Chapter 19
Laine
Stretching in bed, I open my eyes on Monday morning to find the sun is shining. I slept in this morning, and I have to say, I earned it. I gave Steaming Mugs my notice last week, and the manager was so grateful. I guess most people just stop showing up when they’re done working for the store. Instead, I worked my scheduled hours and trained my replacement. He’s young and will do just fine. Until I could see the end in sight, I didn’t realize how glad I’d be to never have to make another triple, half-caf, half-loaded cappuccino with three artificial sweeteners, sugar-free vanilla, cinnamon, and extra foam—heated to one-hundred-seventy degrees. But now I’m pretty glad. Yesterday was my last shift there.
I received last week’s newsletter from Worldwide Medical Care, and I like what I see. I’m not sure I’ll need to make too many changes when I take over. I think including a map on the back will help showcase where there are teams on the ground, though. Truly, WMC has a presence in just about every country in the world. Even here in Canada and in the U.S. they have doctors in rural areas where hospitals struggle to find enough staff. But the heaviest concentration of teams is in central Africa and central America.
Frank has told me I’ll have a travel budget, but there are more than fifteen hundred active locations. I don’t know where to start.
My phone rings, and I manage to locate it on the nightstand.
“Good morning,” Trish singsongs when I answer.
“Why are you so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?”
“Because it’s your first day working at a job where they appreciate you.”
“And you’re excited for me?”
“Heck yeah! Let’s meet for lunch to celebrate.”
My smile feels like it may stretch my face. “I already promised Jack I’d meet him and Abdo for lunch at the hospital. And I need to meet with human resources tomorrow. But don’t worry, there are many lunches ahead for us. Frank has already briefed me on what he wants, and I’m in touch with Mike Jenkins if I have any questions. So, as long as I get the newsletter done, they don’t care when or where I work.”
Trish practically squeals. “This job is perfect for you—and for me. I love it. You totally deserve this.”
“Thanks. I also want to spend time with Abdo. He has a surgery later this week, so he may not feel great for a while after that.”
“Well, that’s the right thing to do, then. Do you think Jack is going to adopt him after this is over?”
“No. He’ll look after him financially, but the Biors have agreed to take him in. Actually, after the article in the Sun , several families came forward to be sure he had a home to go to. But with Jack’s help, the Biors have started the legal process.”
“See? Your work reminds us that humanity still exists.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. But the Sun sent me a bonus after all the web traffic they got from those articles. And they’ve asked for more feel-good stories.”
“Good for you. We need some feel-good to remind us that not everyone is an asshole.”
“I think you’re right. Anyway, changing the subject, how are things with Phillip?”
She sighs, and that makes me happy. Trish has built a great support system over the years, but she’s never found someone to hold her heart. If it’s Phillip, I’m thrilled for her.
“It’s going well.” The smile in her voice is obvious. “He asked me to be exclusive and demanded I let everyone know he’s my boyfriend.”
“Demanded?”
She chuckles. “He was all hot and bothered when I went to lunch with my lawyer. He thought it was a date and didn’t like that one bit.”
“Isn’t your lawyer like twenty-five years older than you?”
“And happily married, but Phillip was blindsided by finding me in a restaurant with him. I hadn’t told him about the meeting.”
“How did he know where you were?”
“He didn’t, but the Hardnight Games offices were close by. It was just happenstance he was there when I arrived.”
“Are you sure? He might be stalking you.”
She laughs. “It gave us the chance to hash it all out. It’s good. I’m going to a casual dinner with his brothers on Thursday night before we leave for the stag and hen party.”
“Speaking of the party… We’re flying in on Friday morning. Do you need us to bring anything?”
“Oh, right. Phillip mentioned that we’re flying with you.”
“Oh, Jack didn’t tell me that. But that’s great.”
“Are you and Jack back together?”
