The Doctor's Recovery, page 23
“Did Wyatt call and tell you to check up on me?” Helen opened the door and waved Mia inside. “I’m going to need a nap from all the calls and quick stop-ins.”
“Wyatt isn’t here?” Mia followed Helen out onto the sun porch, noticing the only change in the older woman’s gait seemed to be a faster pace.
“He had a meeting and wanted to make a box run.” Helen checked the soil of her ponytail palm tree and examined the long thin green leaves. “Wouldn’t leave until we agreed on an emergency code I could text him if I got sick or fell.”
“That’s a good idea.” Mia eyed Helen, searching for any wear and tear she might’ve missed yesterday. But Helen looked content, her hum as she checked her other plants upbeat.
“Apparently not good enough.” Helen moved several succulent plants around on the table. “He also called in reinforcements to look in on me. You just missed Ava by less than five minutes. She’s off to help a neighbor move out of their building. Evie came over during her lunch break. Eddy, Frank, Sophie and Brad have all called and texted repeatedly.” The pleasure in Helen’s gaze ruined her attempt to sound disgruntled.
Mia smiled. “We all care about you.”
“Don’t think I don’t appreciate it, but I’d be satisfied with a little bit less attention.” Helen held up her arm and drew her index finger and thumb closer together. “Daisy and I missed our afternoon naps with so much company.”
Daisy climbed to the top of her cage before sliding down the outside. “When did you let her out of her cage?”
“Evie and I opened the door earlier,” Helen said. “We wanted to see what she would do with more space. She seems to like it. Evie read she’ll explore more and more each day as she gets more secure.”
The cockatoo looked quite at home already. Mia didn’t blame the parrot. She’d felt the very same way from the first time she’d walked onto the front porch with Wyatt. And every time she’d stepped inside, she felt like she’d come home. “She’ll be perched on your shoulder in no time.”
“Not sure we’ll take it that far.” Helen took Daisy’s water dish out of the cage. “But she’s good company. Listens to all of my worries and plant problems without complaint.”
Wyatt hadn’t ever complained about Mia’s night terrors. Instead he’d stayed by her side until she’d fallen asleep. They hadn’t stayed beside each other last night. They’d both erred last night. Yet Mia needed to focus on her responsibilities before she tackled her relationship with Wyatt. “We all need a friend like that.”
“You didn’t come here to talk about birds.” Helen patted Mia’s shoulder on her way into the kitchen. “Your camera is in here on the chair.”
Mia followed Helen and spotted the camera bag hanging from the chair back. She hugged the bag and felt a click inside her as if a missing piece dropped back into place. “I also stopped by to give you an invitation to the documentary screening and after-party this Friday night.”
“How wonderful. You finished your film.” Helen rinsed the bird dish and refilled it.
She’d finished that part of her life, too, and now stepped out on her own without a hand to hold. Now her mom relied on her success. Doubt snuck in. It would’ve been easier to stick with her father’s plan. Live his life. No, she scolded herself. She didn’t want easy, she wanted worthwhile. “Where should I put the invitation?”
“Set it on the table.” Helen handed the full water dish to Mia. “Would you put this in Daisy’s cage while I start the teakettle?”
Mia checked the time on her phone. “It’s early.”
“Yes, but it’s needed, I think.”
Mia gathered the teacups and honey from the cabinet. “I heard you suffered no damage from your fall.”
“Only the dent in my pride.” Helen pointed to her eye. “And this shiner.”
Mia would’ve preferred a few bruises to her pride over the chunk of nerves banging around inside her chest. She’d broken a promise to her dad and still had to confess to her mom. Mia filled the teacups with hot water and returned the kettle to the stove.
Helen dribbled honey across the top of her tea. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Mia sipped her tea, the hot liquid loosening the scratch from her throat. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“I usually start at the beginning.”
Mia grinned. “But it’s true. I don’t know where to begin to start my life.”
Helen leaned back in her chair and cupped her hands around the teacup. “You start with the first step.”
She’d done that with Eddy. Released herself from the film company. Freed herself to follow her own passion. “I managed that this morning.”
“You did know where to begin after all.” Helen sipped her tea. “What’s stopping you now?”
“My mother,” Mia said. “I have to talk to my mother.”
Helen nodded and reached for her notepad. “We’d planned to video chat this afternoon.”
Mia eyed the older woman. “That’s convenient.”
Helen held up her hands. “And the truth.”
Mia finished her tea and ran her hands over her scrubs. Helen slid the notepad toward her. Mia opened the program and dialed her mom.
Her mother answered on the second ring, her face filling the screen. “Mia, it’s you. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Hi, Mom. Helen is here, too.”
Her mom nodded. “Wonderful. Tell Helen I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s rare that my daughter calls me unannounced, and I’m going to steal this time.”
Helen chuckled and walked over to the cookie jar on the counter.
“Mia, I have something to tell you.” Her mom’s mouth thinned.
She had something to share, as well. “Are you sick? Are you hurt?”
“Nothing like that. I met with a real estate agent last week. I’ve been considering selling and downsizing to something more manageable.”
