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In the end, she went into liver failure. The doctors tried everything they could, but their liver dialysis machines simply weren’t enough to keep up with her needs.
When she died, I resolved to help others like her. I took a good look at my options and decided that there were plenty of doctors. Tara didn’t die because her doctors weren’t good at what they did. She died because they simply didn’t have the tools required. What the world needed was more people focusing on medical innovations that would help those doctors save lives.
So, I started investigating how I might do this. It was tough, starting up a business. My family never had much money, so they couldn’t afford to help me get going. I went to business school and graduated well, but it was still difficult to find investors for my newly started company.
I did a few months in medical school, just to get some connections. I made friends there, and more importantly, I scoped out potential talent. Some of those old friends became the very first people I invested in. Once I got started, it was easier to get going. I found that I loved the work, and I never looked back.
What about you? How did you get to where you are?
So, Victoria was in the medical field, too. It was amazing how much they had in common, but Alexa didn’t intend to comment on this particular similarity. That would lead to more discussion about work, and she didn’t want to give Victoria reason to ask about her company. For now, Alexa would keep that a secret, until she was sure of Victoria’s motivations.
She was in awe of Victoria’s dedication. To build a business from the ground up was a huge achievement.
I had it much easier than you. Ever since I was young, I was groomed to take on the family business. Of course, I had my typical rebellious phase as a teenager. I wanted to be a firefighter, mostly because I knew my parents wouldn’t like it. It was the furthest thing from what they wanted for me that I could imagine.
How did they convince you otherwise?
They were smart about it. They didn’t try to stop me or anything like that. They knew me better than to think it was a path I would actually enjoy, so they showed me that in the best way possible.
My father insisted that if I wanted to be a firefighter, I would need to get some experience. So, he had me sign up to volunteer. He got a personal trainer for me to put me through a rigorous fitness program.
It was exhausting. I hated the training, I hated the hot gear and I soon found that the idea of being near burning buildings was intensely unappealing to me. I wasn’t afraid of fire, but I certainly didn’t like it.
In the end, I realized that while the idea was nice, it was just that – a nice idea. It simply wasn’t for me.
My parents were ready for it when I made that decision. My father told me that he applauded my initiative in taking on an extra commitment to help me decide on my future career. He told me that he was proud of me and that he would like me to explore other options.
Again, he was smart. He didn’t get me started in business right away – he knew I would resist that. He had me shadow a doctor (turns out I don’t do well with blood), a teacher (I get impatient too quickly), a horse breeder (horses are smelly) and a lawyer. The lawyer was the most interesting to me, and my dad suggested that if I liked that world, I should consider a business internship. He conveniently offered to show me the ropes in the family company.
I was reluctant, but I agreed. To my intense annoyance, I found that I loved it. It took me a while to come around to the idea. I started off as an assistant in the company, to get some experience. By the time my father decided to retire, I was his executive assistant. He stayed on for a while as consultant, to help me get a handle on things, but I learned quickly. Once he was satisfied that the business was in good hands, he left to enjoy his retirement.
Alexa smiled at the memories. It had been a turbulent time in her life, not knowing who or what she wanted to be, and she was grateful for her father’s guidance. Her mother had always been quietly supportive of whatever she decided—though she hadn’t been able to hide her distaste for the firefighter idea—but her father constantly pushed her to be better, to make herself into the woman she wanted to be.
He sounds like a very smart man. My parents have always been supportive of my choices, but they struggled after Taradied. Eventually, they found there were too many memories here and they ended up moving to Europe. I visit when I can, and I do video calls, but we’re not as close as we used to be.
What about the rest of your family? Are you close to any of them?
Not really. I have some distant cousins, but we’ve never really connected. I find I get on better with people in my line of work—our brains work in similar ways.
Alexa couldn’t comprehend not being close with one’s own family. It must be a sad life. No wonder Victoria wanted to find a partner.
My family is really close-knit. I’ve never really had any friends outside of them, though I’ve tried. I’ve tried with dating, too, but I never really connected with anyone well enough to get past dates two or three.
I’ve dated before—I’ve even been married before—but it all ended in disaster. I had actually given up on the whole idea, but my best friend convinced me to join this app. I was very doubtful at first, but I have to admit that I’m feeling more hopeful now.
That message sent a thrill of pleasure through Alexa’s veins. So, Victoria was as glad to have found her as she was to have found Victoria. Maybe it was time to see if their connection was as good in person as it was over text.
Would you like to go out on a date sometime? I’d love to meet you in person.
She waited anxiously for the response, but Victoria didn’t keep her waiting long.
I would love to. Sundays are best for me—I technically only work Mondays to Fridays, but I often end up working on Saturdays, too.
Alexa bit her lip. Sundays were family days for her, but she didn’t want to interfere with Victoria’s work.
I could do Sunday evening, for dinner? I usually spend the day with my family, but I can get away early. Alternatively, if you’re done with work by Saturday evening, we could go out then.
I can make a plan to be done by six on Saturday. I wouldn’t want to take away from your family time. Do you have a preferred restaurant?
