by Marie Force
"That's a good idea."
She retrieved her laptop and followed him out the door a minute later. "This is so exciting," she said when they were in the car. "Thanks for inviting me."
"I just hope…" He bit his lip and glanced over at her.
"What?"
"It can be upsetting the first time you see it."
She sobered and reached for his hand. "I know, but maybe if I see it I'll be able to understand it better and be more supportive."
"As long as you know it's okay if it upsets you. That's only natural."
She nodded. "So what did Parker say? How's he doing?"
"He's a total mess."
"I can't say I blame him. I hope she calls. Are you really going to tell him about us tomorrow?"
Ted nodded.
"What are you going to say?"
"I'm going to tell him the truth—exactly the way it happened and hope for the best."
She chewed on her thumbnail and stared out the window.
"What's going on over there?"
"I know we said we'd get through it together if it happens, but I don't know what I'm going to do if they desert you because of me."
"I've been thinking a lot about that, too, and I've decided it's not going to happen. We've been through so much together I can't imagine them turning their backs on me. I've tried to be the best possible friend to each of them. For instance, when Parker's mother was sick and dying, I got him in with specialists and found the answers to all his questions. I even went with him to the funeral home to pick out her casket. I could give you dozens of other examples like that with all three of them. There's been a lot more between us than fun and games. That's got to count for something, don't you think?"
"I hope so. I really do."
When they got to the hospital, they went first to Ted's office to drop off her computer and the bag he had carried to work.
"Glamorous, huh?" he asked, referring to the hole in the wall that served as his office. He donned a white coat with the name "Dr. Duff" embroidered on the left side, checked his pager to make sure it was on, and clipped it to his belt.
"It a nice office," she said. "Oh, look at this!" On the wall she had found the framed copy of a Boston Globe article from four years earlier with the headline "Childhood Cancer War Spans Three Generations for Boston Family." In the photo that accompanied the article, Theo and Ed stood behind Ted with their hands on his shoulders. "What a great story this is."
"We got a lot of attention when that came out."
"They look so proud. I'll read it while you're in your clinic."
He draped his stethoscope around his neck and ran his hands over her arms. "Are you sure you're up for this?"
"I'm sure."
"If it gets to be too much just give me a sign, and I'll get you out of there, okay?"
"Don't worry about me. I can handle it."
He dropped a light kiss on her lips and reached for her hand. "Okay then. Let's go."
They took the elevator to the in-patient floor and stepped into a world that was all about kids. There were brightly colored murals on the wall, cartoon character decals on the floor, and doctors and nurses wearing festive scrubs. The first person they encountered was Kelly at the nurse's station.
"Hey, Ted." She filled him in on the rough night one of his patients had had before she noticed he wasn't alone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had a guest with you. I'm Kelly." She extended her hand.
"This is Caroline," Ted said, catching Kelly's eye as she realized this was the Caroline.
Caroline shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Kelly."
"Likewise."
Before the moment could turn awkward, Ted quickly got down to business with Kelly, who gave him status reports on several other patients. She used only first names to protect the patients' privacy.
"Let's go see who's hanging out in the lounge," he said to Caroline. They found several kids in the large, sunny room where a big-screen TV was tuned to Nickelodeon. Two pre-teen girls, both of them hooked to I.V. poles, came over to hug him. Neither had hair and both faces were marked by the sunken look reserved for only the sickest of children.
"Hello, ladies. This is my friend Caroline. Caroline this is Becky and Sarah. We call them the dynamic duo because you'll rarely see one without the other."
The girls shook hands with Caroline.
Only Ted noticed how hard she was trying to rein in her emotions as she got her first concentrated dose of cancer-stricken children.
Ted talked to the girls about how they were feeling while Caroline wandered over to look at the paintings they had been working on at a nearby table. "These are excellent," she said.
"Caroline's writing a book," Ted said proudly to the girls, who peppered her with questions.
A boy in a wheelchair rolled over to them.
"How's it going, Simon?" Ted asked.
"Pretty good, Dr. Duff. Who's the foxy babe?"
Ted chuckled. "Hands off, my man. She's taken." He checked his watch. "I need to see a couple of patients up here and then get to the clinic," he said to Caroline. "Want me to walk you back down?"
Caroline glanced around the room. "Would it be okay if I stayed here and visited with these guys? I can find my way downstairs after a while."
"I'm sure they'd love the company. I'll ask Kelly to get you a volunteer badge so no one hassles you." He led her away from the prying eyes of the curious children. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
She nodded. "I really want to."
Everything they felt for each other passed between them as he kissed her cheek. "I should be done in the clinic by two. If you want to meet me downstairs we can grab a late lunch. Or if you get hungry before then, go on down to the cafeteria. Anyone up here can tell you where it is."
"I'll be fine."
* * *
By the time Gina finally called at ten, Parker had worn a path in his living room carpet. When he saw her name on the caller ID he had to remind himself to take a deep breath before he answered the phone. This is it, thought. Two years have come down to this moment. Don't blow it.
