Chapter 25
AVERY
I couldn't sketch. I couldn't even work on organizational tasks. Quite honestly, I couldn't focus on anything at all. It had been two days since Thanksgiving. The rest of that evening went by awkwardly. Sam mostly spoke with Travis and Luke.
Kimberly, Reese, and the rest of the girls kept me occupied by giving me a million jewelry orders. Once we came home, we went straight to bed with no sexy times. The next morning, Sam went to the hospital before I woke up.
He hadn't come home since. First, I thought something must have switched up at the hospital and he had to take another shift, but now I was fairly certain he was avoiding me.
I didn't like the way we'd left things, and he was clearly pissed off.
To be honest, after he left, I rewound our conversation, and I got mad too.
How did he turn everything against me? I'd never, ever told him I wouldn't choose him.
Still, the truth was, deep down, I wanted Sam to choose me.
I just didn't want him to know I wanted that because I was also afraid of him giving up his dream and resenting me for it.
I threw away the sketch I’d been working on—it looked like crap.
I had to come to terms with the fact that I wouldn't be able to do any creative work until Sam and I worked things out, or at least until he came home and I knew he was okay.
I'd only texted him once, and he said he was sleeping in the on-call room.
At least that was something; it meant he wasn't overworking himself.
While I made myself another coffee, I checked my phone. I didn't have a message from Sam, but I did have one from Kimberly.
Kimberly: Hey, your unwanted mama bear here. Do you need some company?
I replied quickly.
Avery: I'd love some. The loft is starting to feel quite lonely.
Kimberly: Yeah, I heard Sam is camping at the hospital. Want me to buy something for us to snack on?
Avery: Yes please.
Kimberly: Any favorites?
Avery: Whatever's bad for us.
That sounded good. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol. I mean, it was morning, for God's sake, but an extraordinary amount of carbs and sugar sounded right up my alley.
Since I knew Kimberly was coming, I went to the bathroom and made myself presentable.
I was wearing a pink summer dress, more of a Bohemian style. I loved lounging in them around the loft, even though it was cold as hell outside.
As I looked around, my heart felt like it was the size of a peanut. Seeing everything we'd done to this place in such a short time made me realize how much I wanted a future with him. I could almost see our mini-mes running around.
Oh God, I loved Sam so much, and our life together. These past few weeks, I'd convinced myself that we were a couple and this was a relationship. Now my heart was heavy at the thought that our paths could separate again. I couldn’t even imagine us being apart.
Last time it had been different. I'd been in over my head with Mom’s doctor appointments and the bills.
I didn't even have time to mourn my breakup with Sam.
I'd only woken up, as if from a haze, three years later.
Back then, the wound was no longer fresh enough to grieve, but it had never healed properly.
Kimberly arrived faster than I thought she would. She smiled from ear to ear as I opened the door for her. My eyes bulged at the size of the box she was holding. It was from Liz's Bakery.
"How much stuff did you bring, exactly?"
"A lot. I told Liz what we're dealing with, and she said she knew exactly what to give us."
"Did Sam tell you something?"
"No, not at all, but just by the fact that he's sleeping at the hospital, and you couldn't reply fast enough that I should stop by, I think I'm on the right path, huh?"
I nodded.
We went to the kitchen island, and she opened the box.
"Wow. Everything looks delicious," I said.
"I agree."
"Well, let's see what we have here. What should we start with?"
"Can I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Let's start with the bigger ones because the small ones are usually sweeter."
"We'll work up the ladder of sugar rush, so to speak," I said.
Kimberly snapped her fingers before pointing at me. "Exactly. You’re good at this."
"I do my best." I took a huge cupcake and bit right into it. It had chocolate on the outside and a creamy liqueur frosting on the inside. "This is unexpected, and delicious," I muttered. "Kim, you're a godsend. I didn't even know I needed this."
She laughed softly. "Sam is the only one who calls me Kim."
"Really?"
