AllFreeNovel
Share Us
1
“Damn, you look horrible.”
Amira let out a quiet sigh as her sister’s loud voice drifted from the speakers of her computer, filling the previously quiet living room and making the headache that Amira was already dealing with even worse.
“Did you FaceTime me just to tell me that?” Amira deadpanned.
“No, I called to check up on mywonderfulolder sister because I haven’t heard from you since you moved across the country. It’s been two years now, and I would’ve thought that I’d have received at least a text message letting me know that you’re still alive.”
“I moved less than an hour away and it’s only been two weeks,” Amira pinched the bridge of her nose before taking a quick sip of wine. “I’m sorry for not calling,” she apologized to her dramatic sister nonetheless. “I’ve just been pretty busy lately…”
“Yeah, I can tell. You look horrible.”
“Thanks for reiterating that.”
“I don’t say it to insult you,” Bethany waved her off. “I say it to express my concern. Okay, you need to fill me in on everything. How is Forest Vale treating you so far? Have you visited the beach yet? Every time I talk to someone from Forest Vale they always go on and on about how amazing the beaches are. I can’t believe I’ve haven’t visited yet. It could easily be a weekend trip! Oh, how’s work? You’re adjusting well to the new hospital, right? I heard it’s, like, huge! No—I heard that the new sports facility is huge. Have you gone to see it? Did you get to go inside? It’s huge, right? I know it is! Have you met any of the athletes yet? Fuck, I can’t believe all the top athletes really stay there and you get to just go and visit them all whenever you feel like it! Wait, are you treating any of them yet? Are you—”
“Bethany, take a breath,” Amira interrupted with a laugh, gulping down some more of her wine.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m just excited to hear all about it!” Bethany told her. “You know I’ve always wanted to move away from our hometown, and I’m pissed that you beat me to it,” she pouted. “The least you could do is fill me in on all the details. I wanna know how different the weather is from home!”
Despite being 35 years old, Bethany had all the enthusiasm of a bright-eyed child. Amira always loved that about her. She tended to get excited by even the littlest things. Bethany had a bright eyed enthusiasm that just never dulled.
“The weather is mostly the same, it’s just a lot warmer here since I’m living on the coast.”
“Oh, so you’ll answer the most boring question that I asked but you’ll skate right past all the interesting ones,” Bethany huffed, causing Amira to let out a tired chuckle. She shrugged as she finished off her wine before putting the glass onto her coffee table.
“Let’s start with work.” She sighed. “It’s alright, I guess. The hospitalisreally big and it’s really nice too. I’ve started working with a few patients, and yes, I’ve been to that huge new sports facility, yes, I’ve met some of the athletes, and yes, I’m treating a few of them.”
Bethany let out an excited squeal and nearly choked on the potato chips that she’d been shoving into her mouth. “Oh my God, that’s so cool! I can’t believe my sister gets to hang out with world-famous athletes for a living!”
“Most of them are just popular in the US and it is very muchnotmy job to hang out with them.” Amira snickered. She was a doctor, a specialist in treating female athletes. Her job description included taking care of her athletes physically and mentally, treating them for injuries, keeping track of how their mental health was doing, and even keeping track of how things like menstrual cycles and hormonal changes could affect their performances. She was the head of the new Forest Vale Sports department. Her job description didnotinclude hanging out with the athletes.
“Well, I mean you fixed Sloane Smith and got her back to winning Grand Slams. How much more big time do you want?”
Amira smiled thinking about the world famous tennis champion she had had a small hand in helping a couple of years ago.
“Are they nice?” Bethany chirped, “Or are they all a bunch of stuck-up assholes?”
Amira shrugged once again. “Most of them have been pretty nice.”
“Are your coworkers nice? No annoying bosses getting on your nerves yet?”
“No annoying bosses.” Amira shook her head. “My coworkers are all pretty nice too, yeah.”
“Then...what’s wrong?” Bethany frowned. “You said that work isalright,you guess. You don’t sound very happy.”
“I just have a lot going on right now,” Amira mumbled. “Today was a rough day. Things were pretty busy at work but that’s not really…” She sighed as she tried to figure out what exactly to say. “It’s just a little hard for me to adjust. Everything is so different here. I worked at my old hospital for nearly ten years. I had friends there. I knew all my coworkers so well and I’d even gotten close to some of the patients. Here, I don’t know anyone. My coworkers seem nice enough, but none of them have really warmed up to me and I haven’t warmed up to any of them either. I don’t have any friends here, and because of that, I really haven’t been going out. I haven’t been doing anything aside from working and coming home and working and coming home and working once again. It’s like I’m on autopilot and everything is so...repetitive.”
“Go on.” Bethany nodded as Amira paused, contemplating whether or not she should continue talking. She really didn’t want to worry her sister with her problems, but she needed somebody to vent to and that’s what sisters were for, weren’t they?
Amira took a deep breath before continuing. “I just feel really alone here. I know it’s only been two weeks and I’m busy with work, so I don’t exactly have the time to go out and find friends, but I just...I’m used to having someone there to talk to whenever I need them. I...Living alone is just a little hard for me right now.” She sniffled.
Bethany sent her a sympathetic look. “I know.”
After splitting up with her ex-wife, Rachel, Amira had been living with Bethany before making the move to Forest Vale. It had been hard enough dealing with her divorce before, but at least then she’d been able to have her sister’s support while she dealt with it. Now, she was living all by herself for the first time in her whole life. No loud and overexcited sister waiting to scream about something with her when she got home. No wife waiting for her to come home either.
It was lonely and coming home to an empty house every night made Amira wish that she’d never even moved here. She knew that it was a good decision, coming here for a better work opportunity. She could advance her career here. She could make more money, whilst doing what she was really passionate about and that was treating top class female athletes. She’d made the right decision in coming here, but it was definitely difficult to adjust.
