“It’s definitely a tricky accomplishment to find a balance like that, but I’ve seen my fair share of people going crazy from a lack of freshair.”
“I can onlyimagine.”
“A table for two please, in the back if you have anything,” Jackson tells thehostess.
She takes two menus and heads toward the back of the restaurant where we’re brought to a round booth. We both slide in and sigh at the same time. “You too, huh?” Iask.
“You know, sometimes the day just gets away from me, and I realize I haven’t taken a full breath until the moment I sit down,” he says. I don’t know how he stays on his feet all day like that. I’m exhausted and I usually sit allday.
“So, do you mainly focus on cardiovascular health or do you practice any other type of specialty too...you know, besidescomedy?”
He points at me and winks, appreciating my comedy joke, but then begins answering with a sense of seriousness. “Cardiology is about as much as I can handle for now. It’s a lot, and there is a constant influx of patients, so I’m never bored enough to look for more trouble.” He smirks as he hands me one of the menus while taking the one underneath for himself. “I have to say, I’m envious of you getting to change your scenery up whenever you want to. Is it nice working from different locations? It must be good inspiration,huh?”
“I suppose,” I tell him. Though, after days like today, I sometimes think I would be better off in an office than roaming around looking for a quiet place tosit.
It only takes him a minute to look over the menu before he places it back down and leans forward onto his elbows. “Can I admit to something that you might make fun of me forlater?”
“Uh oh,” I joke. I shouldn’t be, but I’m a little worried about what he mightsay.
“I’ve caught myself daydreaming about you today, twice. Doctors can’t be doing that kind of thing,” he says as he places his palms on the sides of hisface.
Impulsively, I cup my hand over my mouth because I’m not sure what to do with the amount of heat rushing through my face. “Well, I apologize for being such a distraction, but I can’t promise I’ll be going away anytime soon. My grandmother is in your hospital, afterall.”
“Good,” he says, reaching across the table for my hand. “I mean, that you’re not going away...not that your grandmother is in thehospital.”
“I was going to say...wow, what kind of doctor are you?” I scoff withlaughter.
“Emma, you aresodistracting,” hecontinues.
I know I’m blushing. I take my menu and open it up, glancing up and down the list of options. I’m having a hard time focusing, but the chicken finger platter catches myeye.
“So, your grandmother was talking about Charlie some more this afternoon when I went in to check onher.”
The change of subject shifts my nerves from one distraction to another. “What was she saying about him?” The eagerness inside me is desperate for answers I know I haven’t gotten to in the book yet, but the suspense is killingme.
“She asked if you had gone to look for him and was telling me what he might look like now. Then she said the sweetest thing.” Jackson chuckles with his breath at the recollection. “She said...and I’m quoting her, ‘But even if he were bald and covered in wrinkles, I’d still only see the blond-haired, blue-eyed soldier who had too much compassion for the world to have any space in his heart for the hatred he was forced toshow.’”
“I think I know why she’s suddenly talking about him,” I tellJackson.
“Did you find something out while you were readingtoday?”
“No, but she said when she—when her heart stopped for those few minutes, she was sure Charlie would be waiting for her, and he wasn’tthere.”
“You know, what happens after death is all hearsay, right?” Jackson asks. I don’t think he’s trying to diminish Grams’s thought, but scientifically, he’scorrect.
“Of course, but we can have our own opinions on thematter.”
“You’re right about that. I also agree with the hearsay. Unfortunately, I’ve heard more than a few patients talking to loved ones while passingaway.”
My chest tightens, considering the truth of it all. “If it’s true, maybe Charlie isn’tdead.”
“Who said he was?” Jackson asks,curiously.
“Well, I was rudely interrupted while reading the part where Charlie was deployed to the front lines and had to say goodbye to mygrandmother.”
The waiter comes over with an order pad and greets us. “What can I get for youtwo?”
We place our drink and food orders, then the waiter leaves us to the cliffhanger of mystory.
