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“Go ahead and take it. We are done here. I’ll have discharge papers here in a bit.”
“Thanks, doctor. Really.”
Turning my attention back to the phone, I answer. “Hello?”
“Valentina, I’m so glad you picked up.” Rory’s voice sends my blood pressure through the roof. Crap. Why did I pick up? I should have known it was him.
“Um, hey.” I press my hand to the phone, hoping the line doesn’t pick up any of the hospital sounds.
“I’m calling about that date,” he says.
“I’m not sure I’m free.”
“I’ll check in with you Saturday morning. We can play it by ear. If you’re free, you’re free. If not, we can hang out another time.”
“Uh, okay,” I say reluctantly. The thing is, his voice is the most comforting thing in this hospital room.
“Valentina, can I say something without you freaking out?”
“I suspect you will no matter what I say.”
Rory laughs. “True.” Then his voice turns serious. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Why does he have to go and say all the wonderful things? He was a play-thing, a boy-toy. I was meant to never see him again.
Tell yourself what you want, Valentina. You gave him your number for a reason.
I can’t stop thinking about him either. Memories of our day together have kept me sane the last twenty-four hours. But I can’t tell him that.
“You are freaking out, aren’t you?” he asks.
“No. I’m not freaking out.” I pout as though he can see me, and he laughs again.
“Well, I need to get back to work. I just wanted to say, have a good day, and I’ll be thinking about you.”
“Thank you, Rory. You have a good day too.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And, you will be thinking about me too.”
“Fine. I’ll be thinking about you too.”
I’m a bit panicked he might walk by my door, so I press the call button, and Sara’s head pops in. I ask her to close my door for privacy, and she tells me she’ll be right back with discharge paperwork.
The strangest feeling comes over me as I wait. I started out this journey homesick for the gym, for Chema, and for Pili. But now, my homesickness is more about time with Rory, and Mandy, and even the cousins Izel and Tlali. It feels strangely like Kansas City is home, not Mexico. I won’t deny I miss Chema and my sister, but they don’t beat in the same spot in my heart that home beats anymore.
Sara comes back to change the dressing over the two small laparoscopic incisions on my lower abdomen. I sign a stack of paperwork, get a prescription for pain medication I won’t fill, and take a ridiculous cab ride the two blocks to my apartment.
I’m lying down and icing my belly when I get a text from Chema. My heart sinks. He knows nothing yet. The longer I’ve kept him at arms-length, the harder it has been for me to give him the excuse I had planned for him. I read all his texts in Spanish.
Chema:Where are you?
Me:I’m sorry. I’ve been meaning to call you. I’m out of town.
Chema:Out of town?