She nodded. "Listen, I feel so bad for the way I blurted things out at Thanksgiving.
I don't know what I was thinking. I thought he told you.
I just figured it was up for discussion.
I mean, in retrospect I should've known because no one brought it up.
But I've been away for too long, and I seem to have forgotten some of the family dynamics.
I'm going to get back in the saddle soon, though. "
"Don't worry," I said. "These"—I pointed to the sweets—"more than make up for it."
“How's my jewelry coming along?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
I sighed. “Not at all. I can’t be creative right now.”
Kimberly bit her lower lip. “I totally get that. When I’m consumed by relationship crap, I can only do mindless, robotic stuff.”
“I promise I’ll start working on them soon, though.”
I’d shown everyone stones and designs and took their measurements. I’d agreed to make several designs for each, and they could choose their favorites. It was a far more sophisticated approach than I usually took with clients, but I wanted to go the extra mile for the family.
God, I wanted them to be my family so bad!
"I'm surprised Alana isn't here with you."
“She's on a business trip to Sydney," I said miserably. "Otherwise, she probably would've come in the evening to keep me company."
Kimberly gave me a sheepish smile. "If you want, we can go out and have some girly fun this evening."
"What if Sam comes home? I really want to talk to him."
"When my cousin eventually stumbles home, he'll probably crash and sleep for forty-eight hours straight. And if he doesn't, you probably shouldn't talk to him anyway because he's going to be exhausted and even more of a Maxwell male than usual."
"A what?" I understood the words, but they seemed to have some secret meaning.
"It's what Reese and I sometimes say about our cousins. It's a particular type of stubbornness that was only transmitted to the male side of our family. However, there's also a correlation: the more stubborn they are, the more they care about you."
"You think so?" I murmured.
"I’m positive about it."
“I just want him to come home.”
Kimberly said, “He will, trust me. He so will. We have a plan.”
“Who’s 'we'? What plan?”
She smiled. “Just leave it to us.”
Sam
The beds in the on-call room were hands down the worst ones I'd ever slept in. Had they purposefully made them uncomfortable? Doctors needed their rest. I woke up with a stiff neck and a sore elbow, though that was probably not the bed's fault. I needed to go home.
The first two nights, I didn't even purposely stay here. Flu season was rampant, and three of my colleagues got sick. That meant I had to take over their shifts. In the morning, I was simply too exhausted to leave the hospital, so I fell asleep in the on-call room.
Tonight had been a conscious choice. I hadn't wanted to go home after two nights of disastrous sleep and face Avery. It was a well-known fact in the Maxwell clan that I didn't make the best decisions when I wasn't well rested.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in."
The door opened, and Tina poked her head in. "Hey, Sam, Travis and Bonnie are here with little Rose. Thought you might want to say hi."
I immediately flipped into doctor mode. "Is it an emergency?"
"No, no. They're here for a checkup."
"Already?"
Tina frowned. "I just saw them come in, and I know how you like to see them during her checkups."
"I do." I felt a special bond with my niece. Maybe because I held her the day she was born. I’d always wanted children—but Avery’s comments at Thanksgiving made me worry how committed she really was to us, our relationship. After Olivia, my ego was rawer than I thought.
I went up to pediatrics, massaging my stiff neck.
Dr. Catson's exam room was just two corridors away from the elevator, but I managed to take the wrong one.
Damn, I was definitely sleep-deprived. When I finally found it, I went in without knocking first. Travis and Bonnie were hovering over Rose.
Dr. Catson was administering a shot, and little Rose was remarkably silent.
"Damn, she's not afraid at all," I said.
Travis looked at me. "How did you know we were here?”
"Tina told me. She saw you come in."
“She had to get a couple shots," Bonnie said, "and we hadn't been able to make an appointment, so we thought we'd stop by today."
I narrowed my eyes, looking from Travis to Bonnie. "When did you make that decision?"
"Yesterday."
The corners of my mouth were now twitching. This was an intervention.
