“You okay? I heard about Ed. I know you two were close.” Staci offers me a hug, and I gladly take it, peering over her shoulder at Brooks’s sympathetic nod.
“Thanks, Staci.” I pull back, sharply inhaling, the cool breeze filling my lungs. After a moment of silence, I turn to Brooks. “I thought you left already?”
He shrugs. “I did, but I was called back in for a couple patients. Not like I was doing anything, anyway.”
“You need to take care of yourself better. And I mean, rest. Do you ever sleep?” Staci’s voice softens as she angles his face toward the light, obviously attempting to study his eyes.
He grips her wrist, holding her hand on his cheek. “I’m fine,” he whispers.
Staci shifts where she stands, dropping her hand, and clears her throat. “Since you guys are both here, I want to give you a heads-up about something.”
Brooks and I both look at each other in question.
She lets out a shaky breath. “I may be leaving Sunnyville soon. The hospital back home in Seattle needs another surgeon. An old mentor gave them my name, and they called me for an interview. I’m going up there in a couple of weeks.”
Brooks visibly stiffens next to her.
We stand quietly for a few seconds, but they feel like hours.
“I know it’s sudden. It’s not certain, either, but it would be a good change for me. I have family up there, unlike here.” She frowns.
“Staci, that’s great, if it’s what you want.” I reach out to her for a one-armed hug. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Thanks.” She gives me a sad smile, then peers at Brooks, whose jaw is clenched.
“Why would you move to Seattle? It’s busy. You already have long hours here. It’d be three times the load in a city. Besides, you have family right here.” He points between himself and me, and although he’s right, this isn’t about me.
They’ve been dancing around each other for months, ever since he moved in with her for a few weeks. Now that she’s thinking about leaving, Brooks is upset, from the looks of it.
I back away. I shouldn’t get in the middle of this, but I don’t stop myself from trying to ease their impending argument. “See you guys later, and as always, try not to kill each other.”
“Can’t make any promises,” Staci mutters.
Waving, I back out of my spot and head home. Once I’m safely parked, I check my phone. It’s been in my office on silent all day, and when I see my screen, I curse.
Several texts and missed calls from Clara.
“Shit,” I say again.
Even though she’s probably asleep, I still try to call her now. She doesn’t answer, as expected, so I send her a quick text to let her know I’ll call first thing in the morning, but there’s an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Thirty-Seven
Clara
I read Dax’s text when I open my eyes in the morning.
I waited for him for hours. He said he’d come to Jacob’s basketball game. That he wouldn’t miss it.
But he did, and he didn’t even call.
All his text says now is that he’ll call this morning. I set my phone down and rub my eyes. Just as I sit up, Jacob yells from downstairs about breakfast.
Sighing, I get up and meet him in the kitchen. “What do you want today, bud?”
He sits up straighter at the counter, his young eyes heavy and tired. “Surprise me.”
“You got it.”
I get to work on a simple bacon and eggs breakfast and make a note on the pad next to the refrigerator to get more eggs.
We move around the kitchen in silence, a heavy tension settling between us.
I sat alone while Jacob’s game started last night. At halftime, still no sign of Dax. Afterward, once the buzzer rang, and the game ended, Jacob didn’t even care that they won. His eyes scanned the emptying gym one more time before he led the way to the car, pouting.
He was so disappointed, and it gutted me.
I tried explaining that Dax is very busy saving lives. Usually, this works. It makes Jacob think of Dax like a superhero. But something was different last night. The conversation didn’t have the effect on him like it usually does, and it made me feel worse.
“You played very well last night.” I set the steaming plate of breakfast in front of him. “I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks,” he mumbles as he pushes his eggs around. He rests his elbow on the counter and takes a slow bite.
I exhale and fix my own plate.
Dax’s disappearing acts aren’t new, but we weren’t together then. I didn’t have to worry about how Jacob would be affected by it.
But now? Knowing Dax will miss stuff like this will be hard to keep brushing off. I don’t know how I’ll keep apologizing to Jacob. How I’ll keep justifying it to him when I can’t grapple with it myself.
The rest of the morning continues in silence.
After I drop Jacob off at school, I call my office to confirm the site address for our shoot this morning. It’s at the local gym for a piece on staying fit and healthy as a working mom of two. It’ll be the perfect distraction to keep me occupied.
To stop me from thinking about the fact that Dax still hasn’t called like he said he would.
On my way into the office to work on editing the shots I just took, I start to worry about Dax, so I give him a call. His voice mail picks up through the speakers of my SUV, and I sigh in frustration. “Damn it.”
Once I park, I send him a quick text to check in and head into the office.
As soon as I sit, my phone goes off, and Dax’s bright smile lights up my screen. It’s a picture we took together in town one afternoon. His arms are wrapped around me from behind, and I’m laughing at a ridiculous argument we had over the best Friends character. He said it’s Chandler, but I argued it’s Ross, even though they’re all great.
I walk out into the hallway to answer his call. “Are you okay?”
There’s a pause, and I hear clicking of keys on his end.
He clears his throat, and when he speaks, he seems distracted and formal like I’m one of his colleagues. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Good. I didn’t hear from you. And Jacob’s game last night—”
“I’m sorry, but something came up at work.”
“Okay. I was worried.”
“I’m fine.”
There’s a pause, and I imagine he’s rubbing his eyes the way he does when he’s stressed, which is often. I wish I could take it away from him.
I also wish I could have Dax right now to reassure me that everything’s fine. Instead, I have Dr. Pearson on the phone. I sigh. This is his job, and I don’t want to make it harder on him.
But this stings. Jacob’s frown has weighed heavily on me all day, and he’s all I can think about right now.
“Maybe you can come over for a late dinner tonight? I’ll make spaghetti,” I offer.
“I’ll do my best. I’ll—” His office phone rings and interrupts us. “I need to go. I’ll call you later.”
I start to tell him I love him, but the line goes dead.