Page 263 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

"I made the biggest mistake of my life."

Silence.

Gentle.

Patient.

Finally, she asks the only question that matters.

"What are you going to do about it?"

I look out the apartment window. Toward the fading sunset. Toward home.

A smile slowly finds its way onto my face.

"I'm going home."

***

Week Eight…

The final week of my rotation passes faster than I expect.

One last patient.

One last round of charts.

One last early morning cup of coffee in the therapists' lounge.

By Friday afternoon, the familiar routine already feels like a memory.

As I carry the last box from my apartment to the car, Dr. Lawson walks across the parking lot.

"So..."

He smiles.

"What's next?"

I glance toward the highway stretching beyond the hospital.

"I'm going home."

He studies my face for a moment.

"I had a feeling."

"You did?"

"You stopped talking about where you came from."

His smile widens. "You started calling it home again."

I hadn't even noticed.

He extends his hand. "They're lucky to have had you here."

I shake it.