Terrified? Liberated? Like I’d just jumped off a cliff without checking if there was water below?
Honestly, I felt like I’d been holding my breath for seven years and finally, finally exhaled.
For the first time in forever, I felt alive.
“I think I just made either the best or worst decision of my life,” I said.
“That is the spirit, buckaroo.” Priya patted my knee and stood up, stretching. “I am going to bed. Try not to spiral too much before morning.”
“No promises.”
She paused in the doorway to her room. “Hey, Finn?”
“Yeah?”
“I am proud of you.” She smiled. “It takes great courage to face hairy assholes without getting floss stuck in your teeth.”
Chapter 4
Finn
Iwoke up Monday morning feeling like I’d forgotten something important. It took me a full thirty seconds of staring at the ceiling, mentally running through my usual routine—shower, coffee, check schedule, put on Riley’s uniform—before I remembered.
I didn’t have a shift.
I didn’t have a uniform.
I didn’t even have a job.
I shot upright in bed, my heart doing this weird flutter thing that was either excitement or a panic attack. Probably both.
The smell of coffee smacked me as I stumbled into the kitchen. Priya was already in her scrubs and white coat, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, dumping what looked like her entire sugar canister into a travel mug.
“You are up early for someone who isunemployed,” she said without looking at me.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Regret or excitement?”
“Yes.”
She turned and looked at me, a smile tugging at her mouth. “Good. That is healthy, and in case you have not noticed, thanks to my very persistent parents, I am a doctor. Iknowhealthy when I see it.” She popped the last bite of a Pop-Tart into her mouth, checked her phone, and swore under her breath. “I am so late. My attending is going to kill me.”
“Why are you always late?”
“Because I am always tired.” She took a very unladylike gulp of her coffee, made a face, and added more sugar. “Okay, I am leaving. You do not have permission to spiral today. Call Mark and get started. Do something productive.”
“Yes, mom.”
“I am serious, Finn. You are going to sit here and overthink until you convince yourself you made a mistake. Mark is . . . well . . . he is Mark. If you are not the spark to light the fire, there may never be flame.”
“You’re such a fortune cookie.”
“China and India are not the same.” She scowled. “Besides, fortune cookies are an American invention.”
“Really?”
“Save that for trivia night.” She swooped in and gave me a quick peck on the cheek, which was about as affectionate as Priya got before 10 a.m. “Do something good today.”
