I had healed Arthur when I first found him. He was a scrawny kitten. Cold and shivering, I found him hiding behind a local potions shop. He had puncture wounds which had begun to abscess, likely from an attack from another animal, and had looked at me with the most pitiful big yellow eyes.
Without a second thought, I had scooped him up, taken him home, and cared for him.
I was fantastic at it.
So what was stopping me? Money, yes. Definitely that. But if I had the money to buy the property, would I actually go through with it? Could I leave the career I’d so diligently worked toward?
Absolutely not. I wasn’t brave enough. Despite my healing knowledge on the side, academics was all I knew. It was safe. Predictable.
So my clinic remained a fantasy. Far out of reach.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Startled, I rose and strode across the kitchen to the phone on the wall. “Hello?”
“Hey, CeCe,” Emberly’s voice spoke on the other end of the line. “What are you up to?”
“Good morning,” I replied. “Oh you know. Just having breakfast.”
“You’re staring at that ad again, aren’t you?”
I twirled the phone cord in my fingers. “Of course not.”
“It’s Sunday morning. You do that every Sunday morning.”
“I’m a creature of habit,” I said, leaning against the wall.
“That’s an understatement. So…have you heard anything from Liam?”
“No. And I don’t expect to. I was quite clear in my letter that I only wanted to be friends.”
“Is that what you really want?” Emberly’s voice had softened.
“Yes,” I lied. “It was just a fun fling. Besides, with the new grant proposal I’m working on, I don’t have time to invest in a relationship. I must be entirely focused on that.”
I had been working on a proposal over the last couple of weeks about an invasive species of ant causing environmental problems. If it was approved, I’d receive grant money to form a team to evaluate the ecological impact of said ant and explore ways to negate their damage.
It was perfect to add to my resume.
“Is he coming to the gala?” Emberly asked.
“I don’t know.”
He didn’t typically attend these types of things in the past. I had never seen him there before.
“What will you do if you see him?”
Oh, I don’t know…probably lose my mind and panic.
“I will be myself and?—”
“Act professional.” Emberly paused. “May I be frank for a moment?”
“Always.”
“I’m worried about you.”
I pursed my lips. “In what way? Do you still think I’m actingmorose?”