"Hello," he said, doing his best to sound light and casual.
"Parker?"
"Hi, Gina. How are you?"
"I'm looking at the beautiful roses you sent. That was so thoughtful of you. Thank you."
"I'm glad you like them."
"I can't believe you remembered."
"Well, it was an important day for you." He wanted to shoot himself for sounding so dorky after rehearsing this in his head for a year.
"Yes, it was."
An awkward pause seemed to stretch on for hours before he said, "So how are you?"
"I'm doing well. We all are. The boys keep me busy."
"I'm glad to hear that." You're just a regular conversationalist, aren't you, King? Come on! This is Gina! Take it up a notch! "Listen, Gina—"
"Can I ask you—"
"I'm sorry," he said, kicking the sofa in frustration. He should have hired a high school boy to take care of this for him. No doubt the kid would've done a better job. "What were you going to say?"
"I was just going to ask you, I mean, do you send flowers to all your clients on the anniversary of their divorces?"
Parker chuckled softly. "No. You're the first."
"Oh." After a long pause, she added, "Oh."
"Do you think maybe we could have dinner tonight?"
Another long pause ensued during which he died a thousand deaths waiting for her to say something.
"Are you, um, interested in me, Parker?"
He smiled. "That's one way of putting it."
Flustered, she said, "I don't understand. If that's the case, why haven't you called me before now?"
"Have dinner with me, and I'll explain."
She was quiet for so long he wondered if she was still there. "Oh, God, you waited," she said in a small, incredulous voice.
He realized she was crying. "Gina, don't. Please, don't."
"I can't help it," she sniffed. "That's about the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."
"It wasn't supposed to make you cry."
"I'm sorry, but this is just a bit overwhelming."
"I know, and I wish it wasn't. I really, really want to see you. My assistant will baby sit." He was prepared to offer his assistant a thousand dollars to change her plans for the evening if that's what it took.
Gina laughed through her tears. "That's not necessary. I can take them to my mother's."
"So is that a yes, then?" His heart galloped in his chest as he waited for her reply.
"Yes, Parker. That's a yes."
He wanted to whoop, but instead he calmly said, "I'll pick you up at seven."
"Do you know where I live?" she asked and then laughed. "Duh, of course you do. You sent the flowers."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Is there anyone else?"
"No."
He sat down on the sofa when all the oxygen seemed to leave his body in one long sigh of relief. "Good. That's good. I'll see you at seven."
"Okay."
When the soft click on the line told him she was gone, he dropped his head into his hands and fought the urge to weep at the painful surge of emotion that charged through him. She'd said yes. All the days and weeks and months of hoping had paid off. She'd said yes. "Now take a deep breath and play it cool," he said out loud. "You're going to freak her out if you let her see how bad you've got it for her. Don't be an idiot."
He got up and took his coffee cup into the kitchen. Leaning over the sink, he shook his head with wonder. "She said yes," he whispered. "I'm going to see her tonight. Tonight!"
* * *
Ted left Caroline in the lounge and went to find Kelly at the desk.
"So that's her, huh?" Kelly asked. "I guess things have changed since I talked to you last.
"Everything's changed."
"I'm happy for you, Ted." She reached across the desk to squeeze his hand. "Really."
"Thank you. Would I be a total ass if I asked you to scrounge up a volunteer badge for her?" he asked with a sheepish grin. "She wants to hang with the kids for a bit."
"Oh, sure, so she's nice, too," Kelly teased. "How's that fair?"
"Thank you, Kelly," he said in a sing-song voice.
"You owe me one, Ted Duffy."
Their friendly banter was a relief. They were going to be okay after their dating debacle. He was in danger of losing enough friends without adding her to the list, too. "I owe you more than one, but I'm sure you won't let me forget it."
"Never."
At two thirty Ted returned to his office to find Caroline at work on her computer. He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Were you waiting long?"
"I just came down half an hour ago."
"You were up there all this time?"
She nodded and when she looked up at him her eyes were glassy with emotion. "It was … life changing. There's no other way to put it. I thought I loved you before, but seeing you here and meeting your kids… Thank you for sharing it with me."
"Thank you for spending all that time with them."
"It was entirely my pleasure. I was thinking I might like to volunteer up there once in a while. Could I?"
"That could be arranged." He leaned back against the desk and reached for her hands to pull her up and into his arms. He held her for a long time before he said, "I thought I loved you before, but having you here, having you get it, just makes me love you more."
She kissed his jaw and then his lips.
He hooked an arm around her neck to kiss her properly.
A knock on the door startled them, but Ted didn't let her go. "Come in," he said.
Caroline inhaled sharply, causing Ted to turn toward the door. "Mom? What are you doing here?"
Chapter 29
Mitzi stared at them, her face rigid with shock.
Caroline tried to pull away from him, but Ted kept his arm firmly around her.
Mitzi looked from her son to Caroline and back to Ted. "I don't understand."
Ted released Caroline and went to draw his mother into the room, closing the door behind her. He kissed Mitzi's cheek. "What are you doing here, Mom? I thought you were on Block Island."
