* * *
Callie moaned her appreciation as she took another bite of the pasta Jake had made for her. He smiled in satisfaction as he watched her enjoy the meal.
“You missed your calling as a chef,” she said as she scooped up another mouthful.
“Based on the sounds you’re making I take it you like the pasta. I thought those moans of pleasure were only for the bedroom,” Jake teased. He adjusted himself, as the sensual noises she was making had sent a shot of lust straight to his groin.
“Like it? I absolutely love it. You should see what I normally eat before a night shift. Trust me, cooking for myself when I’m tired sucks. Most of the time I end up with scrambled eggs and toast,” Callie took a sip of water and shrugged. “Besides, I’m practically useless in the kitchen. My mother always had a cook or else she hired caterers. She believed she had ‘more important things to do’ than to prepare food, so teaching her daughter how to cook wasn’t going to happen.”
Jake’s heart broke hearing the pain in Callie’s voice as she spoke about her childhood. “I hope you don’t take offense, but it sounds as if you missed out on doing a lot of fun things when you were growing up.”
Callie laughed drily, “You have no idea. It wasn’t just that I never baked cookies with my mom. I’ve never had a pet and wasn’t allowed playdates at my house either.”
“What? No playdates, and no pets? You mean you didn’t even have a hamster or a fish when you were a kid? Jesus, Callie, I’m sorry but that sounds like a shitty childhood.”
Jake reached across the table to cover her hand with his, gently stroking across her knuckles. He could tell the pain surfacing with the memories was hard for Callie to feel, and desperately wanted to comfort her.
With a quick smile to try and hide the discomfort she was obviously feeling, Callie continued, “Yeah, it wasn’t the best, that’s for sure. Sometimes I wonder if they only had me because it was the ‘proper’ thing to do. My mom grew up in a middle-class family. Her parents died when she was just seventeen and she met my dad a few years later. His family had money, and I guess she was ashamed of where she came from. So now she hides from her past by being the perfect upper-class political housewife. Apparently having a child that is seen but never heard is part of that facade.” The bitter note in Callie’s voice hung in the air when she finished.
She shifted in her seat, and Jake could sense that she was uncomfortable with how the conversation had turned. He moved to the chair next to Callie, pulled her into his lap, and sat there in silent support, stroking his hand up and down her back.
She laid her head down on his shoulder, before softly saying, “I’ve actually been thinking of adopting a cat. Might be nice to have something to cuddle after a shift.”
Jake decided to try and lighten the mood, so adopted a teasing tone in his voice and replied, “I’ll happily be something for you to cuddle with any time you want… But if you’re serious about wanting a cat, you should go for it. Why don’t we go to the shelter on one of your days off and look at who’s waiting to be adopted?”
The delighted expression on Callie’s face was exactly the response he had hoped to see.
“I’d like that Jake, thank you.”
Jake smiled back at her, amazed at how that soft, happy look on her face could stir up something powerful in him, a need to protect Callie, and make her happiness stick around forever. He was seized by a compelling need to show Callie what a real family was like, full of love, affection, household chores and sibling fights. She deserved that, and so much more. And he was determined to be the one to give it all to her.
* * *
At work that night, Melanie came up and leaned against the desk where Callie was writing in a patient’s chart. “Alright, spill. What’s got you glowing like a night light? Are you finally going to give me some details on your sexy new guy?”
Callie leaned back from the desk and smiled, “Mel, he’s incredible. I’ve never had anyone make me feel so cherished. I can hardly believe it’s been such a short time; I feel like he knows me better than anyone else I have ever been with.”
“Okay, that’s great. He’s kind and caring and blah blah blah. What I want to know is, how is he in BED!” Melanie jabbed Callie in the shoulder for emphasis.
Callie laughed and waggled her eyebrows as she replied, “Oh my word. He’s just as incredible in bed as he is out of it.”
Melanie cheered quietly so that none of their patients could overhear their scandalous conversation. “That’s fantastic, Cal! You deserve someone like that. Now if only we could clone him, so that there could be one for me!”
They were still laughing at that idea when both their pagers began to beep, letting them know the next trauma was coming in hot. All thoughts of men and relationships were put aside as the two doctors headed back into the chaos of the emergency room and their new patients.
* * *
The next day, following her night shift, was the family portrait session Callie’s father had emailed her about. Three hours of sleep was not enough after the busy shift she had worked, but today it had to do. After her shower, she dried her hair and smoothed lotion over her body. Looking in the mirror, she blinked wearily at her reflection. With a sigh, laced with both exhaustion and resignation, Callie pulled her hair back into a bun. She knew it would take extra concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes. Still, she didn’t want to suffer the consequence of showing up looking as tired as she felt. That would mean even more judgement from her mother who took every opportunity to criticize Callie.
Dressed in the navy pencil skirt and cream-colored blouse her mother had insisted she wear, Callie drove to Hoyt Arboretum with a large mug of tea sitting beside her, wafting with aromatic steam. This park was one of Callie’s favorite places to visit when she wanted a quiet place to run, and she had to admit that with the beautiful fall foliage, it made an ideal location for a photo shoot. Even if a photo shoot with her parents was not an enjoyable reason to be there.
When she found her parents waiting for her with the photographer, Callie scrambled to apply fresh lip gloss and hurried to meet them. She knew she was not late, but that didn’t stop her mother from looking first at her watch then giving a disapproving glance at Callie as she walked up.
“Hello Mother, Father, I hope you haven’t been waiting long. You did say we were to meet at one o’clock in your email, correct?” Callie hoped her mother wouldn’t make a scene in front of the photographer, who already looked intimidated by her parents.
“Callista, we did say one o’clock, but it is polite to arrive early for these types of things, so that we don’t waste anyone’s time. You forget your manners young lady.” It seemed Laura Scott could not miss an opportunity to criticize her daughter, even when she had done nothing wrong.
Sighing inwardly, Callie tried not to let her mother’s response affect her. Since she knew from experience that nothing she did was ever good enough, why would she expect her mother to be any different today.
