“No problem, buddy. But you have to remember the rules again. There’s a new baby to watch out for, so what do we need to do?”
All three of the boys speak in unison, the youngest, three-year-old Kip with more of a mumble. “Walk, don’t run, and whisper, don’t yell.”
“Good job, guys,” Grace says.
Doc and Phin get up, pointing to themselves, and Grace speaks to them. “Yes, you too. Good job, boys.”
“Daddy said to come to say goodbye, we’re leaving now,” Knox mentions.
“Okay.” I turn to Grace. “I’ll talk to you later, and thanks for the advice.”
She smiles. “Are you going to actually take it?”
“How about I tell you I’ll consider it.”
“It’s a start.”
I lean over to give the baby a kiss on the cheek then lean into Grace, leaving one on her forehead. “Again, thank you.”
“Any time.”
I stand, heading over to the family, say my farewell to Kai and Gin, then make my rounds to everyone else, myself heading out as well.
When I walk out onto the front porch, Ati is sitting there with Liam and Gwen’s son Cal—no Brock.
“Is this where the party moved to?”
Ati looks up to me with a pout, then Cal looks to me as well, tears in his eyes. I move to the other side of them and take a seat on one of the chairs. “What’s wrong, bud?”
He doesn’t say anything, just looks down to his hands where he is holding the microscope I got him for his birthday last year—the broken microscope.
“We’ve been trying to fix it, but I haven’t had much luck,” Ati informs.
I look down at my nephew. My mother says Cal is the spitting image of me when I was his age. He also is a lot like me in the sense that when my brothers were out climbing trees and finding something to get into trouble with; I was helping my dad build something, I could enter in the local science fair. Kindred spirits is what Gwen says about Cal and me.
“What happened?” I ask.
Cal looks to me, and in a soft voice, explains, “I was nice, and sharing like Mommy said. Then Ethan and Knox took it far away and wouldn’t let me have it back. It dropped when they were running, and it broke.”
I let out a sigh. I love all my nephews, but those two definitely know how to cause chaos wherever they go.
“Can I take a look?” Cal nods, then hands it over.
Yep, it’s done. It’s going to have to be replaced, which I have no problem doing, but I can’t tell Cal that, it will upset him more than that it is broken. He takes good care of his things, and if he thinks he let me down by it getting broken, that will bother him more. “Well, you know what? I think I can fix this.”
“You can?” He questions, eyes beaming with excitement.
“You can?” Ati asks unconvinced.
I nod. “Sure, but you’re going to have to leave it with me for a few days. Is that okay?”
Cal jumps from Ati’s lap and throws his arms around me. “Thanks, Uncle Ben. You’re the best.” He runs off; all his problems in life now gone.
“You’re going to buy him a new one, aren’t you?”
I let out a laugh as I look over to Ati. “For sure. This thing is a goner.”
“What if you can’t find the same one?”
I shrug. “He’s four; I’ll just buy a better one, and tell him I souped it up.”
Ati laughs. “That’s awesome. You’re really good with them.”
“Yeah, well, I try to be around as much as I can. What can I say—Uncle Ben’s a softie.”
She smiles, and her eye’s meet mine. “No, I just think Uncle Ben’s a really good guy.”
We stay locked in each other's gaze for a moment before someone clears their throat. “Sorry, don’t mean to interrupt, but Ati, I just wanted to let you know, Liam and I are heading out,” Gwen mentions.
Ati stands. “Oh, yeah, I guess it’s that time. I should probably head out with you.”
“Okay, we’ll see you there,” Gwen replies, then heads off.
“Uh, aren’t you going with them?”
She shakes her head. “No, I actually picked up my rental this morning.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah. Independence…yay!”
I let out a chuckle. “Don’t get all crazy now and start cruising the boardwalk, looking to pick up some hottie.”
She lets out a laugh. “You never know. They do say you can find love in the strangest of places.”
