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Surely not.
But what if we are?
I hear Lila retching in the bathroom. Poor thing. I updated her last night, as well as texting Tillie. They hope I’ll be staying in Atlanta, dating Drew, and working at the clinic. They seem excited.
Tillie thinks we can fit a blow-up mattress in the second room for me. We will have to put some of our stuff in storage, or give it away. It won’t all fit here.
Somewhere down the line, Lila will need the space for the baby. For now, we can pool resources if we all cram into this rental. We can support her.Ican support her. Tillie barely gets by.
I grab a can of ginger ale from the refrigerator and pull a sleeve of saltines from the box in the pantry. Lila’s really going through it.
I wait in the doorway for her to rinse out her mouth in the sink.
She sees me. “Thanks.” She ties her hair back as she stumbles to the living room and collapses on the sofa. “Good thing this critter is only the size of a peanut. I’m not giving it any nutrients with all the puking.”
I set the drink and crackers on the upturned milk crate that serves as a coffee table. “Did the doctor say when it will ease up?”
“Most people are better around twelve or thirteen weeks. I’m nearly there.” Her stomach growls, and she reaches for a cracker. “So ridiculous. My stomach cleans itself out, then requires me to put something else in.”
My phone beeps, signaling it’s time for me to head out to make it to the clinic on time. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Don’t worry. I’m used to it.” She nibbles on the corner of the cracker, resting her hand on the faded print of her sweatshirt over her belly.
I hate that she has it so hard. It’s not fair. We had it so rough growing up, and here she is, barely getting by all over again and no partner to help.
My sister needs us, and it will be even harder when the baby arrives. She probably won’t be able to work at all. Her boss at the pizza place is already threatening her shifts since she’s taken so much sick time.
Between me and Tillie, we’ll make it work. We vowed a long time ago to keep each other safe. I’m sticking to it.
I head to the kitchen to collect my coffee and hurry out to the car for my first day of working for a boss I’m banging on the side.
When I arrive, the first emergency of the day has already come in, a cat who ate a piece of fishing wire. When I pop into the back, Drew is on the phone, talking tersely with someone about X-rays and surgery.The cat currently is not under any duress, lying on its side and getting pets from Maria.
Drew doesn’t even look my way, intent on his conversation.
“We have another early work-in,” Maria says. “They’ll be here any minute.”
Wow. We’re moving fast. I hurry to my chair. The door to Exam 1 is open, and I can hear a woman crying. I flip on all my devices and push back to check on her.
An elderly lady with a thick fall of gray hair sits on the bench next to an empty cat carrier. This must be the owner of the tabby. Todd stands in the corner and gives me a shrug. “This is Mrs.Williams.”
“Hello, Mrs.Williams,” I say. “Are you all right?”
She looks up, her clear eyes rimmed with red. “I’ve killed Missy. I just know it. I should have put my craft things away.”
I kneel in front of her. “Dr.Daniels is back there calling the best experts to help her. She was getting lots of love and attention and is not in any distress.”
“What’s going to happen to my baby?”
“Dr.Daniels will be in shortly to update you. He’s conferring with some other veterinarians about the best course to take.”
Mrs.Williams reaches out to hold my hand. At the connection, she breathes more deeply. “Missy is only four.”
“We’re going to take excellent care of her.”
The seconds tick by. I know I should get ready to receive the day’s patients and pull their charts. But this seems more important.
The back door to the exam room opens, and Drew steps in. He seems surprised to see me, but gives me a quick nod.
