My first day at the new job is stressful. I drove from Los Angeles to this little town north of Santa Fe, and it’s truly in the middle of nowhere. It’s a town of 3,000 and the clinic is the only one for fifty miles in any direction. So, it was busy from the moment I got there until we closed at seven. I didn’t know where anything was or how to manage their computer program, but I somehow muddled through.
I don’t mind the nursing work—that’s why I’m here—but fumbling through my first day with literally no direction is frustrating. By the time I get to my rented studio apartment, it’s seven thirty and I’m way too exhausted to cook. There’s also no food in the apartment and when I look for someone that delivers, there doesn’t appear to be anything like that here.
I’m starving, so I head for the only grocery store in town and stock up on some basics—bread, milk, eggs, butter, bacon, peanut butter, frozen pizza, pasta, and sauce in a jar. The hell with it. It’s only eleven weeks. I can survive that long without any bells and whistles.
As soon as I get back to the apartment, I put one of the pizzas in the oven and then change into sweats. I open my phone and see that I missed a text from Ross.
ROSS: Hey, babe. Hope your first day wasn’t too crazy. I’m singing again tonight so I might be on stage when you see this. Kingston is easing back into the groove, doing half the set now. Since things have been going so well, he wants to be as careful as possible. Anyway, I don’t know when you’re going to bed, but I’ll text after the show. xoxo
WYNTER: I’m home now. It was a long day and I had no food so I had to go to the store. I’m going to eat a pizza, shower, watch some trash TV and probably fall asleep. It was a super busy day. I was a little frazzled at first but I think I’m getting the hang of the new routine. If we miss each other tonight, I’ll call you tomorrow during lunch. Break a leg…
I’m just about to put my phone down when I get a text from Harley, with a picture of the stage, with Ross singing. I smile and text her back.
WYNTER: Is it crazy that it’s only been two days and I already miss him???
HARLEY: What am I, chopped liver? See if I send you any more pictures!
WYNTER: I’m sorry! LOL I miss you too. But I miss him a teeny bit more.
HARLEY: Okay, that’s fair.
WYNTER: How’s it going now that River and Jeremy are back on the tour with you?
HARLEY: It’s good! The nanny is working out great, and Presley and I have offered to let her attend one show a week, and one of us will stay back with the boys so she can have a little fun too.
WYNTER: Are River and Tommy bonding?
HARLEY: Oh, yeah. Tommy’s been great with him. He’s teaching him to play drums. He got to sit on his lap during soundcheck tonight—it was adorable. I have fifty billion pictures.
WYNTER: You better send one!
HARLEY: I will. Anyway, I figured you were feeling sad tonight so I thought I’d send you some pix.
WYNTER: Not really sad, just missing everyone. I think this assignment is going to fly past because it’s busy as fuck. I didn’t sit down at all today! But the two doctors told me I need to make sure I take a lunch break because we work 8 – 6. And by the time we clean up and get the last of the patients out of there, we don’t really leave until 7.
HARLEY: That’s a long day, sis. You sure you don’t want to come take care of River and just be on tour with us?
WYNTER: Was that ever an option???
HARLEY: Well, yeah… I mean, I never brought it up because you had a job, and then once you got fired you were all about doing this travel nurse thing. I didn’t think you’d WANT to be the nanny. Especially since it would mean missing most of the shows.
WYNTER: No, you’re probably right. But now that I’m away from Ross, I definitely wish we didn’t have to be apart.
HARLEY: Maybe it’s good for you guys to be apart just a little while. You know? It’s a cliché but absence can make the heart grow fonder…and you guys moved really fast. This is a good way to test the waters, especially if he’s going to be touring long-term.
WYNTER: He’s been really cagey about what he wants to do. I wish I knew why he’s having such a hard time deciding.
HARLEY: Because it’s a huge decision. With a lot of risk, both to his finances and his mental health. This life isn’t easy. Look what it did to me and Tommy. And we’d already built a life together when it fell apart.
WYNTER: Maybe you’re right. I miss him but it does feel like he needs time and a little space. Not from me specifically, but the freedom to think and figure out what’s going on in his head without me throwing in my two cents all the time.
HARLEY: I think you can still throw in your two cents—that’s how relationships work—but let him mull it around for a bit first. Then tell him what you’re thinking.
WYNTER: I offered to support us while he follows his dreams. I don’t know how much more supportive I can be. And if he doesn’t want to sign with Hart Records, then it makes my life that much easier.
HARLEY: Men can be obtuse sometimes. That’s just a fact of life. Even the great ones. Again, look at me and Tommy. It took a baby with another man, a divorce, the death of a friend, a motorcycle accident, and two stints in rehab for him to get his head out of his ass. And you know how much he loves me.
WYNTER: Okay, don’t put that out into the universe—we don’t need any major drama to bring us together!