I know she’s just playing around, but the thought of her falling in love with someone that isn’t me, kind of makes me ill. Maybe Grace was right. She may not feel the same way, but I need to be honest with her. Obviously not here. No, I have to find a time when we can be alone with no distractions. Yeah, that’s not going to be easy in a house with five kids under the age of seven.
Ati shoots me a wave before she heads off, and I get up and head towards my car. Maybe a good night’s sleep will lend me some insight as to what I should do.
***
Struggling with something to say all day, I never did figure out what to do about Ati. Right now, I’m meeting Alex for drinks, and maybe if that goes well, dinner too, so, what to say to Ati will have to wait.
When I pull up to the restaurant, I take a moment before entering. This is it. If I go in there and things do go well, I can’t turn back. I owe it to myself to see if this can turn into something more, instead of being hung up on someone or something that has long ended.
I get out of my car and head in, asking the hostess for a seat at the bar, thinking that’s the best place to wait.
“Ben Adair?” The hostess asks.
“Yes.”
She smiles. “Your party has arrived. If you follow me, I can take you to the table.”
“Thank you.”
I follow her to the back where Alex is sitting at a corner table with the best view overlooking the beach.
“Hi,” I greet.
She stands from the table, offering a friendly embrace in welcome, then takes her seat, and I take mine.
“I hope this table is okay. Whenever I come here, this is the one I always get because of the view,” she mentions.
“It’s perfect. Have you been waiting long?”
“No. I got here about ten minutes before you.”
I give her a smile. “Good.”
The server comes taking our drink orders then moments later, returning with two glasses of the house wine.
“So, Alex, where have you been hiding?” She lets out a laugh, then I continue to explain. “The only reason I ask is that I’ve lived here all my life, and last week was the first time I came to know that you even exist.”
She shrugs. “Well, as you know, my father only became mayor about five years ago when he retired. Before that, he worked in a high-profile job for the government and traveled a lot. My mother and I always traveled with him; that is until I got older. Then I was sent to a boarding school in Gary. I would stay there for the school year, then come back to Emerson in the summer when my mother returned home and spend that time with her. I didn’t really know anyone in town, so I would stick around the house.”
“Where did you go to school?” I ask.
“Albrecht Prep. Actually, I remember your friend Ati from there. She was a couple of years younger, but I definitely remember her. Hard to forget the girl that every guy in the school lusted after, and every girl wanted as their BFF.” She lets out a chuckle. “It’s funny. Now that I think back, I always thought she was so intimidating, but after meeting her yesterday, she seems nice.”
Of. Freaking. Course.
Dammit! Why couldn’t this just have been a nice night out with a beautiful woman, and not one thinking of the other that has taken over every aspect of my life?
“Yeah, she’s nice,” I murmur with a hint of a growl; hopefully, Alex won’t notice. “You never mentioned that you knew her at the party.”
She shakes her head. “What
was I going to say, ‘Oh, hey, I was like one of your biggest fans in high school?’ She would have thought I was insane. That, and I wouldn’t want her to feel bad that she didn’t know who I was. That always makes people uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, I guess you have a point.”
“So, are you two close? I know her sister married your brother, but she also seems really tight with the rest of your family?”
I let out a sigh. “We used to be; a few years back.”
“Oh yeah? What changed?”
What’s with all the interest in Ati; it’s starting to throw off my mood. “Life, I guess. She went away to school, and I ended up moving to be closer to work.” I think she’s accepted my answer, but there is something with how she seems to be avoiding eye contact. “What is it?”
Alex lets out a breath. “Well, from how you were watching her all night at the baby shower, I thought maybe there had been more.”
She noticed. I was hoping she hadn’t, but she did. I’m pretty sure anyone who was even remotely looking my way would have noticed. “There was more, but it was a long time ago.”
“So, you dated?”
“Not really—It’s complicated.”
