shoulder. “Just be okay. That’s all I want.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I wish you weren’t heading back into the devil’s den. Why couldn’t you have taken a job in Alaska or South America? Someplace safe and far, far away from Jessica.”
“I’m not that close to her.”
“I hear the Taliban needs doctors. Maybe you can get a job sewing suicide bombers back together. That would be better than being near your ex.”
Ward broke the hug and pulled back, laughing. “Stop! I don’t want to be far away. Whether it’s over, or we start over, I have to get some closure with Jess. And until she’s sure what she wants, I can’t move on.”
Rosa shook her head, angrily. “It’s ridiculous that Jess should expect you to wait around while she decides what she wants to do with your life.”
“I know. It’s hard to understand.” Ward had cried on Rosa’s shoulder a dozen times since she’d been in Rehoboth, when she’d first arrived on her doorstep and, again, after every time Jess refused to talk and after every awful thing she said when they did. Jess was having a mid-life crisis, and while it wasn’t fair that she was taking it out on Ward, it also wasn’t fair of Ward to abandon her. Jess was emotionally unwell, and until she told Ward it was over between them, Ward couldn’t give up on her. She loved her, and she still believed Jess would come through this and they would be together again.
Rosa swallowed a piece of blueberry muffin and washed it down with coffee before she spoke again. “Since she’s not talking to you—”
“She is talking to me! Just not as much as I’d like—”
“Since she’s not talking to you as much as you’d like , will you at least consider putting in your application for a Delaware license? Then, if it doesn’t work out with her, you can come back here.”
Ward studied Rosa’s face and saw concern there. It was warranted. She’d been in bad shape when she arrived on Rosa’s doorstep. Jess had asked her to leave Garden, had “suspended” her from her duties in the ER, and had put their relationship on hold while she evaluated what she wanted to do with her life. In addition, Ward was humiliated by the way she’d behaved at the bar. George had been a friend; to think she’d assaulted him mortified her. Even if she despised Emory Paldrane because of his feelings for Jess, he still didn’t deserve to have his nose broken.
She had no excuse for her behavior, but the total lack of precedent really concerned her. She’d never acted violently in her life. Was something seriously wrong with her? Was she capable of hurting someone else, maybe someone she loved, like Jess?
And why couldn’t she remember anything that had happened? Her mind seemed to have protectively blocked out the horrifying events, but instead of soothing her, the amnesia only worried her more. She had no recall after leaving the hospital that night—not the drive to the bar, nor the drinks she’d consumed, nor the assaults she’d perpetrated. She’d lost more than sixteen hours of her life, from the time she left the hospital a little after eight that night, until she awakened in her bed around noon the next day. That’s when Jess had filled in the blanks and kicked her out.
Ward had been devastated, of course, and felt so fortunate to have the kind of friends who loved her unconditionally and helped her weather the storm. Rosa was one of them, and had been since they’d met early in their medical careers. If a simple gesture from Ward would ease Rosa’s concerns, why not do it? All it would cost was a few bucks and a few hours of her time to complete the paperwork. And Ward suspected she’d have plenty of time in the coming months.
She smiled at her friend. “If it makes you happy, I’ll apply for a Delaware license. Then I can work with you and live with you and cook for you…”
Rosa stood and hugged her again, smiling. “Thank you for admitting I’m right.”
They
“I’ll be fine.”
“I wish you weren’t heading back into the devil’s den. Why couldn’t you have taken a job in Alaska or South America? Someplace safe and far, far away from Jessica.”
“I’m not that close to her.”
“I hear the Taliban needs doctors. Maybe you can get a job sewing suicide bombers back together. That would be better than being near your ex.”
Ward broke the hug and pulled back, laughing. “Stop! I don’t want to be far away. Whether it’s over, or we start over, I have to get some closure with Jess. And until she’s sure what she wants, I can’t move on.”
Rosa shook her head, angrily. “It’s ridiculous that Jess should expect you to wait around while she decides what she wants to do with your life.”
“I know. It’s hard to understand.” Ward had cried on Rosa’s shoulder a dozen times since she’d been in Rehoboth, when she’d first arrived on her doorstep and, again, after every time Jess refused to talk and after every awful thing she said when they did. Jess was having a mid-life crisis, and while it wasn’t fair that she was taking it out on Ward, it also wasn’t fair of Ward to abandon her. Jess was emotionally unwell, and until she told Ward it was over between them, Ward couldn’t give up on her. She loved her, and she still believed Jess would come through this and they would be together again.
Rosa swallowed a piece of blueberry muffin and washed it down with coffee before she spoke again. “Since she’s not talking to you—”
“She is talking to me! Just not as much as I’d like—”
“Since she’s not talking to you as much as you’d like , will you at least consider putting in your application for a Delaware license? Then, if it doesn’t work out with her, you can come back here.”
Ward studied Rosa’s face and saw concern there. It was warranted. She’d been in bad shape when she arrived on Rosa’s doorstep. Jess had asked her to leave Garden, had “suspended” her from her duties in the ER, and had put their relationship on hold while she evaluated what she wanted to do with her life. In addition, Ward was humiliated by the way she’d behaved at the bar. George had been a friend; to think she’d assaulted him mortified her. Even if she despised Emory Paldrane because of his feelings for Jess, he still didn’t deserve to have his nose broken.
She had no excuse for her behavior, but the total lack of precedent really concerned her. She’d never acted violently in her life. Was something seriously wrong with her? Was she capable of hurting someone else, maybe someone she loved, like Jess?
And why couldn’t she remember anything that had happened? Her mind seemed to have protectively blocked out the horrifying events, but instead of soothing her, the amnesia only worried her more. She had no recall after leaving the hospital that night—not the drive to the bar, nor the drinks she’d consumed, nor the assaults she’d perpetrated. She’d lost more than sixteen hours of her life, from the time she left the hospital a little after eight that night, until she awakened in her bed around noon the next day. That’s when Jess had filled in the blanks and kicked her out.
Ward had been devastated, of course, and felt so fortunate to have the kind of friends who loved her unconditionally and helped her weather the storm. Rosa was one of them, and had been since they’d met early in their medical careers. If a simple gesture from Ward would ease Rosa’s concerns, why not do it? All it would cost was a few bucks and a few hours of her time to complete the paperwork. And Ward suspected she’d have plenty of time in the coming months.
She smiled at her friend. “If it makes you happy, I’ll apply for a Delaware license. Then I can work with you and live with you and cook for you…”
Rosa stood and hugged her again, smiling. “Thank you for admitting I’m right.”
They
Similar Books
