33. Ethan
33
ETHAN
I sit in the empty living room, staring at my phone, waiting for it to buzz. It’s been two days since I last heard from Madison, and even that exchange was pretty pathetic.
I had texted her to start the conversation. Are you okay? I hear somebody that doesn’t sound like Samson barking.
It had been nearly ten p.m. at night, and it sounded like someone in her house wouldn’t calm down. Of course, now, I don’t know the names of the dogs staying with her because they’ve been traded back and forth a few times since I’ve helped her. But I’ve seen her in her backyard being tugged around on the leash by the strongest ones.
She replied a few minutes later. He’s decided he doesn’t like his cage. He’ll chill soon. Hope he’s not bothering you.
I responded, Not bothering me. Just checking in on you.
But she never said anything else. That’s it. Those three texts are the only sign of life I’ve had from her.
My fingers hover over the keyboard for another moment, trying to decide if I should text her right now. I know she’s home. I saw her outside fifteen minutes ago. I have an overnight shift tonight, and I know if I don’t do anything, I’ll just be thinking about her the whole time.
I shake my head and finally send the best text I can manage. I’d like to talk when you have a chance.
It’s lame, but it’s the truth. I’ve never been this upfront with a woman before about how I feel. It’s a strange feeling.
That’s why I’m working so hard on getting this done—her surf school dream.
I grab my phone again, this time to call a realtor I know. The property I’ve been considering still hasn’t been taken, and I feel like if I wait to act on it, then I might lose the chance. I can imagine something boring like an umbrella rental place taking the space instead. No, it’s too perfect for Madison.
If I can’t talk to her and fix things, then I can at least do what I can to make her happy from afar.
Alex picks up after a couple of rings. “Ethan, what made you think of me? Finally have time between saving everyone’s lives?”
“Hey, Alex. I actually need your help.”
“Hope it’s something real estate related, because if you’re about to describe an injury to me, you know there’s nothing I can do.”
“Please, I wouldn’t trust my injured dog in your hands.”
Alex laughs. “What sort of space are you looking for? I had a cozy beachfront condo come up for sale. It’s not listed on regular sites yet.”
“I’m actually looking for a commercial space near the beach—something that’d be perfect for a surf school. I’ve found one that I really like already, but I’m open if you have something better.”
Alex pauses for a second, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. “A surf school? Well, that’s not your usual thing. You starting something new?”
“It’s not for me. It’s for someone…else. Can you help me find a place?”
He laughs softly. “Ah, now it makes sense. Send me the address of the one you like, and I’ll pull up a few other options. You wanting to rent or buy?”
“Either if it’s the right spot.”
“Well, that gives us a lot of options. What’s your timeline?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Huh, well, my day’s open. I can meet up with you in an hour.”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
We set a place, and I hang up, feeling a flicker of hope for the first time in days. I’m not just sitting around waiting for Madison to reply—I’m doing something. I’m going to prove to her that I’m here for her. It doesn’t matter if we’re in a romantic relationship or not. I care about her.
I have to work tonight, but I have enough time to walk some properties and speak to Alex in person first. I dress for the hospital, though, so I can drive straight there when I’m done.
When I meet Alex at the first property, the one I picked out, Alex smiles widely. “Good to see you in person. All I’ve seen are your very few updates about your life on Facebook.”
“Eh, all my real friends see me in person. I don’t need to use Facebook to tell people what’s going on.”
“Well, I haven’t seen you in a while. Does that mean I’m not your real friend?”
“You have your place in my life.”
“Yeah, taking a cut when you want to buy a place. Okay, let’s get a look inside here and see what you think once you really see it.”
Alex dangles the keys in front of me then unlocks the door and steps aside.
I climb the rickety wooden steps and look around. The space feels even smaller once I’m inside. I also see some spots where the boards have been worn by the constant wind and ocean.
“It’s not in the best shape. Do you know if they would take a lower offer? I could use some money to fix it up.”
“It’s been listed for a while. I’m sure they’ll take whatever you offer, as long as it’s reasonable, of course.”
I continue to study it for a moment, playing with the cabinets that are built into the shack. There’s really no better wording to describe it. But it’s a beachfront shack, which makes every grain of wood valuable.
“Yes, I’m going with this.”
“Now, Ethan, I’ve got a list of properties you?—”
“I don’t need to see them. This is a good distance. It’s great for walk-up business, and…a little fixing up will make it look nice again.”
