“Wait! Don’t open that.” He rushed into the kitchen and blocked me from the fridge. “We can’t have cake for breakfast.”
“Who says?”
“Your personal doctor. And boyfriend.”
“If you put me on a diet, I might have to start eating apples to keep you away,” I joked.
“Your diet’s fine. I just want to save it for tonight after class. Can you keep your hands off the box until then?”
“Yes.” I nudged him aside with my hip. “For now, I’ll make us some omelets.” I giggled and shook my head as I got everything ready. “Maybe I manifested that cake.”
He blushed and rubbed his arrow piercing. “What do you mean?”
“My sister almost got married last night.”
“The baby daddy showed up?”
“No. Victor propositioned Kat. It was this whole thing, and I said you could bring the cake. Now, here it is.”
“They'll get their own cake. This one’s for us,” he said, hugging me from behind.
We enjoyed an easy morning. By the time he had to go, I was almost anxious for him to get there on time.
“Be good so we can have cake later.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a kiss. When was I not good?
He went off to class. To a lab. To find out what was happening in other people’s bodies and take care of it.
Much like I could take care of myself.
I took a deep breath and checked my emails. Scrolling past my recent correspondence with a psychiatrist and a few medical program heads, I found an email from a delivery service.
Subject: Congratulations!
I squealed and shook my phone. That was a good sign. They wanted to hire me. All I had to do now was pass a drug test. At the hospital, if I preferred that.
My stomach twisted at the idea of running into another former classmate. But that was the thing about hospitals: that was also where miracles happened.
As I put on my coat, I located a business card a nurse practitioner had given me during Jen’s delivery.
Shadowing someone at the hospital didn’t mean Ihadto take classes again. I’d be exploring my options. That was exactly what I was supposed to do during unemployment or even this freelancing gig. Plus, I could take that drug test.
After a quick call, I drove down to meet with a few different professionals. I trembled at first, but with each handshake and smile that met me, Igrew more confident. They were all nice. Informative. No one tried to steer me in any one direction.
I met with a different guidance counselor than the one from my old program, though I did strut past her desk with my informative pamphlets.
This new counselor asked the right questions and answered mine without judgment. We cross-referenced what credits could transfer.
Finally, she readied my enrollment submission. “Are you sure you’re ready to try again?” she asked.
In my heart, I knew the answer. “Yes.”
“Then welcome to the program.” She smiled.
I grinned widely for my new student ID. This was it. The next step.
And I wanted to share it with Angel.
