“Taking one for the team,” I explain.
She giggles as Hildy appears beside me, looking at my arm. “We can tell her it was shot day for the team, which explains why I’m here.”
“You don’t have to?—”
“In too deep not to.” I wink.
“Oh my God, how adorable,” the nurse sighs.
Hildy turns to her, expressionless, or at least trying to be, I can see she’s got a little more green in her eyes, and that does something to me… I like it, but I need to show her she never has to worry.
“Luckiest man on the planet,” I say, smiling at Hildy before turning back to the nurse. “We need to make an appointment.”
The nurse looks at her computer, “Four weeks?”
“Yes,” I say automatically.
“February fourteenth,” she continues. “Nine a.m.”
I glance at Hildy, then back at the nurse.
“Is there anything later in the day?” I ask.
The nurse pauses, fingers hovering over the screen. “There’s a four p.m.”
Hildy turns fully toward me now. “You don’t have to rearrange your schedule.”
“I want to,” I say evenly.
The nurse looks between us, smiling faintly.
“Four p.m. works,” I add.
Hildy hesitates. “Practice?—”
“I’ll move it,” I cut in gently. “Or leave early. I can make four.”
The nurse clicks. Prints. Hands over the slip.
“February fourteenth. Four p.m.”
I take the paper before Hildy can. “Thank you.”
When we step out of the office, I take her hand. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.”
She exhales slowly. “You really want to be at all of them.”
“Yes. Every one that I can.”
She doesn’t argue.
We step into Lucy’s exam room just as Dr. Kaplan appears to be taking her Axel’s heartbeat. I love that she brought him, and yeah, fuck you, Hank, she likes mine better…
Lucy’s legs swing nervously off the paper-covered table.
Hildy brightens her voice. “Look who I found.”
