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“Or are you avoiding me so you don’t have to answer them?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.
“Me? No way. I’m an open book,” I say with a chuckle.
I take the beer Matt hands me and follow Kelly back out into the living room. Everyone is now sitting at the table, so I sit down next to Laura, while her mom sits on my other side.
“So, tell me about yourself, Luke. You’re a doctor too, I hear?” Kelly asks.
I nod. “I’m doing my surgical fellowship in cardiac.”
“Impressive,” she says, nodding. “And you went to college with Matt? Why is this the first time I’m meeting you?” she asks suspiciously.
“I was on a scholarship, which meant I had to work my ass off while I studied. It was hard, so vacations weren’t something I had very many of,” I admit.
“Your parents didn’t help out?” she asks.
“My parents were not very… supportive of my career choice,” I say.
I smile at her confused expression. She was no doubt wondering how any parent could not be happy with their child becoming a doctor.
“I come from generations of lawyers.”
“Ah,” she says. “Well then, you’ve done exceptionally well for yourself, especially on your own.” She nods at Laura. “Keep a hold on this one.”
Laura smiles at me. “I didn’t realize you were on a scholarship.”
“Yep. A lot of hard work,” I say with a grin. “But it was worth it.”Throughout the rest of the evening, I keep catching Laura sneaking looks at me, so I reach under the table and run my hand down over her thigh. She jumps so high that she slams her knee into the table, which gets everyone’s attention.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, her cheeks red. I stifle a laugh, which earns me a glare. “We had better get going,” she adds, placing her napkin down in front of her. “We’ve both got early starts tomorrow…”
Matt nods. “Thanks again for coming, guys.”
We say our goodbyes, and I promise to catch up with Kelly again soon, then we walk outside. I reach for her hand as we walk down the driveway. She lets me take it, but the tension in her body is obvious.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She eases her hand back and rubs her forehead. “I’ve had a really bad headache for most of the day and it’s gotten worse since we left. I just don’t want to risk getting Annie sick if I’m coming down with something.”
“Okay.” I’m not sure whether I believe her or not, but I’m not about to call her out on it. “Your mom is great.”
“She is.” She smiles at that. “I never realized how lucky I am to have her. I can’t imagine not having a relationship with her. Do you miss speaking to your mom?”
“You can’t mourn something you never really had in the first place,” I finally say.
She glances at me. “When you told me you didn’t get on with your parents, it didn’t really sink in until tonight how much you did on your own. Putting yourself through college, getting where you are today, even dealing with your father’s death.” She smiles at me. “I’m not your mother, but for what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.”
“And that means more than anything to me,” I say softly.
We drive home in silence, with Laura resting her head against the window and staring out for most of the way. When I pull up outside her apartment, her eyes are closed, but I’m not convinced she’s asleep. I can’t figure out if I’ve said something wrong, or if she really is just feeling unwell. I nudge her leg. She stirs and smiles at me, her eyes half closed.
Maybe she was asleep.
Once we’re inside her apartment, she smiles and takes my hand, before reaching up to peck me on the lips. I sigh and slide my fingers around her neck, my mouth finding hers. I press my lips against hers, parting them enough to slide my tongue around hers. She puts her hand over mine and gently strokes my fingers, then she pulls away, her eyes still closed from losing herself in that kiss.
“Do you mind if I sleep alone tonight?” She curls her fingers around mine. “I’m not a very good patient when I’m sick.”
“Of course. Are you sure you’re okay?” I frown at her, concerned. “Can I get you something? Tylenol?”
She shakes her head and kisses me again.
“I’m fine. Thanks though.”
She disappears down the hallway and into her room, quietly closing the door behind her. I sit down on the couch and rub my head. I’m feeling anxious, because meeting Kelly triggered feelings about my own mother that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
A lot can change in nine years. People can change. The thought of reaching out to her, putting myself on the line like that, I’m not sure is something I can do. Can I forgive her for everything she did? Not letting me into my own father’s funeral. Not being there for me when I needed her most. I shake my head, because I don’t think I can. The funny thing was, even if I could forgive her, it was unlikely that she’d forgive me.
