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She is so stubborn.
“We’ll discuss this later.” I turn to Blake. “Follow me.”
We bypassed the first room along the small hallway until we reached my childhood room. I hesitate before opening the door to the time capsule of my past.
“This is it.”
Blake takes in the small area, his gaze moving from the full-sized bed to the small dresser. “This is where you grew up?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you clean your room out before leaving for college?”
“No.”
“There isn’t much … personality.”
I look at the bare walls and shrug. I suppose he’s right. “I shared this space with my mom until she got sick.”
His eyebrows rise. “All three of you lived here?”
I nod. “It was more affordable with two full-time incomes. After Mom got sick, money became tighter. There wasn’t anything extra to spend on frivolous things. Every dime went to food, rent, and medical bills. And the medical debt never goes away. Even in death.”
His face turns stoic. Unreadable. I can’t decipher what he’s thinking.
“What about health insurance?”
A sad smile crosses my face. “There’s a line where you make too much to qualify for aid but not enough to get good health insurance. Mom accrued a lot of medical debt with the first round of chemo. When the cancer returned, she opted not to get treatment. She didn’t want to burden us with more debt.” A tear slides down my face. “That was the hardest thing, knowing there could be a cure, yet not being able to do a damn thing about it.”
“Their employer didn’t provide healthcare?”
“No. They send 1099’s instead.” I huff. “But their influence got me a scholarship to their precious academy, which was why Mom stayed with them instead of looking for a job with benefits. She became non-hirable when the cancer returned. She kept working as long as possible since they threatened to hire someone else, claiming they couldn’t be down another housekeeper again. The first time caused ‘too much hardship’ for them to suffer through.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah. They’re awful people.”
“And your grandma still works for them?”
“Unfortunately. She claims she doesn’t have any other skills, but when you accrue a certain level of debt, it’s hard to climb out of it.” I take a deep breath. “That’s what drives me to become an oncologist. I want to open a clinic and help lower-income people get proper healthcare. I haven’t worked out the logistics, but something needs to change.”
Blake is silent. It’s the first time I’ve seen him act so seriously since our first date. Then I see it—the business side of him. The man behind the suit who could dominate board meetings. An unwarranted doubt creeps into my mind and festers at my core. What happens after the skills tournament and Gala? Will we end? There wouldn’t be any reason to continue. Our lives are very different. We come from completely opposite worlds. He may very well win the skills tournament and buy his NHL ticket, but for how long? The three years as agreed upon. What happens after that? He goes back to the West Coast while my life is here. These are the people I want to help.
It’s a good reminder to keep my emotions in check. But as I stand in my childhood room and stare at the tall, broad-shouldered man with his horror-stricken expression, I think it’s too late.
* * *
“Thanksso much for providing dinner, Blake.” Grandma pats her stomach. “It’s nice not to have to prepare a large meal.”
She’s lying. She loves to cook, but I know buying the groceries would have created a financial burden. Besides, I think Blake loved being able to help. He arranged it all. We had a completely catered meal from an award-winning restaurant. I’m sure the delivery person was confused when he pulled up to our house, even more so after Blake’s generous tip. We don’t live in a neighborhood that spends over a grand for one meal.
“It was my pleasure.” Blake finishes his last bite and leans back.
“Now, you kids, go do something while I clean up.”
“I’ll help with the dishes,” I say.
“Nonsense. There aren’t many thanks to Blake.” She gives him a wink and piles the plates on top. “Now go on and get out of here.”
