, was not returning his calls either. Lee figured one of them would be in touch eventually.
At four o’clock the doorbell finally rang and there was Josh, standing on the front porch with a big smile on his face. A car parked curbside honked as it drove away. Josh gave a slight wave. Lee suspected the driver was one of Josh’s D.C. friends who he’d be seeing later in the weekend.
Josh wore a backpack from REI and had nothing in his hands. Lee opened the screen door and embraced his son. It was hard to believe he had not seen his boy since September, but at least he looked much the same. He was still tall and broad-shouldered, with short dark hair and a face dotted with scruff. A flannel shirt and dark jeans made Josh look even more ruggedly handsome. His big brown eyes still held a hint of mischievousness when he smiled. The earnestness of his face warmed Lee’s heart.
“Hiya, Pop. Good to see you.”
Having spent his career caring for the sick and dying, Lee should have had more appreciation for the ephemeral nature of time, should have been insistent on getting together more frequently. But Josh was here now, and that was all that mattered. His son asked for a beer, and Lee got himself the same. No run for him tonight, but Lee would get plenty of exercise on the hike. Tomorrow they would set off at first light. Tonight, they could chat, maybe catch the Wizards game on TV.
They spent some time looking over the camping gear laid out on the living room floor, discussing what they should bring. Afterwards, they settled on the comfy living room armchairs and sipped beer from chilled glass bottles.
“When are you seeing your mom?”
“Sunday, I think,” Josh said.
“When do you go back?”
“I don’t know.” A dark look crossed Josh’s face, his eyes suddenly brimming with sorrow. “I’m missing some pretty sick spring skiing.”
Lee squinted, appraising his son carefully. Something seemed off.
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah … it’s all right.”
But talk of Colorado had zapped the sparkle from Josh’s eyes and given him a saturnine face.
“You’ll be back on the slopes in no time,” Lee said encouragingly.
“Actually, I might not go back at all.”
Lee’s insides clenched. “What? Why?”
Josh went silent.
“Hannah dumped me,” he eventually said in a flat, monotone voice, folding his arms like a hermit crab retreating into its shell.
Lee groaned as though the wound Josh had suffered physically hurt him as well. “Oh, buddy, I’m so sorry.” But not at all surprised, he thought. “What happened? When? Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not much to say,” Josh said glumly. “She, um—just stopped all contact with me. A friend of hers said she was back with her old boyfriend, but that’s an unconfirmed rumor.”
At Josh’s description, Lee could not help but think of his last girlfriend.
“She ghosted you,” said Lee.
Josh returned a little laugh. “Oh yeah, I forgot you know all about ghosting. What was her name?”
“Bethany.” A hint of animosity seeped into Lee’s voice.
“Well, it sucks,” said Josh. “Hannah was—she was so great, Dad. I really thought she was the one.”
“There’ll be another,” Lee said. “You’re a terrific guy. Any woman would be lucky to have you.” He knew not to say anything disparaging, such as “You’re better off” or “She wasn’t good for you anyway.” Now was the time to be supportive, to be a friend more than a parent.
“I’m here for you,” said Lee. “That’s the best I can offer right now.”
“Thanks.” Josh sounded genuinely appreciative. “I’ll figure it out.”
That was Josh’s life motto. He’ll figure it out. He went where the wind blew him. After high school that wind blew him into the military instead of college. Josh did four years active service and after that two more years of individual ready reserve (IRR, in military parlance) before his career came to an end. While he was going overseas on deployments, knee-deep in the shit as he would say, Josh’s friends were back home posting to social media all sorts of fun and carefree pictures from their college and spring break antics. Josh would be the first to admit he simply got the itch to try something new.
By that point the military had already turned his son from a boy into a man. Josh had picked up leadership and technical skills to go along with self-discipline and tenacity. He could fire a weapon accurately under the most stressful conditions one day, and the next day dress up in his military uniform for formal dining under the microscope of the strictest social standards.
After he left the military that proverbial wind blew again, this time sending Josh out west, to Colorado, where he’d been working as a ski instructor, while avoiding conversations about what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Maybe this Hannah jolt would help get him unstuck. Maybe over the course of a few days camping, Lee could find a way to speed that process along.
The doorbell rang.
“Are you expecting someone?” Lee asked.
“Nope. No one.”
When Lee opened the door his jaw fell open. Standing on his front porch were Woody Lapham and Stephen Duffy from the Secret Service, dressed in their trademark dark suits and sunglasses.
“Dr. Blackwood, we need you to come with us right away.”
“Is it Cam? I’ve been trying to reach Karen for hours.”
Josh rose from his seat and joined Lee at the front door.
“It’s Bishop,” Duffy said, using the code name. “Brave Heart has requested we bring you to the MDC right away.” Brave Heart: the president. “He wants your opinion. I guess you made an impression.”
Lee’s mind clicked into gear. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“We don’t know,” said Lapham. “That’s why we need you to come with us, right now.”
Lee glanced at Josh. “I’ll only be gone for a little while,” he said. “Keep getting our gear together. I’ll explain everything when I come back.”
Josh gave a nod, but Lee could see where this was headed. Their big camping trip was over before it had even started.