“I know. I’m sorry.” Maggie stood, crossing to her. “Just... trust me a little longer?”
Evie studied her face. “You’re planning something.”
“Maybe.”
“Something big.”
“Potentially.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“When I know if it’s possible,” Maggie said. “I don’t want to promise something I can’t deliver. Just give me some time, okay?”
Evie set down her coffee and took both of Maggie’s hands. “Whatever you’re thinking—don’t do anything reckless. Don’t sacrifice yourself for me.”
“What if it’s not sacrifice?” Maggie asked. “What if it’s choosing?”
“Maggie—”
“Four more months is too long,” Maggie said firmly. “You were right last night. This is breaking us. And I won’t let that happen.”
Evie’s eyes filled. “I love you. And you look so cute in the morning.”
“I love you too,” Maggie said. “Now go to work, Missy. I have a meeting.”
“At eight in the morning?”
“Phone call,” Maggie corrected. “I’ll tell you about it tonight.”
Evie kissed her—long and deep and desperate—then pulled away.
“Tonight,” she said.
“Tonight,” Maggie promised.
After Evie left, Maggie sat on the couch with her phone, watching the minutes tick toward 8 AM.
At exactly eight o’clock, her phone rang.
She answered on the second ring.
“Doctor Laurel, this is Jennifer Rodriguez. Thank you so much for making time this morning.”
“Of course,” Maggie said, surprised by how steady her voice sounded.
“I have to say, I was thrilled to get your email. We’ve been hoping you’d reconsider. Can I ask what changed?”
Maggie looked around her apartment—Evie’s jacket on the chair, her coffee mug in the sink, her presence woven into every corner.
“Life circumstances,” Maggie said. “I’m ready for a change.”
They talked for forty-five minutes.
About the position—attending physician, internal medicine, similar patient load to what she had at Oakridge but with more teaching responsibilities.
About the schedule—flexible, with options for research time if she was interested.
About the past—Jennifer was direct: “The administration is fully aware of your previous situation and the outcome of that investigation. It’s closed. Done. If you return, you return with a clean slate.”