Alex smiles, her eyes watching me closely. “You loved her.” It’s not a question, but I nod a reply anyway.
“Look. The history Ati and I have is a complicated one. After eight years of her being away, she came home just last week, and it was the first time I’d seen her in just as long. When what we had ended, it wasn’t good, and I was to blame,” I explain, but I notice a slight cringe to her expression. Knowing what it is, I let out, “I didn’t cheat.”
Her shoulders relax. “Thank God. I thought I was going to have to put an end to this evening before it even started.”
I let out a chuckle. “You’re safe. But enough about my past with Ati, I’m here to get to know you.”
“Fair enough, but I do want to know more about you as well; how about we order dinner?”
I give her a smile. “That sounds perfect.”
Chapter Seven
-Matilda-
Stethoscope? Check. Pen? Check. Scrubs? Check. Runners? Where are my runners?
I pop my head from my bedroom and call out down the hall, “Gwen, have you seen my new running shoes?”
“Grey cross-trainers?” She asks from one of the bedrooms.
“Yeah.”
Gwen walks out of Isaac’s room. “I think Sammy was walking around with a pair on his feet. He’s in Cal’s bedroom.”
I really need to find an apartment...soon. It’s my first day at the hospital, and if I don’t get moving, I’m going to be late. I head over to Cal’s bedroom, and sure enough, Sammy is sitting on the ground with a half-eaten sandwich.
“Hey buddy, I have to go to work now, so Auntie Ati needs her shoes. Sammy looks up to me while taking a large bite, and that’s when I notice my shoes on his feet—covered in a strawberry jam—Fantastic.
Letting out a groan, I bend down. “If I didn’t love you so much, kid, I’d sell you to the gypsies.”
Sammy’s eyes widen in alarm, quickly shifting to his older brother. Cal says with a chuckle, “That’s what Mommy always says, but then Daddy says that we would have to pay them, and we don’t have that kind of money.”
I let out a laugh. “Daddy might be right.”
I remove my shoes from my nephews’ feet and head to the en suite. After attempting to wipe off what I could of the jam, I say a quick goodbye to my sister and the boys and head out. The drive to work is about an hour during the day, but since I’m heading in just after the workday has ended, I’m hoping traffic will be lighter.
***
Thankfully, I made it to Gary in record time, so after pulling into the parking lot, I first take a moment to gather myself before heading in. “This is it, Ati; your new journey starts now. Leave the past behind and look toward your new future.”
I grab my small duffle bag and purse from the passenger seat, step out of my rental, and head in. “Here we go!”
Walking through the front entrance of the hospital, I spot a group of eager looking individuals. I’m going to guess that’s where I need to be because they look just how I feel—excited, but overwhelmed. I head over and am instantly greeted.
“Dr. Matilda Batin?” The older woman asks, looking down at her clipboard. I give her a nod. “Perfect, we’re all here, so I’ll start. I’m Genevieve Estimé, the charge nurse here at Gary Hospital. And yes, this is a Louisiana accent you hear—born and raised. I moved to Oregon for a nursing position here thirty years ago when I was twenty-three and never left. So, if there is something you need to know, I’m your go-to. You all may be the new up and coming doctor’s, but I pretty much run the show in this ER. You need it, I get it. You break it, I fix it. So, that being said, you want me on your good side. Now, does anyone have any questions before I start the tour?”
Before any of us can say anything, a familiar gloriously tall and masculine figure pops up behind Genevieve. “Don’t let her scare you off. Under that tough bravado, she’s actually a fluffy little kitten wanting to be cuddled.”
Genevieve turns to the man now standing beside her, offering a chagrin. “Dr. Jefferies, how wonderful of you to grace us with your unrequested presence.”
He looks to her with a toothy grin. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the orientation of my new minions.”
She shakes her head, giving a playful roll of her eyes. “Pay him no mind.”
Dr. Jefferies lets out a laugh. “All kidding aside, you’re in good hands here with Genevieve. After, I look forward to meeting you all so we can put those brilliant minds to work.”
