I glanced at the flashcards spread across the table, which looked medical in nature. “EMT training?” Harper had mentioned that he’d started taking classes.
He nodded, pushing the cards away with a grimace. “Turns out there’s a lot more memorization than I expected.”
Ben had always been the enigma of the family, the intense one who carried a rough, troubled history. Seeing him wrestle with textbooks under the Florida sun was relatablein an unexpected way. We were both trying to build something new under intense scrutiny, to prove we were capable of more than our pasts suggested. His struggle with acronyms wasn’t so different from my struggle to balance budgets with vision, loyalty with desire. “What’s giving you trouble?”
“All of it.” He gestured at the scattered cards. “I’ve never been good at this crap. I learn by doing, not by staring at cards until my eyes bleed.”
I set down my plan tube on the table, then picked up one of the cards. “SAMPLE—Signs/symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, Events leading to illness or injury.” I read aloud. “Patient assessment framework?”
“Yeah.” Ben’s eyebrows flew up. “How’d you know?”
“Educated guess.” I twitched a corner of my mouth. “But it makes sense as a systematic approach. Like a checklist.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s it.”
“I had to memorize building codes my first year out of school.” I set the card down. “Hundreds of regulations that seemed completely arbitrary until I saw them applied in real situations.”
“How’d you get through it?”
I considered the question. “I made it practical. Instead of trying to memorize abstract numbers and rules, I connected each code to an actual building element. Made them real.”
The lines in his brow smoothed. “That might work. I’ve been trying to force them in by repetition, but nothing’s sticking.”
“It worked for me. Connect the acronym to the action. Visualize yourself asking a patient about allergieswhileyou’re thinking A. What does P look like whenyou’re asking about past history? Make it tangible, not just letters floating in your head.” I tapped the tube with its rolled-up plans next to me. “That pressure you feel? It’s the same pressure I feel trying to ensure these designs hold up, literally and financially. We just have different acronyms.”
His expression shifted, a flare of understanding replacing the frustration. “Make it real… Okay. That might work. I’ve just been hammering away with flashcards, getting nowhere.” He started gathering the cards, his movements less defeated, more purposeful.
“Everyone hits walls.” I straightened and grabbed my plan tube. “It’s how you get over them that counts.”
He met my eyes then, a spark of the determination I recognized in Harper flaring briefly. “Appreciate the advice.”
“Anytime.” I hesitated, an unexpected urge to offer more encouragement taking over me at recognizing a kindred spirit in his struggle against self-doubt. “Look, Ben, for what it’s worth… This EMT thing? It’s impressive. Takes real courage to chase something that demanding, especially when it doesn’t come easy.”
Surprise widened his eyes again, and he seemed momentarily lost for words. We weren’t close, despite my long friendship with his brother. Just two guys connected by Eli and now, unexpectedly, by the shared weight of trying to build something new.
“Yeah, well… Thanks,” he mumbled, looking down at his books again, a faint flush rising on his neck.
I clapped him lightly on the shoulder, a brief gesture of support before stepping away. “Good luck with the studying.”
As I walked toward the beach bungalows, the sounds of hammering and sawing welcomed me back to the familiar world of buildings and blueprints. My thoughtsdrifted between the two Coleridges I’d just encountered—Harper with her warm smile and professional competence, and Ben with his determined struggle to forge a new path.
Both of them, in their different ways, were trying to build something meaningful. Maybe that’s why I felt drawn to them, beyond the complications of attraction or old friendships. We were all works in progress, reaching for something more.