“No. We’re getting along well, but our status remains at friendship. I’m not going to jump into anything too soon. I want to make sure this new attitude is the one that’s going to stick around. I’m going to focus on my new job and just let things simmer for a while. And I’m sure this weekend will be fine. I can manage it.”
“I’m not worried about you,” she assures me. “You deserve only the best, and if Jack doesn’t get that, Kent or someone else will.”
“Thank you for your vote of confidence.”
We agree to meet later this week to finalize a few things for the party, and I hang up for now. I lie back in bed and stare at my ceiling. With the new job, I can afford a two-bedroom apartment. It will be so nice to have a home office. My lease is up in five months, so I have lots of time to scope out what I might want.
I realize I missed a text from Jack.
Jack: Hey. Call me when you’re functional. Let’s grab breakfast this morning. I need your help with Abdo and would like to run something by you. Breakfast is my treat for all your help I’m going to need.
I was looking forward to taking my time this morning, but I call him anyway. “What’s up?”
“I know we’re having lunch with Abdo, but can you meet me before for breakfast?”
“How about coffee? I don’t know how many giant meals in a row I can eat.”
“Sure. When can I pick you up?”
“Well, I was considering a walk along False Creek. How about—”
“I’ll walk with you. We can do that together.”
What? Jack always scoffed at the idea of walking for exercise. “Are you Jack Drake or an alien who’s taken over his body?”
“Why would you think that?”
“You’ve never thought walking was exercise.”
“For me, walking isn’t exercise. I walk all day when I’m at the hospital. But, I can walk with you, and we can formulate our plan. When can you be ready?”
I look at the clock. I’m so comfortable in bed. “I can be ready in fifteen minutes. I’ll be outside.”
“See you then.”
It takes me ten minutes to get out of bed, but in five minutes, I manage to get dressed, put my hair in a ponytail, and get out the door.
Jack runs up just as I step outside.
“I’m not going running,” I tell him.
“I know. Don’t worry, I already did that this morning. I just thought it would be better to run over than drive.”
I smile and pat him on the chest. “See? You’re an environmentalist at heart.”
“We’re taking Phillip and Trish to the lake this weekend in my plane, so we’re carpooling.”
I chuckle. “She mentioned that this morning. I think we have a bunch of stuff to take to the lake. Will it all fit?”
“Trish said she was having things delivered there all week, so we should be able to make it work.”
I shake my head. “Ready?”
“Steaming Mugs over by Science World first?”
I nod. “Please. I may not want a big breakfast, but I do need caffeine.”
We collect our coffees and walk along False Creek as it skirts the football stadium and hockey stadium and then runs the edge of downtown. We take the bridge over to Granville Island and then come back to Science World. It’s a good walk of ten kilometers.
By the time we’re done, Jack has shared what he wants from me for Abdo today—support. There’s a meeting with the medical team about Abdo’s graft surgery on Wednesday. Faheen and Amani are coming, but Jack wants the entire support system on board for this surgery. The translator will be there to help too. This will be Abdo’s last surgery for a while, and they’ve found a match from cadaver skin to do some grafts. But this surgery can be painful, and Jack thinks it’s important to prepare him.
When we get back to my apartment, Jack waves me on with a salute. “I’ll pick you up in an hour,” he says. He runs back to his apartment so I can shower and get ready.
Abdo took the news about his surgery as well as could be expected, but of course, he’s not happy. Amani held him while Jack explained everything, and then some of the nursing staff spoke to him. It killed me as the emotions rolled over his face. He doesn’t want any more pain, and it’s hard to know what to expect. He’s just a little kid.
Then there was an emergency, and Jack had to go, and shortly after that Faheen needed to return to work and Amani went to pick up the girls from the sitter.
So now, that leaves just me and Abdo with the translator. Abdo climbs into my lap and rests his head on my shoulder. Just when I think he’s feeling better, he crumbles.
“I want my mommy,” the translator murmurs to me as Abdo cries.
I rock us back and forth and cry along with him. The world is terribly unfair. This is so much more than Abdo should have to manage.
