The Family Next Door

by Heather D'Agostino

  “Well, when I go back to work, we’ll have that, too,” Katie lifted a shoulder.

  “Yeah…when you go back…” he trailed off and sighed.

  “What?” she snapped her head to the side and crinkled her forehead.

  “I was hoping you’d want to stay home with the baby,” he shrugged. “Like my mom…”

  “I don’t know if I do or not. I love being a doctor. I don’t want to give that up. My mom did both, I can, too,” she cocked her head to the side.

  “We’ll talk about it later. I think we’ve covered enough for one night,” Patrick stood and offered a soft smile. “I’m gonna head home, and let you get some rest. It’s late, and the baby needs rest,” he took a few steps toward the door before pausing to turn back around one last time, “Can I stop by tomorrow? You know…just to talk.”

  Katie nodded slowly, “I’d like that.”

  “See you tomorrow,” he stepped in front of her, paused, and slowly bent down to place a light kiss to her forehead. “Tomorrow,” he murmured against it.

  “Yeah…tomorrow,” she whispered in return as she watched him turn, walk to the front door, and disappear into the night.

  Chapter 21

  After their night of much needed conversation, both Katie and Patrick were finally able to get some rest. It was as if a weight had been lifted off both husband and wife. Things were far from being fixed, but it was a start.

  ooooooooo

  When Patrick awoke the next morning, he began planning how exactly he was going to leave the clinic. He knew he’d have to give notice, but spending one more day in the same place as Tinsley made his skin prickle with aggravation.

  After showering and dressing for the day, he headed out, briefcase in hand, with a lightness in his step. First he stopped at Dunkin Donuts and grabbed a jelly-filled donut and decaf coffee for his wife. He smiled as he tucked the bag under his arm. He knew Katie would be surprised he thought to do this, but after last night he knew he needed to pull out all the stops. If he wanted to prove he would fix them, he would start with the little things.

  When he pulled up to Hannah and Matt’s, he jumped out of his car and strode up to the front door. After knocking, he rocked back on his heels, and waited for it to open. Within a few moments, it cracked open, and Charlie peered out.

  “Uncle Patrick!” he squealed delightedly. “What are you doing here?”

  Patrick chuckled at the boy’s enthusiasm, “I came to see Katie. Is she up yet?”

  “No,” Charlie hung his head. “She sleeps a lot now.”

  “Well…could you give her this?” he held out the Dunkin Donuts bags in front of himself.

  “Is there anything in there for me?” Charlie grinned.

  Patrick’s face fell, “Sorry Buddy. I didn’t think of that.” He shuffled on his feet and reached up to grab the back of his neck as Charlie frowned, “Tell you what…I’m going to stop back after work. How about I bring you something this afternoon as payment for helping me out this morning?”

  Charlie’s frown instantly disappeared, and a lopsided grin replaced it, “Deal!”

  “Here…give this to Aunt Katie when she wakes up, and tell her I’ll see her tonight,” Patrick handed him the bag, and then turned to head back to his car.

  ooooooooo

  “Who was at the door?” Hannah called from the kitchen as Charlie rounded the corner.

  “Huh?” Charlie answered distractedly as he peered into the bag to see what his uncle had brought his aunt.

  “The door Charlie, who was at the door?” Hannah sighed “and what are you doing?”

  “Nothing!” Charlie rolled the top back down on the bag. “Uncle Patrick was at the door. He brought this,” he pointed at the bag. “And he said when he came back tonight, he’d bring me a treat.”

  “Oh really?” Hannah popped her hip as she leaned against the counter.

  “Yeah,” Charlie’s head bobbed vigorously.

  “Well, if you want to make it to the bus stop in time, you better eat,” Hannah pointed to the spot at the table where a lone bowl of cereal sat with a glass of milk.

  “Yes, Mom,” Charlie grumbled.

  Just then, Katie waddled into the kitchen and yawned, “Morning.”

