“Kyle Tinker?”There was no stopping Mom now, she was in fine voice.
“Who’s he?”Bella asked, peeling a banana.
Oh dear.This had the potential to go really bad really quick.She had never really explained to Bella the precise nature of Bella’s fatherless state.It was enough that she wasn’t the only one in her classes being raised by a single mom.“Kyle is, uh, a former boyfriend.”
“Where did you meet?”Mom demanded.
“At the hospital two months ago,” she’d mumbled.
“Twomonthsago?”Mom roared.
“Mom, keep your voice down.The neighbors will hear.”
“I don’t care if the whole world hears.I forbid you from having anything more to do with that man.”
“Why?What did he do?”Bella asked.
“That man ruined this family,” Mom began.
“Mom, not here,” Gen pleaded.Bella didn’t need to hear this.Didn’t need to know that Mom’s anger at Kyle implied that Bella was a mistake.
Her mother had taken an audible breath, then visibly calmed herself.“I am not okay with this.”
No kidding.“Mom, surely it’s better that we try to patch things up.Just think about what some of the good things might be.”The way he’d been talking yesterday, he’d implied a future together, marriage, the works.
“Have you lost your mind?There are no good things.That man ruined you, ruined me.”
“Mommy?”Bella turned to Gen, alarm on her face.“What’s going on?Why does Grandma hate this man so much?”
“Sweetheart, you don’t need to worry.You’re okay.”
“She is now.But what ifthose peoplefind out?Do you think they will sit mildly by without trying to take her away?”
“Who’s trying to take who away?Do you mean me?”Bella demanded.“Mom?What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”Oh, why hadn’t she kept her big mouth shut?“Look, Grandma is just a little concerned that some things are going to change.And maybe they are.But not in a bad way.”
There was a way to make this work.Kyle would come to love Bella.How could he not?She was everything smart and witty and fun.Hehadto love her.He’d have to want them both.
Gen had soon needed to leave, but not without giving Bella a big hug first.“Bella, I want you to promise me not to worry.Okay?Everything is gonna be fine.”
It had taken a moment, then Bella nodded.
“I’ll see you when I get back from work.”And maybe she could explain a few more things then.
Her shift had passed with hard cases, two preventable deaths, thanks to Goran’s ineptitude, a man high on drugs, and a terminal cancer case with an infection.She’d been spat on by a schizophrenic patient, been sworn at by several others, so Kyle’s flowers were an unexpected bonus, even if they had provided a reminder of the unpleasant episode at home before.She’d treated patients, dealt with hospital administrivia, ignored Goran’s rudeness, phoned for consults, and worked to keep her emotional equilibrium as part of her danced at the thought that Kyle really was serious about prioritizing her at last.
She pressed submit on the last report, discarded her empty yogurt pot in the trash, smiled at the flowers, then worked through the next hours until finally, finally, she could finish her shift, only staying twenty-five minutes over.
Thirty minutes later she was hopping off the bus on the corner, flowers in hand.Her bouquet had raised answering smiles in patients and bus passengers alike.
Now to somehow explain who Kyle was to Bella.And figure out the same for him.
This would be a hard conversation, she knew that.But she’d been raised to cope with hard things.Even if a tiny part of her was glad that her mom’s work schedule meant she’d be absent today.
She smiled, and retrieved her key.Plugged it into the lock of the door.
“Gen?”