As he moves to walk away, he makes eye contact with me and nods his greeting. Okay, he remembers me—hopefully, that’s a good thing.
***
My twelve-hour shift flew by. After Genevieve gave us the tour and ran through her list of ‘don’ts and nevers,’ as she called it, we all went our separate ways with the attendings that would be working with us. Abe wasted no time letting us get our hands dirty, saying that we’ve spent enough time with our noses in the books and standing by watching. I got to assist on a consult for a woman in her second trimester who was experiencing abdominal discomfort. Then, there was another woman that had come in, threatening absolute destruction, if we didn’t take her already two-week overdue baby out of her. And last, a teen mom who is currently homeless because her parents had kicked her out of the house. Dr. Jefferies has been helping her with not just the pregnancy, but also with resources and contacts for support to get her through this time. It was a great day, and I can’t wait until I come back tomorrow.
As I make my way to my car, someone calls out, “Dr. Batin.”
It isn’t quite registering yet. I still can’t get used to that name, but it’s really me. My name is called again. Turning to get a visual on the voice, I see Dr. Jefferies heading my way. “Hey, sorry, it’s going to take some getting used to being called a doctor.”
He lets out a laugh. “No worries, it’s been over six years for me, and I still look behind me to see if my father is there.”
“Your father is a doctor?”
“Yep, as was his father.”
I smile. “Ah, so it’s a family business. They must be proud to have you carry on the legacy.”
“My father, yes. Unfortunately, my grandfather passed when I was still in high school.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Dr. Jefferies shrugs. “It’s okay, I’m sure he knew well before I did what my career path was going to be. He bought my first medical bag embossed with my initials when I was six.”
I let out a chuckle. “An embossed child’s medical bag; that must have been quite the request.”
“Nope, it was an actual medical bag; the same one I use to this day,” he replies with a smile.
I let out another laugh. “Wow, he really must have had faith you were going to follow in his footsteps.”
<
br /> “You had to know my grandfather. Let’s just say he rarely heard the word no, and that was only from my nanna. She was a force all on her own.”
I smile, also remembering my own grandfather. I had only met him a handful of times, but those times I did, he was always so encouraging, telling me I could do whatever I wanted.
“I want to thank you for today. The hands-on was amazing. You’re a great teacher, and I can’t wait to learn more from you,” I say.
“May I call you Matilda?” He asks.
“Actually, I prefer Ati.”
He nods. “Ati, when I saw your name come through, I remembered you instantly from when I was a T.A. at Oregon U. I was happy to see that you chose Obstetric Medicine.”
“Yeah, well, it was actually a toss-up. Either obstetrics or pediatrics. I love kids, so it was a choice between bringing them into the world, or dealing with them after.”
“Are you one of those people that like them more as babies than toddlers?” He asks.
I nod. “If you met my nephews, you’d understand.”
Dr. Jefferies lets out a belly-filled laugh. “But, I bet you’re their favorite aunt.”
“Oh, yeah, but only because I bribe them with promises of toys and candy.”
He let out another laugh. “Their parents must love you.”
“Yeah, it’s my sister, so she has no choice.” I pause a moment, then continue, “Dr. Jefferies—”
“Please, call me Abe.”
I nod. “Abe, when I got the email you sent out, I was really pleased to see that I would be working under you.”
He smiles, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”
“Of course,” I reply just as softly.
“There are two of us attendings for the Obstetrics department, when I saw your name on the list, I made sure to snatch up your file before Dr. Avery could get his hands on it.”
“Well, then I will have to make sure not to let you down,” I reply, trying to hide the little surge of excitement about to burst through.
“I don’t think that will be an issue. From what I remember from when I was your T.A., you were smart and caught on quickly. I have a feeling before you know it, you may be showing me a thing or two.”
Ben & Matilda- Infinite Promise Page 6