The breath Mia had been holding escaped.
“Please don’t be mad.”
That emotion dropped last on the list behind elated and relieved. “Why would you think I’d be upset?”
“I thought you might want to come home,” her mother said. “And I was terrified you’d hate me for selling the family house.”
“You wanted me to come home?” Mia asked.
“Of course, Mia. A mother always wants her children close so that she can keep them safe.” Her mom tipped her head and stared into the camera. “Mia, I hated that I could lose you just like we lost your father. I wanted you both to pursue your passion, but I’ve lived every day scared to death.”
Mia rubbed her forehead. Her mother lived in terror and yet still loved her enough to let her go and follow her dream. Mia’s words spilled out like tea running over a full cup. If she said it fast enough, maybe she’d find a quick solution. “Mom, I promised Dad I would make the mortgage payments. I promised him that your life wouldn’t change.”
Her mom pulled away and covered her mouth with her fingers. “He should never have asked that of you. He had no right to put that burden on you.”
Mia touched the screen as if she was really making contact with her mom. “I want to keep my word to him.”
“But?” Her mom scooted closer to the screen as if that would give her a better look at Mia.
“This will be my last documentary film. I’m letting Eddy take over the director role going forward.” Every time Mia explained the changes, she believed in her decision even more.
Her mom straightened. “What will you be doing, then?”
“I want to stay in San Francisco and see if I can make my photography into a career.” Mia glanced at Helen sitting across the table. The older woman nodded, then toasted Mia with her teacup.
“San Francisco,” her mom repeated.
“You’d love it here. I do.”
The screen shifted as if her mother had picked up her notepad with both hands. “Do you want me to come out there?”
“I don’t want you to worry. And there’s the stress of flying. And there’s the money,” Mia rambled.
Her mother cut her off. “Mia! Mia, do you want me there?”
Mia paused and blinked. “More than anything.”
“Then it’s done.” Her mother’s smile brightened the screen.
Mia looked at Helen, who nodded again. “Mom, I don’t mean for a visit. I want you to come out here and stay.”
Her mom dabbed a linen cloth against her eyes. “I’d like that. I’d really like that.”
“I know money will be tight. Maybe for a while,” Mia said.
Again, her mother stopped her. “Mia, dear, let me book my flight. When I get there, we will figure everything out. And we’ll do it together. You really shouldn’t worry so much.”
Mia covered her laugh with a sip of tea. “If you come by Friday, you’ll get to see the screening of the documentary.”
Her mother held up her cell phone. “I’m booking now. Love you, dear.”
Mia stared at the blank screen, dropped her head on the table and wept. Helen reached over and ran her hand through Mia’s hair. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Mia wasn’t alone. Helen refreshed her tea, handed her a box of tissue and allowed her to cry until her tears ran out. Mia hugged Helen and disappeared into the bathroom. She needed to clean herself up and leave before Wyatt returned. Her journey had begun. There was more to do before she invited Wyatt to join her.
* * *
HELEN WATCHED UNTIL the door to the bathroom clicked shut and then dialed her new friend in New York.
Jin Fiore answered on the first ring. “Helen, my flights are booked.”
“Wonderful,” Helen said. “I have a guest bedroom ready for you.”
“You’re certain I’m not imposing?” Jin asked.
“We’re going to be family soon, and family is welcome here as long as they want to stay.”
“I’m crying all over again.”
“As is your daughter.” Helen glanced down the hallway, pleased the bathroom door was still shut. “Jin, young people today make love so much more complicated than it needs to be.”
“They certainly do.” Mia’s mom laughed and then sobered. “Do you think they’ll finally get it right?”
“Of course.” Helen smiled. “After all, they have our help this time.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
WYATT SHOOK HANDS with Dr. Samuels, Bay Water’s chief of medicine. “Glad you’re a part of our full-time staff now, Dr. Reid.”
“Me, too.” Wyatt walked out of Dr. Samuels’ office and checked the time on his watch. He had less than twenty minutes to get home before the first of four general contractors came to his mom’s house for estimates on renovations.
Nettie caught him as he stepped onto the elevator. “I’ve surveyed the staff on every floor for their recommendation and opinions.” She shoved a piece of paper at him. “After my own personal interviews, here’s my list of the top three home health nurses in the city. I also added my top three home health agencies.”
“Nettie, you saved me.” Wyatt tucked the paper into his back pocket. “Or rather my mother. You need to come over with your family for dinner and a garden tour.”
“You can count on it.” Nettie turned at the call from a nursing aide down the hall. “That’s me. You give your mom and Mia a hug for me.”
Wyatt nodded and let the elevator doors slide shut. Hugging his mom was simple. He’d see her in less than fifteen minutes. Mia’s hug was a little more complicated. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Mia since Sunday night. Five days and almost eleven hours, and his breaking point closed in on him.
Fortunately, tonight that changed. And he hoped his first hug with Mia would be one of many to come. He strode off the elevator and crossed the parking lot.
Ava shouted to him from the ER entrance. “Ready for tonight?”
