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She correctly reads the panic on my face and pats my arm in sympathy. “OK, there’s a patient that needs to be taken up for a CT. Do you want to help me do that? It should be a couple of hours before we have to come back down here.”
I look between her and Matthew and nod. “Sounds perfect. Let’s get out of here!”
I charge away from the celebrity soccer player now sleeping in bed number five, running away again from the only man who’d ever broken my heart, wishing for the umpteenth time that it all could have been different.
CHAPTER 6
Seven long hours later, I open the front door to the house I share with my mum and my Yia-Yia. It’s still just the three of us women living together since my dad died, and I can’t imagine it any other way. There’s a lot of love and estrogen floating around this house.
“Is anyone home?” I call out, hanging my bag on the hook by the door and slipping my shoes off. I’m hoping at least one of them is around to keep me company tonight, and perhaps also to feed me.
My grandmother shuffles into the hallway, a big smile on her face. “Natalia!” she says, adding the Greek flare as usual. “You’re home.”
I bend down to hug her, marvelling that as short as I am, she’s shorter.
“Come in and eat something! You’re too skinny.”
Rolling my eyes, I follow her to the kitchen. It doesn’t matter what I actually weigh, or that I’m a very healthy weight as is. She will always maintain I need to eat more. Her hobby is fattening people up.
“Sit,” she commands, and I obey gratefully. The ten-hour shifts are killing my feet; it’s another thing I’ll have to get used to. “I’ll get you some food.”
My Yia-Yia shows her love through her cooking, and it’s the most prominent association I have with her. Warm comfort and delicious food.
“Where’s Mum?” I lean back in my kitchen chair, closing my eyes. “Still at work?”
My mum has a full-time job as an admin assistant at some big accounting firm and has worked there since my dad passed away. I know it’s not her dream job, but she never complains. She just gets on with it, providing a comfortable life for my grandmother and me. And it’s why I can’t wait to finish studying and contribute so that maybe she won’t have to work so hard moving forward.
“Yes, she was asked to stay back again tonight.” Yia-Yia’s face says what her words don’t. That workplace takes advantage of my mum (her daughter), asking her to stay late more often than not.
“She won’t have to work there forever, Yia-Yia. I’ll be earning good money soon.”
She pats my cheek like I’m five years old. “You’re a good girl, Natalia. Always working so hard to look after your mamma and me. I just hope you are finding time to have fun as well. After all, YOLO!”
I blink at my Yia-Yia. Where did she learn that phrase from? Before I can delve into how she gained this bit of knowledge, she distracts me with a mountain of her famous Moussaka, all delicious, minced lamb and grilled aubergine goodness. It’s like a Greek version of lasagne but better. A pool of saliva fills my mouth and I dig in.
“Be careful, it’s hot!”
I wave my hand in front of my mouth as the food singes my tongue. Totally worth it.
“So good!”
Yia-Yia sits down at the table, a satisfied look on her face. “Now, tell me about your day. Did anything exciting happen?”
Images of Matthew limping into the ER, smiling at me, holding my hand and telling me how pretty he thinks I am flash through my brain. Running constantly like they’re on a hamster wheel…never-ending torture.
I shrug. No way I’m telling Yia-Yia any of this. “It was pretty uneventful.”
She looks disappointed. “No cute doctor to fall in love with you?” During her downtime, my grandmother loves to watch Grey’s Anatomy and is certain my life is going to turn out that way. Every day I work in that hospital and don’t meet my own McDreamy is another day I’m crushing her dream.
“I cleaned up vomit,” I offer through a mouthful of food.
She grimaces and gets up in a huff. “What’s the point of working with all those doctors if you will not find your husband there?” This is another thing about my grandmother, in addition to being old-school about calling people “skinny” to their face, she’s also of the generation where a young woman of a certain age must be in need of a husband. So, the school of Mrs Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, apparently.
“I’m there to work, Yia-Yia. Not to find my soul mate.”
Matthew’s face comes uninvited into my mind and I promptly kick it out. Today was a blip; it’s not like I’m going to see him again.
“You never know, Natalia. A beautiful girl like you is bound to catch the eye of some handsome young man, whether you want to or not.”
