Chapter Six
From: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
To: Luna Oliver [email protected]
Date: November 22
Hi from Amsterdam. How is Thanksgiving in Cherry?
From: Luna Oliver [email protected]
To: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
Date: November 22
You must not have talked to Forest yet. Thanksgiving has been horrible. I brought my roommate home with me because she’s from Ohio and didn’t want to go all the way home for such a short time. And guess what happened? Forest hooked up with her!!! I’m pissed at both of them. Forest and I had a long talk, and I had to tell him that siblings DO NOT hook up with each other’s friends. I was so upset that we ended up leaving Friday to come back to campus, and I’ve reached out to housing to get a new roommate. Forest and I aren’t talking. And Kelsie and I aren’t talking. So yeah. I’m great.
From: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
To: Luna Oliver [email protected]
Date: November 23
Sorry for the late email. The time difference and all. I haven’t talked to Forest, but I’m sorry you are upset about this. We can’t always help who we develop feelings for. But I’m sorry you’re hurt.
From: Luna Oliver [email protected]
To: Keegan Baldwin [email protected]
Date: November 23
Feelings? He knew her for a few hours. The man needs to stop thinking with his dick. Also, I know you’re an only child, so I’ll say it louder this time. SIBLINGS DO NOT DATE EACH OTHER’S FRIENDS.
Forest and I have always been close, despite our age difference. He was six years old when I was born. My mom had two miscarriages in the years between us, which accounts for our age gap. By the time I started kindergarten, Forest was in middle school, and when I reached middle school, he was already in high school. When he turned eighteen, graduated from high school, and moved out of the house, I was only twelve. There was never much overlap, but as little sisters usually do, I adored everything about my big brother. We were far enough apart in age that there was never any actual conflict. But close enough in age that I looked up to him.
He’s always been my person. We’re a lot alike. We’re both spontaneous and laid back. We both rely on humor to lighten the mood. We’re different in a few ways too. He’s confident, while I tend to be self-deprecating. He is a total neat freak, and I’m messy. He’s good at math. I am not.
Forest and I jog down the concrete sidewalk in Central Park, side by side. He tries to pull ahead of me, but then I kick it into my next gear to catch up with him. We’re on our fourth mile, and he’s not letting up.
“I talked to Mom this morning.” Forest glances at me and says the word so effortlessly, not like we’ve been running for miles.
“Yeah?” I breathe heavily, the jog finally catching up with me. “How’s Mom? We’ve been playing phone tag for the past two days.”
Forest slows, and I follow. When he comes to a full stop, I bend down, rest my hands on my knees, and take slow, deep breaths. I stand fully and pull my legs behind me to stretch my quadriceps, and then Forest and I walk toward an outside kiosk that sells coffee.
“She went on and on about how excited she is that you and I are in the same city. Not only together, but with Keegan.” Forest reaches the counter first and orders two coffees.
“They’re arriving here next week, you know?” Forest hands me a coffee, and I moan when I take my first sip. I’ve never drank as much coffee as I have since becoming a resident. I’m considering getting a PICC line that feeds me constant dark roast, all the time.
“Yes. I’m aware.” I remove the lid and blow on it after nearly burning my tongue with my first drink. “They’ll stay at a hotel, right? I don’t think Mom and Dad, or my roommates, would appreciate them staying with me. And you only have one bedroom.”
“Or at Keegan’s.” Forest shrugs. “His place is massive. I mean, by New York standards.”
Forest and I walk in the direction of Tavern on the Green in Central Park. When we see a bench, I head toward it. My legs are noodles and are barely holding up the weight of my body. I sit, and Forest follows.
“She also mentioned she ran into Rain at the grocery store.” Forest leans back on the wooden bench and crosses one leg over the other. “I guess she was not in good shape. High off something.”
“Rain?” I raise an eyebrow. “Keegan’s mom, right? Wow. I haven’t heard her name in ages.”
Forest looks at me over his coffee cup. “The one and only.”