  “Good morning,” Hannah smiled brightly. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yeah…better than I have in a while,” Katie shuffled over to the counter and reached to get a mug down.

  “Your talk must have gone well last night,” Hannah watched Katie for any signs of being upset.

  “Sure…I guess…I mean we’re gonna work on it,” she placed the mug on the counter, and turned toward the coffee pot noticing that there wasn’t any. “Really Hannah…no coffee?”

  “Here!” Charlie jumped up from the table behind them. “You don’t need it.”

  Katie turned around to see her nephew grinning like a fool up at her, holding out a paper to-go cup.

  “This is for you,” he thrust the cup into one hand, and the paper bag into the other. It’s my job today,” he smiled as she took it.

  “Job? Isn’t nine a little young for a job?” she teased.

  Charlie blushed lightly, “Uncle Patrick said I could have a job to earn a treat.”

  “Oh he did, did he?” Katie smirked.

  Charlie giggled, “You sound like Mom.”

  “That’s good to know,” she murmured as she turned and placed her treasures on the counter. A smiled tugged at her lips as she pulled the donut from the bag, and sunk her teeth into it.

  As she sipped the coffee, she watched silently as Hannah got Charlie ready and out the door for school. She was so proud of her sister for the way she had stepped into the role as Charlie’s mom. It was as if they’d been together forever, not the few years it had actually been.

  “You’re great with him,” she mused when Hannah came back into the kitchen after sending Charlie out the door.

  “He’s a great kid. It’s easy with him,” Hannah shrugged. “You’ll be a great mom, too. You had a great role model.”

  “I don’t know….” Katie trailed off as she moved to sit down. She twirled the coffee cup between her hands as she stared off in space.

  “You will,” Hannah whispered reassuringly as she crept up behind Katie. “Mom and I will help, too.”

  “Yeah…I know,” she nodded as her eyes zeroed in on the writing on the cup. She’d failed to notice it until now. Upon further examination, she saw it was Patrick’s handwriting.

  This is only a start, but I will spend the rest of my days showing you how much I love you. Enjoy your morning, and I’ll see you tonight.

  I love you, P

  A small smile tugged at her lips as she read over the message again. He was trying…he wanted to patch things up. She sighed as she leaned back in the chair and began to stare out at Hannah’s back yard. The rain that had been falling for days was finally letting up. The sun was starting to peek out from behind the gray clouds. It was as if Mother Nature was sensing a change in Katie. The storm that had been looming over her was passing, and making way for brighter days in the coming weeks.

  ooooooooo

  When Patrick pulled up to the clinic, the good mood he’d been in instantly evaporated. He’d been wanting to turn in his notice to Mason, and spend his last few days as far from Tinsley as possible. But…Mason’s car was not in the lot, and Tinsley’s was. All that could mean was that Dr. Covington was gone somewhere, and he’d left his daughter in charge.

  Patrick released a breath as if he was preparing to do battle. He shoved open his door, grabbed his things, and marched up the steps of the clinic. After settling into his office, he powered up his laptop, and began to dive into the files piled on his desk.

  It was a quiet day, and as the hours ticked by, he thought he might just make it through without seeing her, but as a soft knock rapped on his door before she slinked in, he prepared himself for the confrontation.

  “I have several patient files that have been neg
lected. I need you to see to them today,” she smiled as she swayed toward his desk.

  “Can someone else do that? I really can’t stay late today,” he grumbled as he glanced up at her and then back to the papers on his desk.

  “Sure, but I’d like you to do it. You shouldn’t need to stay too late. Besides…I’ll be here. We can grab dinner or something,” she grinned as she moved to perch herself on the corner of his desk.

  “No!” he growled as he glared up at her, fire burning in his eyes. “I’m not staying late today. I’m going to spend the evening with my wife.”

  “You mean ex-wife,” Tinsley smirked as she cocked her head to the side and crossed one leg over the other, causing her skirt to rise slightly.

