“Thank you. I’ll be right there,” he said, with a nod.
A few minutes later, the table was covered in a full Thanksgiving feast. Bowls were passed around the table so everyone could help themselves, reminding Amber of a scene in a TV show. “This is an amazing meal, Barbara. You went to so much trouble. If I’d known, I would have come earlier to help.”
“It was no trouble at all. We were so excited to meet you. Robert has told us so many nice things about you and how you’ve helped him with his injury.” Her forehead wrinkled, and she glanced at the table for a moment. “I worry about him so much. It’s hard to watch him play sometimes. The sport can be very rough. And let’s face it. He’s not so young anymore.”
“Mom!” Robert exclaimed, playfully. “I’m 32. I’m not an old man.”
“I know. But you put your body through a lot. Injuries take their toll.” Barbara leaned forward to address Amber. “Robert says you’re an excellent doctor. Thank you for taking care of my son. My husband and I are so impressed. I have to admit,” her hand went to her chest, and her eyes shown with awe, “we never expected Robert to bring home a doctor.”
“I’m not a medical doctor.” Amber felt her cheeks flush and hated that she needed to clarify her title. “I’m a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Not a surgeon.”
“That’s still a doctor,” Barbara said, adamantly.
“Don’t discredit yourself, young lady,” Mr. Blade added. “You put in the work. No one handed you your degrees. You’ve earned them.” He nodded once, then went back to eating his turkey.
Amber didn’t know what to say and kept looking back and forth between Barbara and Mr. Blade. It was bizarre to have them shower her with praise and build up her self-confidence. Her life would have been so different, so much easier, if her parents were like them.
A hand landed on her thigh, and her gaze drifted to Robert. He was smiling warmly.
“She’s excellent at her job,” he told his parents. “She really cares about her patients. She listens to them. Not like most doctors who cut you off after 30 seconds.”
“It’s important to hear what patients have to say,” she replied, sitting taller in her seat and speaking confidently. “How can I help them if I don’t listen? What works for one may not work for another, and I need to know that.”
“See?” Robert pointed his fork at her. “That’s what I mean. She cares.”
“That’s why I went into physical therapy. I want to help people heal from their injuries. I didn’t want to just pin a broken bone back together or fuse a spine. I know that’s important. It’s life-saving. But I wanted to help people get back to their normal way of life. Without pain. Without surgery, if possible. Or help them regain strength and range of motion after surgery. Without proper PT, the success of a surgeon’s work can be limited.”
Robert put down his fork and gave her a side hug. “You’re amazing.”
She nudged him with her elbow, uncomfortable at the attention.
“You are,” Barbara agreed. “You’re such a caring person. That’s a nice attribute. Something you don’t see in a lot of people nowadays.”
“Thank you,” she said, humbly. “You’re all being very kind.”
“I understand you went to Columbia and Princeton,” Mr. Blade said. “I commend your choices. You have remarkable dedication and ambition. I’m very impressed with everything you’ve just said, and everything Robert has told us about you. Your parents must be immensely proud.”
Amber’s inflated heart withered.Were her parents proud of her?she wondered. They should be. But they certainly didn’t acknowledge her achievements the way Robert’s parents had. Neither of them bragged about her academia or professional accreditations. “They are,” she lied, before the silence went on too long without a reply. Then she mentally scolded herself for assuming her parents weren’t proud of her. They were just too caught up in their own lives to shower her with praise the way Mr. Blade bragged of Robert’s football career, which started when he was five. A genuine smile spread across her lips as she remembered the way Mr. Blade proudly pointed out the trophies, including the one for flag football, and the way Robert blushed at the attention. What she would do for attention like that from her father.
The rest of the night went pretty much the same way. Robert’s parents, who were absolute gems, doted on him. Mr. Blade credited Robert for bringing the Bucks to the forefront of the NFL, and his mother worried that he wasn’t getting enough rest between games.
Both of his parents had nothing but uplifting things to say to Amber. She left their home feeling on top of the world, and she wished that she’d grown up in a household with so much encouragement and support.
“My parents love you,” Robert told her on the ride home. “Did you see my mom’s new haircut?” He let out an affectionate laugh. “It’s the most modern she’s looked her entire life.”
“She’s adorable.” Robert’s mother and father were everything parents were supposed to be, and their excellent parenting skills were evident by the amazing son they raised.
“Now that you met my parents, when do I get to meet yours?” Robert asked.
“Never.” She answered without a moment’s hesitation.
His brow furrowed, and he stole a quick glance at her. “Are you joking?”
“No. My parents . . .” She shook her head. “They’re not like yours. They bicker. A lot. To be fair, my mother isn’t the problem. She’s great. Usually. It’s my father.” She had no idea how she was supposed to explain her daddy issues to Robert. She knew she was only putting off the inevitable, but she needed more time.
The usual charismatic smile returned to Robert’s face. “You can’t put it off forever. Eventually you’re going to have to introduce me. You can’t wait until we’re on our third kid.”
He knew exactly how to ease her worries and couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. But that still didn’t mean she was going to introduce him to her parents, so she deflected. “Your parents are incredible. You and your brother are so lucky to have grown up with so much support. Your father is so proud of you. He can barely contain it.”