The coffee warms my belly. I never was privy to what the situation was with Rain, but I always knew there was some reason that Keegan spent every moment at our house. I don’t know when it started, because I can’t recall a time when it wasn’t Forest and Keegan together. I was too young to understand.
As I got older, my mom shared a little bit, but it usually didn’t involve any more details except that she struggled, and Keegan felt safer spending his time with us as he was growing up.
“What’s Rain’s deal?” I ask. “I mean, what kind of mom lets their kid spend every second at another family’s house? Seems so odd.”
“Well.” Forest squirms and then shakes his head. “I feel like that’s Keegan’s story to tell. But let’s just say it was messy.”
Most nights during the week, Keegan was at our house. Forest had two twin beds in his room, and one was Keegan’s. He was there at dinnertime, and almost every day, he took the bus home from school with Forest. When the basement at my parents’ house was finished, Keegan moved to a room down there.
Forest stands up, starts stretching his muscles, and pulls his leg up behind him. “How’s the hospital treating you? How are you getting on?”
He stares at me, and I stand up too. We start walking in the direction of his place. “I work constantly. And when I’m not working, I study, sleep, and dream of work. This being a doctor thing is life-consuming.”
Forest nods, and his lips turn up in a smile. “I remember that. And I know it may not seem like it, but it does get better. Honestly, Luna, get through your first year. Are you still swearing off men?”
Forest grabs the empty cup out of my hands and throws it in the garbage. We walk a bit more in silence, before I finally say, “That’s the plan.”
“One must have really done a number on you.” Forest continues to press on.
“Not really,” I say. “But my last two boyfriends wanted me to upend my life to follow their dreams. Seb wanted me to move to a developing country and delay my residency while he did charity work. And then TJ asked me to give up my dreams of doing a residency at Presby and follow him home to Alabama. No thank you.”
“You know you don’t have to put your life on hold until you’re out of a residency,” Forest says. “That sounds like a miserable next five years.”
“True,” I say. “But I also have no plans on following a man and his dreams. If someone wants to be with me, they can follow my dreams. Let’s not forget about my five-step plan.”
Forest laughs. “I get it. The best thing I did during my first year was not let women distract me. And trust me, they tried.”
“Yes.” I shove Forest in the arm. “I’m sure they were lined up trying to date you.”
He laughs. “Believe it or not, they were. And Presby isn’t unlike any other workplace. It’s a cesspool of interoffice romances.”
“It can’t be that bad.” I glance at Forest, wide-eyed.
“Worse,” he says, without hesitation. “Every doctor in the place once dated another resident, attending, or nurse. You name it.”
“And what about you?” I stare at Forest, as he continues to look forward. “Who have you dated?”
“A few, unfortunately.” He puts his face in his hands. “Have you worked with Lex, the emergency room nurse?”
“Actually, yes.” I put my hands on my hips. “I met her recently.”
“Well, she’s the last person I dated. And it didn’t work out, and she’s made my life miserable ever since.”
“Forest.” I hit him on the arm. “No wonder she’s always so cold toward me.”
“Yeah, well.” Forest playfully rubs his upper arm where I hit him. “She’s pretty much told all of her nurse friends to stay away from me and has since become obsessed with Keegan. Like, she may keep a photo of him in her locker.”
“This is all really good to know.” I raise an eyebrow. “But people at the hospital are the only people we ever see.”
True.” Forest starts laughing. “And as long as we always talk before we date each other’s friends, I promise your resident friends are safe with me.”
“Yeah,” I shake my head at him. “Let’s use Kelsie as a cautionary tale.”
Forest laughs. “Or we could use my medical school friend Joe. Your pick.”
“Oh, I’d forgotten about him,” I say. “Although it was hardly the same.”
“I will never cross you again, Luna. I learned my lesson.” Forest runs a hand through his sweaty hair and chuckles. “But honestly, I hope you’ll take time to get acclimated before you date too seriously. I remember how hard the first year of residency is.”
“I’ve sworn off men.” I wrap my arm in his. “I find your entire gender clingy and a bit on the selfish side.”
Forest winks at me. “That’s my girl.”