Her eyes lingering on Caroline, Mitzi said, "Grandy wasn't feeling well last night, so Dad wanted to bring her over to see her cardiologist. As long as Dad and Grandpa were with her, I decided to come to the auxiliary meeting here."
"Is she all right?" Ted asked.
"Dad just called to tell me they're admitting her to Mass General to run some tests." She glanced at Caroline again as if to confirm that her eyes were not deceiving her. "That's what I came to tell you."
"Cardiac tests?"
She tore her eyes off Caroline and nodded. "Dad said they're just being cautious, and she doesn't want everyone rushing over there. She said, and I quote, 'Tell Ted he can call me tonight, but there's no need for him to come over here.'"
"You're telling me the whole story, right?"
"Yes. They're probably only admitting her because it's summer and we're living on the island where there's no hospital. We'll be in town for at least a week until we know for sure that she's okay to go back."
Ted let out a deep breath. "I'll respect her wishes for exactly one day, and then I'm going to see her."
"I'll let her know." Mitzi cast frosty blue eyes at Caroline. "Are you two going to tell me what's going on here?"
Ted put his arm around Caroline again. "We're together now."
"What do you mean together? She's Smitty's girlfriend."
"Not anymore. She's my fiancée."
Mitzi gasped. "What in the world are you talking about? She was with him just last weekend. I saw that with my own eyes."
"Mrs. Duffy," Caroline said. "Mitzi … I know how this looks, or I can only imagine how it looks, but I love Ted."
"What about Smitty?" Mitzi sat down hard in the chair by the door. "Oh, God! This is why he left for Australia so suddenly! He knows! How could you do this to him, Ted? You know he has no one of his own. How could you do this?"
"Mom, listen, you don't understand—"
"You're right. I don't understand."
"Mrs. Duffy…"
"Please don't speak to me, Caroline. What kind of woman are you that you'd come between two men who've been closer than brothers?"
"Be careful, Mother. You're talking to my future wife, and you'll watch your tone with her."
Mitzi didn't try to hide her disgust. "Are you serious? What the hell's gotten into you, Ted Duffy? You're going to marry her? You don't even know her. And if she'll cheat on your friend, what'll stop her from cheating on you, too?"
Caroline gasped and took a step back.
Ted reached out to her. "That's enough!" he said to his mother. "I think you should go now. If you can't be civil to Caroline then we don't have anything to say to each other."
Mitzi stood up. "You've lost your mind."
"No, Mother, I've lost my heart."
"When were you planning on telling us?"
"When I was good and ready to. I've waited a long time for this, and I want you to be a part of it. I know it comes as a shock to you, but I'm asking you to be civil to the woman I love."
Mitzi's eyes held his in a fierce battle of wills.
"Do not force me to choose, Mom. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
"Yes, I believe I do." She grabbed her purse. "You've never done anything but make me proud. Until now." With that, she turned and walked out.
When Caroline's legs would have collapsed under her, Ted caught her against him and held her as she dissolved into tears.
"Shhh," he whispered. "It's okay. She'll come around."
Caroline was inconsolable.
Ted's pager went off, and he reached for it. "Crap. My residents are waiting for me upstairs to do rounds. Did you get to eat?"
"With the kids." Caroline was once
again glassy eyed, but this time due to shock. "Go ahead and go."
"How can I leave you here like this?" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm so sorry, honey. I can't believe the way she treated you. She was totally out of line."
"I guess I had it coming." Caroline wiped tears from her face. "Let's face it, I did cheat on him."
Ted put his arms around her. "Don't do that to yourself, Caroline. We both know the truth about how this happened. Nothing happened between us until it was over between the two of you. That's what matters." He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. "We have to stay focused on what we know to be true."
She rested her head against his chest. "How is it that you're thinking so clearly? I'll bet your mother has never spoken to you quite like that before."
"I can think clearly because I'm totally committed to you and to us, and nothing's going to come between us. Not my mother, not my friends, not my job. Nothing."
His pager sounded again. "Well, my job's going to come between us for a couple of hours," he said with a wry smile as he clipped the pager back onto his belt. "You aren't going to run away on me while I'm gone, are you?"
"No. I'd be too afraid I might see your mother if I left this room."
Ted smiled and ran his thumbs over her jaw to tilt her face up to his. "I love you, Caroline. That's all that matters here, okay?"
She nodded, but he could tell she wasn't ready to move past the humiliating scene with his mother just yet.
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'll be here."
"I'm counting on it."
With one last quick kiss he was gone.
* * *
Caroline sank down into his chair and put her head back. Closing her eyes, she shuddered when she recalled Mitzi's cold disdain. "My future mother-in-law," she said with a sigh, "basically called me a whore. I'm coming between him and everyone in his life. How long will it take him to hate me for that?" A sob lodged in her throat, and she buried her face in her hands.
* * *
Ted had completed his rounds and was typing orders into a computer terminal at the nurses' station when the father of one of his patients approached him.