Travis stared at me. “When we found out through the Maxwell-gossip-central-line that you were practically camping at the hospital…”
Dr. Catson looked at me, and I groaned. The last thing I wanted was for my colleagues to know any of my business, but if anyone had to hear my drama, at least he was easygoing.
"I’m done here. My next patient isn't for another hour, so I'll leave the room for you all to chat."
"Sure." Bonnie kissed Rose’s head.
Damn, she was cute. She hadn't even cried at the shots, which was rare. Then again, Dr. Catson had a way with kids. To my astonishment, my niece looked at me and extended a hand.
"I think that means she wants you to hold her," Bonnie said.
"But I haven't showered since yesterday, I think."
"Babies don't mind," Bonnie assured me.
I lifted my niece from Bonnie, and she immediately snatched my scrubs and planted her small lips right on my sternum. Then she turned around, just resting her cheek on it. "She's relaxed, and… oh, I can't believe it. She fell asleep."
"You’re truly a baby whisperer. You should come visit us more often," Bonnie said.
She was right. The baby's breaths were even, though she sighed now and again. But babies sometimes did that in their sleep.
It was rare for anyone to actually fall asleep like this on someone who wasn't their parent. Maybe the bond I felt with her went both ways. My heart swelled with pride at the thought.
"You didn't have to come all the way here," I said softly, though Rose moved in my arms anyway. I made a sign to indicate I wasn't going to talk anymore because I didn't want to wake her up.
"Oh good, you're silent. That means we can talk," Travis said. I stared at him, cocking a brow, and then at Bonnie. "She doesn't wake up when other people talk. But if you speak, she might feel the vibrations in your body."
"Is this a trick?" I asked. The baby moved again, and I shut up.
"No, but it's working out wonderfully," Bonnie said. "We should remember it just in case anyone needs you quiet again."
Travis kissed her temple. "I like how you think, babe." He turned to me. "Sam, are you listening to me?"
"Yes." The baby didn't shift, so I took it as a good sign that one-word answers were okay.
"We all know how you can get when you haven't had your sleep," Travis began.
"I'm a doctor. I’ve been sleep-deprived since finishing med school."
"Shh," Bonnie said just as Rose started to wince.
I put a hand on the back of her head, caressing the top with my thumb, and her breathing eased again.
"Listen, we know you and Avery have a history, which includes her leaving after high school. And also that your ex was kind of a bitch." Though the way he said "bitch" was more like "beeotch," probably so Rose wouldn’t understand, which was hilarious.
"She doesn't know what the word means," Bonnie said quickly when Travis cocked a brow at her. "The point is, we know you weren't looking for a relationship when Avery came back in your life."
"Listen to me, man. I've known Avery for as long as you have.
Obviously, as a twenty-year-old, I couldn't assess the situation.
But as an adult, my guess is that back then, she didn't want to stand in the way of your career, and then in some twisted way, now it's happening all over again," Travis continued.
“I hear you, bro, but that doesn’t make sense. She’s not stopping me from doing anything. I don’t want to move to Maine. I want to stay here with her in Chicago.”
“Right, so your choice is stopping you from going to Maine to build the clinic, and she thinks you’re doing that because of her,” Travis said.
Could this be any more confusing?
"But I told her I am choosing Chicago because of her. I choose her."
"I'm impressed,” Travis said. “But I think Avery’s unsure.” He looked at his wife. “I don’t know. Babe? Help me out here.”
"Yeah, those were all the right words, Sam. And look, Rose isn't even waking up, so she approves of them too," Bonnie said. "But sometimes it takes more than words. Something like a romantic gesture.”
“I think Tate could give you some insights. Gran probably could too," Travis said.
Bonnie chuckled. “Must everything be a Maxwell group effort?”
“No, not everything,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.
“But they usually are awesome,” I agreed.
After they were left, I changed and did the same. Travis was right. I'd told Avery what I wanted. Now I needed to prove it to her.