32. Extended Epilogue - Two Years Later
Extended Epilogue - Two Years Later
Annaliese
“T ell me again who all is going to be there?”
The corner of Colt’s lip ticks up in a smirk, and he takes one hand off the steering wheel to reach over and clasp the two of mine which are currently tucked in between my shaking knees.
He grabs one hand in his, sliding his fingers through mine to clasp them together and he brings it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand. “Are you still feeling nervous?”
“Yeah. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a relaxed social situation.”
The last two years have been both exhilarating and excruciating. Long-distance relationships are not for the faint of heart. There were days that sometimes bled into weeks where Colt and I could only communicate through texts or emails that went unanswered for hours or days at a time.
He would come to join me on a volunteer week or two every few months, and I was able to make it home three times over the course of the last two years.
My mom even made it to Chicago one spring to see me, and to meet the man that I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with.
I’m officially no longer a resident. I’m back in Chicago, fully moved into Colt’s condo and ready to start my year-long fellowship at Grace General.
But my heart still screams at me to volunteer, so tonight, Colt and I are headed to Ryan and Lainey’s house for a much overdue dinner to discuss just that.
With the distance being so hard on us, Colt wanted to stay as busy as possible. When he wasn’t working at Grace General, he dedicated his spare time to helping out at their free clinic. He provided further financial backing to really help it succeed. This last year, it’s taken off, and they’re hoping to add day-surgery services, which is where Colt and I would come in.
“Well, you’ve met Ryan,” he says, brushing his lips against the back of my hand as he weaves through rush hour traffic. “Then there is his wife, Lainey. She’s tiny, adorable. She will probably hug you when she sees you even if it’s the first time meeting you, just because that’s the type of person she is.” He pauses, never once releasing his grip on my hand as he thinks. “Um… their other friends will be there. Jenna, she’s a nurse at the hospital as well. She will be the one with wild blonde hair and the non-stop mouth. She’s a little obnoxious; she’ll likely talk your ear off. I usually get a headache if I’m around her for too long.”
I laugh at that because even though he’s a sweetheart to me, there’s still a part of him that is working on opening up to others.
“Her husband, Emmett, is a good guy. Doesn’t talk nearly as much as she does. He kind of grounds her, I think.”
“Does he work at the hospital too?”
Colt shakes his head. “No, he’s a lineman. He’s the only one of the group that doesn’t work in medicine. Then there’s Meg, she’s the redhead. She looks like she’s always ready to start a fight, but don’t take it personally. She just has a killer resting bitch face. Her husband, Jim, might as well be a Ken doll. Actually,” he says, pressing two more kisses to the back of my hand before bringing it down to rest along his thigh. “You’ve probably talked to Jim and maybe Meg in the past without realizing it. He’s an ER doc, and she works part-time in the ER as a nurse.”
I lean back in the seat, scanning the files in my brain for a Ken doll doctor with a redhead nurse. “Maybe?”
“They would have been the ones that when they think no one’s looking, he will pat her butt or she will sneak a kiss. You’d think they’d be sick of each other since they live and work together.”
I lean across the space between us to plant a kiss on his cheek, and then the underside of his jaw. I rest my head on his shoulder, bringing my free arm over to settle along his chest. “You say that like you aren’t going to be living and working with me. Plan to get sick of me someday?”
“ Never . Never ever. I still can’t believe you’re here with me, in person, and we’re going to dinner at a friend's house. It’s a feeling I don’t think I could ever tire from.”
Traffic has come to a complete stop, and Colt exhales, letting his free hand fall from the wheel. I tilt my head, resting my chin on the swell of his shoulder to look up at him. I admire the streaks of gray in the sides of his hair, something that’s really come out the last two years.
“I won’t miss the stress that came along with our visits.” That was the harder part of long-distance. Each trip to see each other came with excitement and so much happiness, but the days leading up to departure, a storm cloud would rise above us. It was torture to know that the hours were ticking away until we had to be apart again, not knowing when the next time would come that we could see each other.
If we would be irritated with each other, we didn’t want to spend what precious time we had together arguing. But now that it’s over, I can see the silver lining in the distance. The phone and video chats were all we had. We couldn’t go out to dinner, or to a concert, or any event. Talking was our lifeline, so we spent our time getting to know each other, thinking of all the things that didn’t come up between us while I was in the city.
“Did you text him back?”
Colt’s lips purse into a flat line, and he shakes his head no.
Colt’s birthday is coming up, and for the first time since everything went down with my dad, he texted Colt, wishing him an early happy birthday and hoped he was doing well.
I’ve received the occasional message like that from him, but couldn’t bring myself to respond. I’m not ready to talk to him yet. Not ready to see if time will allow me to forgive him, and Colt feels the same way.
We’re not sure if he truly means his well wishes, or if he’s had enough heartache that he’s desperate to connect to his old life.
Him and Matilda did get married, but it was short lived. She had an affair, and they quickly divorced. My mom told me that he had some shady business ventures that fell through, which was likely a huge cut to his income. He’s no longer practicing medicine, so it’s possible that he’s had a lot of alone time to think about the horrible ways he’s treated those closest to him.
Maybe someday, together, we will reach out to him to bury the hatchet. But right now, neither of us see a future where he plays the role of a dad in either of our lives. But that’s okay, because Colt is now bound to my mom, and to his circle of friends which will hopefully become mine. And someday, maybe we will have a family of our own and he can be the dad he always wished we had.
“Whatcha thinking, Sparky?”
I was so lost in my thoughts I hadn't realized that traffic let up, and we’re pulling into the parking garage near Ryan and Lainey’s condo.
“Just thinking again about silver linings.”
Colt puts the car in park, turns off the engine, and pauses as he reaches his hand out to wrap his palm around my neck. He pulls me in for a searing kiss, then another, before resting his forehead against mine.
He smiles down at me, a boyish, nearly shy smile, and brushes another kiss to my lips before murmuring, “Thank God for silver linings.”