20 - Haley
20
Haley
“You’re a doctor?” I blurted out.
“Technically, I’m in my first year of residency for pediatrics,” Jordan explained. “Some of my residency is at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, but I’m focusing on Primary Care Pediatrics, which emphasizes clinic work. So, most of my time is spent at the pediatric clinic.”
I stared at him in complete shock. My mouth was hanging open, but I couldn’t help it.
Jordan Mayfield was a freaking doctor?
Fortunately, he didn’t notice the way I was gawking at him, because Sara was still asking him questions. “Wait a minute. Doesn’t that take, like, a decade of school?”
“I got my bachelor’s in three years,” he replied, gesturing with a fork. “Then four years of med school.”
“You finished college in three years,” I said dumbly.
Jordan turned his blue gaze on me. “Dang, Haley. You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
“That’s quite the transformation from most likely to join the circus,” Sara said, giving me a pointed look.
I glared right back at her. No. This wasn’t a date.
“How do you have the time to coach little league?” I asked. “I’ve watched every episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Residents work, like, insane hours.”
“It’s only a part-time residency, thanks to budget problems at the hospital.” He paused to wipe his mouth with a napkin. “That means it’ll take me four or five years to complete my residency, instead of three.”
“Couldn’t you go to a different hospital?” Sara asked. “And complete your residency in three years, like everyone else?”
“I could,” Jordan admitted, “but then I wouldn’t get to work exclusively with kids. Besides, I kind of like having normal nine-to-five hours. It means I get to have a social life. And coach little league.” He reached across the table and poked Bran on the nose. “I’d go crazy if I worked eighty hours a week like all the other residents. Why are you staring at me like that, Haley?”
I gave myself a shake. “Sorry, I’m struggling to picture you as a doctor. The last thing I remembered from high school was when you broke into the cafeteria, dumped tomato sauce all over your body, and went streaking across the parking lot.”
“What’s streaking?” Bran asked.
“Nothing,” I told him. “Something grown-ups do sometimes.”
Jordan was grinning widely. “I forgot all about that. Man, I had some issues back then.”
“I didn’t mean to say you had issues,” I quickly replied. “You were just the class clown.”
Jordan hooked an arm over the back of his chair. “Oh, I definitely had some issues. I used to have crazy social anxiety.”
“Now that has to be a joke,” I said. “Out of everyone in our graduating class, I would say you were the most comfortable in social situations.”
“You’d think so,” he replied with a half-smile. “But nope, I was crippled with anxiety for a long time. I eventually learned to deflect it with humor. Making jokes and acting out in class? It was all a way for me to control a situation, rather than sitting back and allowing things to happen.” He turned to Sara. “I dated a psych major in med school. She gave me a free diagnosis when we broke up. At first I thought she was just trying to hurt my feelings, but then I realized everything she said made a lot of sense.”
“And now you heal sick kids,” Sara said.
“I try! Although my job at the clinic isn’t very glamorous. I mostly check kids for ear infections and hand out lollipops. Although last week I did remove a Lego from a little girl’s nose.” He grinned at Bran. “It was way up there.”
“Woah,” Bran said, eyes wide.
“A pediatrician resident who gets off work at five,” Sara mused. “And who coaches little league. You must have to fight off the women with a baseball bat.”
Jordan shrugged. “It’s surprisingly tough to meet women. None of the other residents have time to date. Honestly, most of the women I meet are the moms of kids I coach, and they’re all married.”
“Surely not all of them are married,” Sara said innocently.
I wished I was sitting next to her so I could kick her under the table.
“I’m really glad you joined us for dinner!” Sara said cheerfully. “It’s fun to catch up with old high school friends, isn’t it, Haley?”
“It is,” I said, shooting her another glare.
“Who wants dessert?” Sara announced. “I made apple pie.”
“I can’t say no to pie.” Jordan’s leg brushed against mine as he pushed back his chair and stood. “Don’t get up. I’ll bring the pie over.”
