“That’s great to hear, Ben. I have to tell ya, when Farah told me she’d seen you at the mall this weekend, I couldn’t hold myself back from calling you. Hope it’s okay to be calling on a Sunday.”
“Of course.”
“You were safe out there on that trail? No broken bones or anything?”
“No, sir,” Ben answered, still staring through the window. “I’m happy to report I’m in one piece.”
“Well, that’s excellent. Because we’ve missed you here, Ben, and we have a spot open now on our nursing staff. You did pass your NCLEX, didn’t you?”
Ben froze.
“I did,” he said slowly.
“Of course you did. Truth be told, we’ve actually had a spot open for a while. Shawna moved on down to Georgia a bit ago now; Frank got a job with Coca-Cola. We’ve been just hangin’ on here, waiting for you to get back. If you’d be open to working for us officially, of course. You might have other things lined up, I reckon, and we’ll still have to bring you in for an interview and all, do everything HR tells us, but between you and me, the spot’s yours. It’d start as your residency, and I’d take the lead on mentoring you myself, although you know we do everything as a team here. Like I said, I know you might have had a few other offers come in since passing your test, but we’ll do what we have to, to fight for ya.”
Ben’s heart beat in his ears. Working for Ted at Lakeview Hills, a nursing home and rehabilitation center not far from his parents’ house, was without a doubt his favorite clinical rotation from nursing school. On top of the experience confirming his interest in geriatrics, the team had treated him with warmth and respect, even though he was a green student. It was a well-run facility, clean, a caring and competent staff. He had learned a lot. It had felt like a family.
This, some part of Ben’s brain knew, was a dream come true. Everything he had hoped for.
“How”—Ben cleared his throat—“how soon would the position need to be filled?”
“Well, like I said, Ben, it’s been open for a while. We’ve had a traveling nurse here to cover the loss of Shawna, and she’s been real good, but ideally, we’d love you to start as soon as possible. If you’ve just gotten back and there are things you need to do, I understand. We could wait a couple more weeks, possibly.”
Inside the restaurant, Laynie had moved from the far end of the table to take over Ben’s seat. She and Alexei were deep in conversation.
“Is it okay if I have some time to think it over?” Ben’s brain felt blank. Lost. “I’m…I’m flattered, Ted; I am. This—this means a lot.” Ben swallowed. “I love Lakeview. But I did just get home, and there are some things—”
“Of course, of course, I know I’m springing all this on you here. Listen, you get back to your Sunday, take some time to think it over. How about you give me a call back by Wednesday, okay?”
Wednesday. Carolina’s last day of high school. They were going to dinner at Moto downtown to celebrate.
“Okay. I will.”
“Any questions you have before then, just give me a ring or shoot me an email, okay? If I’m not around, Colette can answer your questions, too.”
Ben nodded numbly at the window. “Sounds good.”
“I’m so glad you picked up, Ben. Talk soon.”
“Talk soon.”
Ben kept the phone to his ear long after Ted hung up. Ted, who believed in Ben. Ted, who could give Ben a steady job in his chosen field, a job where Ben already felt at home. Where Ben could start the rest of his responsible, grown-up life.
Alexei looked up from the table. He must have felt Ben’s eyes on him.
He smiled. Waved at Ben through the window.
And so very quietly, Ben’s heart tore in two.
***
Julie pulled Ben aside as they walked toward their cars, yanking his arm to pause him by the edge of the sidewalk. “Hey,” she said.
“Hey.” Her strawberry blond ponytail shone in the sun.
Had she been able to tell he’d been off for the last ten minutes? Probably. Ben’s brain was barely functioning. He couldn’t remember anything that had happened at the table in the brief time since he’d walked back into the restaurant.
Ben hoped Julie didn’t call him out on it; he wasn’t ready to—
