“Kidney stones, huh?” Brooke waved goodbye to George. George exchanged a smirk with Brooke that Logan caught. They strode on the sidewalk toward the restaurant. She continued, “Luckily, I’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing kidney stones, but I’ve heard they’re incredibly painful.”
“Consider yourself blessed.” Logan plunged his hands into the pockets of his peacoat to keep himself from reaching for her hand. “I’ve had the unfortunate experience of kidney stones. I thought I was dying. I survived, but I required heavy medication to pass them.”
“Yikes.” Brooke winced. “That sounds terrible. How old were you?”
“Oh,” he tried to remember, “I was in high school—I think it was my senior year. My mom slept on the floor of my room, because I wrung in pain and threw up the entire night.”
“Wow.” She slowly nodded and gazed out at the sidewalk before them. “Your mom sounds great. I don’t think my mom ever did something like that for me.” Brooke leaned in and clutched his forearm and squeezed. “But I’m glad you had your mom.” She dropped her hand.
He wondered how to respond. He wanted to ask her a million questions about her past, but he knew it wasn’t appropriate, not if they weren’t really together. Not before she offered the information and wasn’t prodded for it.
Logan smiled. “I think you’ll like her when you meet her.”
“I am sure I will,” she remarked. “What is she like?”
“Oh, you know, besides being way into my business?” he teased.
She nodded.
“She is kind and thoughtful. Patient.” A flood of happy memories from his childhood came to the forefront of his mind. Ones where Mom sprinkled in her goodness at every turn. He never realized what a blessing it was to have good parents until he came to hear the sad and hard upbringings of others. “I’d do stupid things, and she’d always find a way to help me learn and desire to do better the next time around. I loved that she’d tell me again and again that no matter what I did, or how much I messed up, she’d be there for me and love me.”
She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
They arrived at the restaurant. After they checked in with the host, they were led to a table in the corner pocket of the place. It was loud and crowded, but Logan liked the vibe. His day to day was quiet, and during surgeries his mind went blank and silent. Being out in the vibrant city night life made him remember why he wanted to live in Chicago and not in one of the surrounding suburbs.
They removed their jackets and hung them on the back of their seats.
Brooke opened her menu first. “Besides your mom being wonderful what else do I need to know about your parents? I need the basics.” The small candle in the center of the two-top table provided enough light to read the menu and create a more intimate atmosphere.
“My dad is a surgeon too.” Logan opened his menu too.
“Ahh, the family business.” Brooke flipped to the next page in the menu. “What type of surgeon?”
“Heart.”
“Wow, okay.” She glanced up and tilted her head to the side. “And you didn’t want to be a heart surgeon too?”
“I didn’t place in the specialty.” Logan ran his finger down the list of entrée selections. He hated how his stomach still twisted when he revealed this to someone. “I tried. I really did. It’s a sore spot with my dad, please avoid bringing it up when you meet him.” His back stiffened, and he cranked his neck back and forth to loosen the tense feeling.
“Hey,” the softness of her voice made him pause and peer across the table at her. “I would never bring up something like that. I understand more than anyone how complicated families can be.”
And with every fiber of his being, he believed her.
“Thanks.” Logan forced himself to look back down at his menu. “My dad was disappointed. Honestly, it was a huge blow to me too. But I’m happy where I ended up even if it wasn’t the original plan.”
“I understand.” Brooke shut her menu and fidgeted with the silverware in front of her. “I always wanted to specialize in internal medicine, but when I did the rotations, I didn’t connect with it as much as I would’ve liked. Being a pediatrician wasn’t ever the plan. I honestly didn’t have any experience with children, but it’s where I placed. I’m happy with how it worked out.”
Logan smiled. “Thanks for telling me that.”
Brooke nodded. “Is your mom a doctor too?” She took a sip of water from the glass in front of her.
“Heavens no.” He shook his head. “She’s a retired school librarian. A quiet gentle person who loved to spend her time among books.”
From the outside, his parents seemed like an odd pair, but their marriage was one that Logan admired. They evened each other out. His mom was steady while his dad was loud andfierce. Each parent helped to shape him into the person he became.
“I wish I had more time to read than I do.” She traced a finger over the edge of her glass. “Usually, when I get off work, I’m too beat to do anything other than eat and binge true crime stories on TV.”
“Hence your Ted Bundy reference,” he smirked.