I hold him for hours, and my heart aches for him.
The translator eventually leaves, and Abdo and I switch to watching Paw Patrol .
When Jack returns at the end of the day, he seems surprised to find me still here. “Is he okay?”
“I think he’s really missing his mother.”
“Should we call Amani and see if she’ll come back? Or should I call a social worker?”
“I will stay here as long as he needs me. But let’s try Amani first.”
Jack steps out of the room.
Abdo’s grip on me is tight. I wonder if I should still go to the lake this weekend, or if I should remain here with him. I wonder if Jack should go away so soon after the surgery… I wish I spoke Abdo’s language. I wish I had something to tell him that would make this all go away.
Jack returns. “The whole family is coming.”
“That’s great, but if he wants me to stay, I’ll stay with him.”
Abdo extends his hand to Jack and holds on to him.
He’s still in my lap, clutching Jack’s hand, when Amani walks into the room twenty minutes later. “I came first,” she explains.
We scoot over to make room for her, and she sits down to speak with Abdo. For the first time in hours, he crawls off my lap and into her arms. Her voice is so soothing, and after a while, he smiles.
Jack reaches for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Once Faheen arrives with their daughters, Abdo is ready to get up and play.
Jack answers a few of their questions, and then we prepare to go. “I’ll come back tomorrow,” I promise Abdo.
We head down the hallway, and I realize I’m emotionally exhausted.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Jack leads me to his car. “Where should we go?”
“I think I want to go home.”
Jack nods and points his car in the direction of my building. “He took that harder than I thought he would.”
“I think he’s scared, and this makes it clear how lonely he must be.”
Jack nods. “I wish I could move him down to the pediatric floor, but until he gets through this next surgery, the ICU is still the safest place for him.”
“At least, we know the Biors are there for him now. He seems more settled with them.” I knock my knuckles against my sternum. “Today was hard. I didn’t even have any reference point for what he was feeling. I’ve never known the depth of love and longing that I saw him have for his family.”
“What do you mean?”
“My parents left me emotionally long before I started school.”
“But you’re loved by Trish and by me.”
My brow creases. “Are you sure you really loved me, Jack?”
His eyes pop wide. “I still do.”
I shut my eyes. If he loved me, how could he cut me out of his life so easily? He wouldn’t have abandoned me if we’d truly been partners. I know he’s sorry for how he handled things, but how do I know it won’t happen again? It’s possible he doesn’t even understand what loving someone means.
When we reach my apartment, I put my hand on the car door handle. “Thank you for the ride. I’ll see you maybe tomorrow. I’ll be back at the hospital.”
“Wait!” he reaches for my arm. “Can I come in? You seem upset.”
I shake my head. “Today was my first official day working for Worldwide Medical Care, and I did very little. I need to get some things done. I’m fine. This day was just a lot. Once the surgery goes well, I’ll be ready to have fun this weekend.”
“We don’t have to do anything,” he offers.
“I need some space.” I open the door. “See you later.”
I close the door and head right to my bathroom. I don’t have a deep or luxurious bathtub, but I can still fill it with bubbles, so that’s exactly what I do.
As I soak in the warm water, I think about Abdo and his heartbreaking situation. I’ve often felt alone, even when I’m with my parents, but I can’t imagine the kind of loneliness and fear he’s experiencing. But then, I force myself to review all the positives he has going for him. The Biors are the best possible support system I think he could have, and I know Jack will make sure he never lacks anything money can buy. Ah, Jack. Such a good soul in so many ways, yet I still can’t quite trust him.
I can’t deny that there’s still a spark between us, but I can’t ignore the fact that he hurt me so deeply. I don’t know how I can get past the fear of it happening again, especially when he seems to think a relationship is so easy. What if we don’t want the same things?
I sigh and sink deeper into the bubbles, trying to push those thoughts away for now. I need to focus on my new job—I really do need to get some things done this evening—and on doing what I can to help support Abdo.