Sara narrowed her eyes at me while Jordan prepared dessert for everyone. I tried to ignore her, but I was thinking the same thing she was.
Jordan has grown into quite the man .
After clearing the table, I announced that it was time for bed. “Can Coach Jordy tuck me in?” Bran asked hopefully.
“Um. I think we’ve taken up enough of Coach Jordy’s time tonight,” I said.
Bran ignored me and turned to Jordan. “Please, Coach Jordy? If you tuck me in, I can show you my baseball cards.”
“Kids your age still collect baseball cards?” Jordan winked at me. “Well now I have to tuck you in. Gotta make sure you’ve got all the right cards.”
Bran grabbed his hand and led him out the back door toward our apartment. “Most of my cards are for the Mariners, but I have six Yankees cards, including Gerrit Cole…”
When they were gone, I turned to Sara. “I liked Bran better when he was too young to ignore me.”
“Aw, I think it’s sweet that he’s so obsessed with Jordan,” Sara said. “You have to remember, he doesn’t have any male authority figures in his life.”
“Harper is around all the time!” I said.
Sara narrowed her eyes. “I love my husband more than anything in the world, but it’s not the same. This is good for Bran.”
I didn’t want to admit she was right, so I left the main house to go follow the boys up to our apartment. Jordan was standing outside Bran’s bedroom door.
“He’s putting on his favorite pajamas,” Jordan told me.
“The ones with dinosaurs on them,” I said.
Jordan scoffed at me. “Hey, spoilers!”
The door opened and Bran stood there in his green pajamas. “They have every dinosaur on them.” He began pointing. “Velociraptor, Triceratops, Stegosaurus… and of course , T-Rex.”
“Of course,” Jordan said, humoring him.
I watched from the doorway as Jordan helped my son up into his bed and under the sheets. Then Jordan grabbed a picture book off the bedside table, sat on the edge of the bed, and opened it up.
“Oh, look at this dinosaur,” Jordan said. “Did it really have feathers?”
I smiled as the two of them excitedly discussed dinosaurs, although Bran kept yawning. It was tough not to think about what Sara had said. I had always felt like I was enough for my son, that I could raise him by myself without needing anyone else. I still believed that… but I was beginning to wonder if maybe Bran was missing out on something.
He doesn’t have to be Bran’s father , I scolded myself. Being his baseball coach is plenty.
Soon, Bran’s eyes were too heavy to stay open. Jordan returned the book to the bedside table, slowly stood up, and then exited the room on soft feet.
“I thought that would take longer,” Jordan whispered as we closed the door. “Especially when he started explaining Velociraptors versus Utahraptors.”
“That’s our nightly routine,” I explained. “He gets one last burst of energy right before bed, then passes out. Thanks for humoring him. You’ve already done so much for us today.”
Jordan smirked at me. “Are you kidding? I’m just grateful to spend time with a kid who actually wants to listen to me. Half the kids on the baseball team don’t want to be there.”
“And all the kids you see at work are sick, so they’re not happy about visiting you.”
“Exactly. I still find ways to make them smile, but it’s an uphill battle. I wouldn’t change a thing, though. I love my job.” We reached the front door. “Do you want a ride back to your car?”
I grimaced and checked my phone. “According to the app, AAA still hasn’t arrived. I’ll get Sara to take me in the morning.”
“Glad you didn’t wait for them by your car,” Jordan said as we walked out onto the balcony, next to the steps leading down from the apartment. The air was cool now that the sun had gone down, and the moon was beginning to peek above the rooftop of the main house.
“Thanks again for everything today,” I told him. “Seriously, you’re amazing.”
“It was fun,” he said. “See you at practice tomorrow.”
“Drive safe,” I said.
Jordan turned toward the stairs, broad shoulders blocking out the moonlight for a moment.
Then he turned back around with a determined look in his blue eyes, pushed me up against the door, and kissed me hard .