“Really, Ev?”
“I’m just saying,” Evie said. The effort to hold in her laugh was overwhelming.
Bryson tipped his head to the side. “Why does it feel as if we’ve had this conversation before?”
She couldn’t hold it any longer. “The green parakeet,” she said with a laugh.
“That’s it.” Bryson snapped his fingers.
“What did we settle on for a name?” Evie asked. “Was it Skippy?”
“Wait a minute. All the shit you gave me over that bird and you can’t even remember the name?”
“It was a long time ago!” She could barely get the words out past her hiccupping laugh.
Bryson shook his head. “There were times when you were annoying as hell back then.”
“And yet you still called me in to assist whenever you needed help.”
“Even when I didn’t need help,” he said. He winked. “I just wanted to see you.”
She met his grin with one of her own. His warm gaze felt like a caress against her skin.
The bell to change classes rang, and, contrary to what Mrs. Breaux had predicted, within moments students began filing into the classroom. They dropped their bags at their desks and ran to the front of the class, congregating around the table. It was soon evident that far more eighth graders thought synthetic cadaver dogs were cool instead of gross.
As she watched him with the students, Evie understood why Bryson commanded such an impressive speaker fee. He was brilliant at it. He spoke with authority, but also with humility, admitting when he wasn’t knowledgeable about something instead of giving the students a bullshit answer.
“What made you want to become a veterinarian?” a young Black boy with blond locs asked.
“That’s an easy one,” Bryson said. He settled his hip against the table and clasped his hands in front of him. “I had this amazing dog when I was eight years old, a little mutt named Pepper. One day, he got into the trash and ate a chicken bone and got really sick—side note, never feed your pets chicken bones. Anyway, we brought Pepper to the vet and the vet saved him. I still remember how I felt when he walked into the waiting room and told us that Pepper would be okay.” He shrugged. “I knew then and there that I wanted to make other families feel that kind of joy.”
A soft smile drew across Evie’s lips. It shocked her that she had never asked him that question.
“That’s not only why I chose to become a vet, but also why I specifically chose to be a veterinary surgeon, but there are different kinds of vets out there.” Bryson turned to her and said, “This is Dr. Evie Williams. She’s also a veterinarian, and I’m sure she has a lot she could add to this discussion.”
Evie froze. No he didn’t…
“I’m here for emotional support, not for questions,” she whispered to Bryson through a clenched smile as she walked up to the table.
“You’re the role model they need. Knock ’em dead.” He winked.
At first, Evie received more questions about what products she used on her natural curls than about her work, but then one intrepid student with cat-eye glasses asked if it was difficult being a woman veterinarian and the floodgates opened. Evie relished the engagement, watching in real time as the students’ faces shifted from indifference to keen interest.
This!This is why the mentorship program at The Sanctuary was so important.
Another student raised her hand.
“Do you have an Insta?” she asked.
“Um, yes, I do,” Evie said.
“Can I DM you when it’s science project time?”
“I…” She looked to the teacher. “I will give Mrs. Breaux my contact information.” Because there was no way it was appropriate to have eighth graders sliding into her DMs, even if it was just to ask questions.
Mrs. Breaux walked over from where she’d been waiting near the shelf of model planets.
“Let’s give Drs. Mitchell and Williams a huge round ofapplause,” she said. “I’m pretty certain I will see more projects on veterinary medicine at this year’s science fair than I ever have before.”