  Patrick shoved himself back from his desk. His face reddened as the vein along the side of his neck pulsed. Before he could respond, a second knock sounded at his door. Jean poked her head in, planning to tell Patrick he had a call on the main line, but stopped when she saw Tinsley grinning.

  “Oh! Excuse me,” she gasped as she backed out of the office and shut the door.

  “Fan-freaking-tastic!” Patrick growled. “Now the whole damn office is going to be buzzing with whatever she thinks she saw.”

  “I wouldn’t worry,” Tinsley giggled as she stood and made her way around Patrick’s desk. “Now we don’t have to hide this anymore,” she moved to sit on his lap, but unlike last time, this time he pushed her away.

  “Get out!” he pointed to the door.

  “Oh Patrick,” she tsked as she advanced closer. “Don’t you see I’m the better choice? She can’t make you happy like I can,” she whispered as she leaned in next to his ear.

  “No!” he pushed against her shoulders. “We are not doing this. I don’t want you!” he rolled his chair back further and stood. He moved closer toward his door, and opened it as he stepped in the doorway. “Get out!”

  “You’ll be sorry,” she smirked as she moved up beside him. Before stepping completely through the door, she trailed a finger lightly down his chest, “You don’t know who you’re messing with. I always get what I want.”

  “Not this time,” he growled. “I quit!”

  “What?” her eyes flashed.

  “You heard me,” he shrugged. “I…” he leaned right into her face, “quit.”

  “You can’t do that,” she balked.

  “I just did,” he turned to head to his desk as he began powering down the laptop and tossing things into a box. “I was going to wait, and talk to your dad. I wanted to do this right, but now…after that…I don’t care anymore. I can’t stand to be around you. I don’t want to spend one more second breathing the same air as you. So…I…quit!”

  Tinsley’s head snapped back as she watched Patrick shuffle around his office tossing his belongings haphazardly into the box on his desk. Anger was radiating off him, and the air was thick with tension.

  “Staying here as long as I did was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. Nothing you can do will make me regret this decision,” he glared up at her as he tossed some of his medical books in the box. “So go ahead…tell your dad whatever you want. I assure you I’ll survive. My wife and baby are more important than anything else in my life,” he glanced at the photo of Katie that normally sat on his desk as he placed it in the box on top of the books.

  Once he finished his rushed packing job, he lifted the box and marched past her. As he reached the end of the hallway, he shouted over his shoulder, “I’ll get the rest on a day you’re not here,” and made his way to his car.

  Tinsley stood in the hall in utter disbelief over what had just transpired. She’d never had a man rebuff her that way. “He’ll be back,” she thought. “They never can stay away for long.”

  ooooooooo

  Once settled in his car, Patrick took a few deep cleansing breaths. The day had not gone the way he had hoped, but he’d accomplished his goals none the less. Now he only hoped he could find a job that he liked in a practice somewhere nearby. He’d even contemplated becoming a general practitioner if it meant staying away from the hospital. As a GP, he might even be able to open his own clinic. He and Katie could work together. With her as a pediatrician and him as a GP they could have a family practice.

  As that thought continued to tumble around, he cranked the car, and began to head to Hannah’s. He wanted to talk to his wife about quitting the clinic, and this idea. The more he let it settle in his brain, the better it was beginning to sound.

  McKinley Family Practice. It had a nice ring to it.

  Chapter 22

  While Katie helped Hannah clear the dinner dishes, Charlie spent the evening staring out the front window. Matt was reclined in his usual spot reading the newspaper as Sportscenter blared in the background.

  “What are you looking at?” Matt folded the paper as he tried to get Charlie’s attention.

  “Uncle Patrick is supposed to come by tonight,” Charlie answered distractedly.

  “Since when did you get this excited to see him?” Matt crinkled his forehead.

  “Daaaaddd,” Charlie groaned. “He said he’d bring me something.”

  “Something?” Matt rocked forward and placed his feet on the floor.

  “Yes,” Charlie huffed. “He came by this morning with donuts for Aunt Katie. He told me he’d come back tonight with something for me.”