“It will need seasonal painting for sure. But if you’re sure, I’ll walk you through the paperwork.”
“Set up a date next week, and we can get it done before Christmas. I need to head into the hospital.”
We shake hands again, and I can’t stop the excited grin from spreading across my face when I walk away from the property, the property that will soon be mine, and by extension, Madison’s.
I’m halfway through my shift at the hospital when the nurse I secretly blame for Aurora’s anger at me catches up to me in the halls. It’s been one of those days where everything is moving at full speed, and my mind is barely keeping up. Between juggling patients and trying not to think about Madison, the last thing I want is some unnecessary distraction.
She smiles at me, but there’s something off about her smile. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for a few days. You’ve just done your rounds. You should have a few minutes to talk now.”
“A doctor on duty never has time to talk.”
I glance up and down the hall, sure that someone is going to be calling me at any moment. I want someone to call me, even though I normally yearn for just a couple of minutes sitting behind my desk and updating medical files.
“It’s important, and it’s about something personal.”
I might as well get this out of the way so that she will stop chasing after me and let me go through my shifts alone.
I stiffen. “What’s up?”
She glances around, making sure no one’s within earshot before she speaks. “It’s about Aurora.”
I sigh. “What about her?” I already know what Janine is going to say, but I can tell that she wants to get it off her chest.
“She’s fine. But…I think I might’ve said something to her that upset her, and I didn’t realize it until later.” She clears her throat and rushes on, maybe afraid that I’m going to cut her off like I’ve done so many times before. “I ran into her a few days ago, and we got to talking. I mentioned something—about Madison.”
But now, I am genuinely curious. I want to know exactly what information was passed onto my daughter. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it, Ethan. I swear. I just… I think I might’ve let it slip that you and Madison were…together. Aurora looked surprised and upset, and I realized right then that I might’ve said too much. I didn’t know she didn’t already know. I figured if you were telling people at work that your daughter must know.”
I feel my blood pressure rising. The only reason I told her was because she was pressuring me to share things about my personal life, asking me if I was dating someone. The lightheartedness of our earlier conversation cuts through me now. I was dumb. I should never have said Madison’s name out loud to anyone, especially someone who would know my daughter and have a conversation with her. It’s really my fault, but I want to blame Janine. “No, she didn’t know. But thanks to you, she does now.”
Janine nods, guilt written all over her face. “I didn’t know it was a secret. I’m so sorry, Ethan. Aurora seemed very upset. I don’t know who Madison is, but it must be someone Aurora knows. If I had known?—”
I hold up a hand, cutting her off. “It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to apologize. I’m dealing with it.”
But she does anyway. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble between you two.”
Trouble. That’s one way of putting it. Ever since Aurora found out, she hasn’t spoken to me since… Well, since she came over and yelled in my face. She’s another person in my list of text chats who won’t respond.
“I appreciate you telling me, but it’s done. There’s nothing we can do about it now. I need to get back to work.”
There’s actually nothing I need to do right now, but I don’t want to continue having this conversation. Maybe now that she’s gotten her confession off her chest, she will stop coming after me trying to talk. Man, I have learned a lesson for sure– don’t trust anyone with anything personal.
She hesitates, like she wants to say something else, but I’m already turning away. I’ve got patients to take care of, and I can’t afford to let my personal life bleed into the job.
As I walk away, my mind starts to race. I still have a couple of minutes before I have to check in with the patient in the corner room again.
I pull out my phone to see if Madison has responded to the text I sent. No. Nothing. I even close out the messaging app and open it up again, just to make sure it’s not a refreshing problem or something.
No, she definitely hasn’t responded.
I sigh and type out another message, even though it makes me feel desperate. But as soon as I think of getting my hands on that perfect property and fixing it up with a good coat of paint, I get excited again.
Madison might not want a relationship with me, but she deserves her dream business.
So, feeling a little bit like a high school boy with a crush, I finally send a follow-up message. Hope you’re doing okay, Working a shift at the hospital. Can I bring you some coffee when I get off?
She won’t see the message until the dogs wake her up early, begging to be taken outside. But it might be a nice surprise for her to see the message and know I’m coming soon with coffee. There’s no way she can turn down hot coffee, right?
I shove my phone in my pocket and turn my mind back to my duties. If Madison will just respond to one of my texts, then I’ll be back on track to giving her the best Christmas present ever.
As for Aurora, we’ll work things out. We always do.