He gave her the thumbs-up sign. That was all he could manage with the nervous excitement twisting through him. He hadn’t been this wound up, even as a kid waiting for Christmas morning. Of course back then his entire future didn’t rest on whether he got a blue mountain bike or gray one. Tonight, his future waited on one woman and her heart.
He answered several texts about the evening and followed up with several phone calls before he walked into his mother’s house. Both Mia’s mom and his mom shared tea and scones at the table, their conversation lively and animated as if they’d known each other all their lives instead of less than a month.
Wyatt received welcome hugs from both women. His mother added a pat on his cheek. “There’s a gentleman in the backyard talking about an estimate for a ramp.”
“He beat me here.”
“I don’t want my gardens trampled for a ramp,” Helen said.
“No trampling will occur, I promise.” Wyatt grabbed a scone from the plate. “It’s just an estimate.” His mother and Jin shared a look that made him pause midbite. Wyatt dug into his pocket for Nettie’s paperwork. “I figured we’d talk about this later, so I’ll give you the highlights. I’m getting estimates to make a few renovations to make it easier and safer for you to stay in this house.”
His mom’s mouth opened and closed. Jin grabbed her hand and smiled.
Wyatt tossed the paper on the table. “That’s a list from Nettie for the best home health care nurses in the city. I thought we’d interview them together and see if one fits our lifestyle. They can be here while I’m at work.”
“You work in Africa,” Helen said.
“Not as of today,” Wyatt said. “I’m now a full-time employee of Bay Water Medical.”
Helen lowered herself into the kitchen chair. Jin clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful news, Wyatt. Your mom thinks it is, too. She’s just a little overwhelmed.”
Wyatt walked over and kissed his mom’s cheek.
She grabbed his arm. “You aren’t going back to Africa?”
“Not right now.” He looked her in her watery eyes. “And if I return, I’ll have your blessing before I board the plane.”
His mom wiped at her damp cheeks. “That’s good. Very good.”
“Besides, my heart belongs in the city.” Wyatt bit into his scone and walked out onto the patio to greet the contractor. “Don’t linger too long over tea, ladies. We have a party to get ready for tonight.”
Helen and Jin’s laughter followed him out into the gardens. He’d gained their cooperation from the minute he’d told them about his plan this past Monday. On Tuesday, Ava, Evie and Sophie had joined the crew. And by Wednesday, Eddy and the boys were on board. The only one not in the know was Mia. And she was the only one who mattered. Everything hinged on tonight. He pounded on his chest, trying to force the scone down his suddenly too-dry throat.
Today, he decided, was going to be either the best day of his life or the worst.
* * *
A THICK BLACK curtain concealed Wyatt in the back of the private dining room in the Rustic Grill. His position was ideal for the guests’ arrival, offering a full view of guests without revealing himself. Laughter blended with varied conversations as the main doors to the dining room slid open. He skipped over Ava’s big smile and Eddy’s curls and his mother’s soft grin, searching the group spilling inside. Finally, his gaze caught the one dark-haired, amber-eyed woman who had stamped herself in permanent ink on his heart. He snapped a picture in his mind of her in that moment: her eyes wide and brilliant, her skin glowing as if she’d been lit from within, her teal dress accentuating everything her favorite scrubs hid. He wanted to wrap her up in his embrace and steal her away right then, but he waited, held still in the shadowed corner.
Mia’s gasp caused a shiver to race across his skin. She spun in a slow circle, her gaze jumping from one framed photograph to another. He’d spent the week enlarging and framing his favorite pictures from Mia’s expanding portfolio. That morning with the help of Sophie and Ava, they’d transformed the dining room into a private gallery, exhibiting her work.
She stepped closer to the one with the nurse’s hand around a patient’s hunched shoulder. Rubbed her neck at the one of the burned Labrador puppy wrapped in gauze. Relaxed when she spotted the frame-filling grin of the senior bulldog. And wiped her eyes at the picture of Charlie from the foster home embracing Wyatt. She swayed from one photograph to the next, pausing, sometimes calling out for a guest’s attention, sometimes keeping her commentary private. She worked her way around the entire room, stopping and studying every photograph. Her mom joined her, then his mom. Ava shifted beside her before Sophie weaved in. Eddy and Frank bookended her along the length of one wall.
At last she faced the back wall. Wyatt’s wall. That’s when his breath stopped. His heart rammed into his throat. And time stretched into a deep pause.
Mia’s champagne glass smacked against the hardwood floor. She never flinched at the thud, simply stood in the middle of the room and gaped at the eleven-by-fourteen photograph on the easel. The star of the show. The one that Eddy had designed with Mia dancing around the fountain in her bare feet and Wyatt extending his hand as if to pull her into his embrace. The lights from the fountain cast a shimmering magic over the entire photograph.
Wyatt emerged from the shadows and stood beside the easel.
Mia looked at him and blinked, slowly and deliberately, as if to push the tears out of her eyes. “Did you do this?”
“I had a lot of help.” Wyatt lifted his arm to include everyone in the room.
“Why?” Even her voice sounded watery, as if her tears soaked into her.