  “Ummm, I don’t think his idea of bringing you something is the same as yours,” Matt shook his head.

  “Well see,” Charlie shrugged.

  “Yeah, ok Buddy,” Matt chuckled.

  As he leaned back bringing the paper up in front of his face, he heard Charlie squeal with excitement, “He’s here!”

  Charlie jumped up from his perch by the window, and raced to open the door. When he threw it open, Patrick was standing there looking quite disheveled. His hair was standing up in different directions as if he’d run his hands through it several times. His shirt was half untucked, and his tie was dangling around his neck.

  “You came back,” Charlie grinned.

  “I said I would,” Patrick’s jovial voice echoed into the room.

  “Hey…did you get in a fight or something?” Charlie scrunched up his face as he took in his Uncle’s rumpled appearance.

  “No, Buddy, just a rough day,” he stepped through the door and scrubbed his knuckles on Charlie’s head. “Brought you this,” he handed Charlie a plastic bag with the words Game Stop emblazoned on it.

  “Sweet!” he grinned up at him. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “I don’t know…did you want the new Mario game?” Patrick winked.

  “How did you know?” Charlie cocked his head to the side.

  “A little bird told me,” Patrick shrugged.

  “Thanks…you’re the best,” Charlie threw his arms around Patrick’s middle and squeezed him in a death grip.

  “Hey…maybe after I talk to Aunt Katie we can play it together. I’ll come up to your room when I’m finished if it’s not too late. Sound good?” Patrick grinned at his nephew.

  “Sounds great!” Charlie called as he moved to bound up the stairs.

  “You’re spoiling him,” Matt grumbled from his spot in the living room.

  “It’s just a game,” Patrick shrugged. “Not a big deal.”

  “It is to a kid who spent the first four years of his life with a mom who could barely clothe him,” Matt glanced up from his paper.

  “I didn’t think of that,” Patrick murmured. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just ask next time before you buy him something big. We figured his treat would be something like…I don’t know…a donut,” Matt smirked. “I’ll get even with you when your kid wants something that you won’t buy.”

  “That won’t happen…my kid’s going to have everything,” Patrick grinned as he waltzed into the room and tossed his coat over a chair. “Where’s my wife?”

  “Kitchen, with mine,” Matt rocked his head in the direction of the kitchen
door.

  “Thanks,” he nodded as he strode toward the door.

  ooooooooo

  “You know, you really shouldn’t be on your feet this much,” Hannah grumbled as Katie took the last of the dishes from Hannah’s hands.

  “I’m fine,” Katie narrowed her gaze. “I can’t sit around all the time.”

  “She’s right you know,” came Patrick’s voice from behind them.

  Both women spun around to see Patrick leaning against the door jamb smiling like a fool.

  “You should be resting while you have the chance,” he moved closer to them, watching as his wife scanned her eyes up and down his body.

  “We’re all done, so I’m gonna go…” Hannah’s voice drifted off as she left the room.

  “See something you like?” Patrick whispered as he moved to stand right in front of Katie.

  “No,” she shook her head and turned her back to him.

  “I know you’re not ready…to get back to way things were…and I’m ok with that,” he leaned down and placed his chin on her shoulder, “But it’s ok to admit that you want me.”

  Katie’s body stiffened as she felt his warm breath on her neck, “I can’t do this right now.”

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he stepped back. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. “I just…I miss you,” he reached up and grabbed his neck.

  “I miss you too, but I need more time,” she dropped her chin to her chest and sighed.

  “I can do that,” he nodded as he reached for her hand. “Why don’t you come in here and relax on the couch with me? There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he began tugging her toward the living room.

  “Sure,” she nodded as she shuffled along behind him.

  Once seated on the couch, Patrick grabbed her legs and draped them across his lap. He removed her socks, and began kneading his fingers into the soles of her feet. Katie’s head dropped back in rapture as she sunk into the simple pleasure her husband was providing.

  “Oh god that feels sooooo good” she moaned as her eyes rolled closed.