At lunch, I told Eddie about the phone call I made to Larry that morning.
"You can tell Lumpy about the appointment. I thought we could do this before next week because that's when Lindsay leaves," I said.
"Okay. I think Lumpy is starting to figure it out because I think he heard my phone call the other day and he thought I was the one who has depression and I told him it wasn't me," Eddie told me.
I understood.
"Maybe Lumpy heard your telephone call conversation wrong, Eddie. Maybe that's why he thought you were the one who had depression and not Wally," I said.
"I guess that's what Lumpy's thinking. We'll get him straightened out," Eddie said.
The telephone rang and it was my wife, Olivia.
"Larry called, Beaver. He said to tell you the appointment is on Friday this week at three in the afternoon," she said.
"I'll pass the word around. Thanks for letting me know," I said and put the receiver down.
"What did your wife say?" Eddie asked.
"We have to meet with Lumpy, Wally and Lindsay together on Friday afternoon this week," I told him.
"I'll tell Lumpy tonight," Eddie said.
I didn't say anything. All I did was take a bite of a sandwich Olivia had made for me.
The rest of the day went by fast and Eddie and I were shutting the place down for the evening. We split up for the night and I went to pick up Wally. Wally and I didn't say much on the way home. I told Wally about the scheduled appointment for the upcoming Friday afternoon with Larry. Wally didn't say anything.
The rest of the week arrived and it was Friday. Me, Lumpy, Wally, Lumpy, Eddie and Lindsay were in Larry's office.
"What are we going to talk about?" Lumpy asked to break the silence.
"Well, Lumpy, I've been told you have never known about what happened when we were growing up. I guess it's time you know," Larry said.
"Know what? You kept hiding something from me this long and waited to tell me now? Why?" Lumpy asked.
"Like I told you before, Lumpy, it got complicated back then so we thought we would wait until the right time to explain," Eddie said.
Lumpy was still confused.
"Well, Lumpy, here's the secret we've kept from you this entire time. Want to tell him, Eddie?" Larry asked.
"Why me? You're the doctor," Eddie said.
"Fine. I'll tell," Larry said.
"Tell me what?" Lumpy asked.
"Why am I here?" Lindsey asked, confused just as Lumpy was.
"It involves you too, Lindsey. You'll see why," I told her.
After that Lindsey was silent. Larry cleared his throat.
"You see, Lumpy, the secret we've hidden from you is that Wally has depression," Larry said.
Lumpy couldn't believe his ears. Is this what we had kept quiet from him all these years?
"Is this why you asked me to be a tough guy and protect Wally?" Lumpy asked Eddie.
Eddie nodded.
Now Lumpy was starting to get the picture.
"And this was the reason you ran off from home and your father put a police report on you and ended up in the hospital," Larry told Lindsey.
"If I was told about this many years ago I wouldn't know what to do," Lindsey said.
"And this is also why your father has all these appointments," I told Lindsey.
"Sorry, Dad. I wish I knew about this before I ran away," Lindsey said as we watched Lindsey and Wally hug.
I watched them hug and it made me wonder if it was the beginning of a new relationship between father and daughter.