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It was the best option for anyone living here. Mom loved her job and took charge of it easily. It was her dream and she was living it properly. I can't count how many times I would just sit aside and watch her doing her work. The way she would treat patients like they were her family. No matter what the case was, she always made anyone she attended to feel like they were going to survive or become better.
I wanted something like that. A job where I would enjoy myself, just doing it. So, I chose to study medicine when I was done with high school and help out with the hospital any way I could. It was the only way I knew how to help. But Mom and Dad were hiding something from me.
She had cancer. It didn't stop her, though. She would still attend to patients while going through her medications as well. That's how dedicated she was to this place. I wasn't sure why she was that dedicated to this place, but she told me it was her dream to see this place become somewhere that everyone in the community and beyond would be able to access medical services. So when she died, and the hospital was getting fewer patients, with everyone heading downtown, it felt like that dream was coming to an end.
This hospital was an extension of my mother, just the way my dad and I were to her. I feel like if I sold this place, it would be like I had given up on her dream and severed the little of what was left of her. Dad wants me to pause and find something else, but I don't know why he's giving up on what the both of them have built.
I don't want to give up just yet until I'm sure that I've exhausted all my options. Selling it is too much of a shortcut. Stubborn, yes but it's what I've decided to do.
I was done explaining, and I turned to look at him. I was unable to read what he was thinking. But at least he didn't look at me like I was out of my mind.
"Can I be honest?" he asked.
I turned to lay on my back, "Go ahead."
"I think I understand why your father wants to focus on something else. It's not a bad intention but…"
"I'm chasing after someone else's dream?" I asked.
"Yes, but that's not it," he replied. "Think about what happened to your mother. She had cancer; yet she still went to work when she should have been focusing on getting her health checked out. It's an admirable feat, no doubt, but not really a wise one."
"Are you saying what she did was dumb?"
"No, it’s not like that. One shouldn't chase a dream so hard that they forget to wake up and pay attention to their surroundings," he explained. "Be honest, when she was aware of her case, did your mom spend more time with your dad and you, or did she spend more time here?"
I paused and thought about it, "Here."
"And were you really happy? Imagine you knew she had cancer; would you want her to continue working non-stop?" he asked.
I didn't know she had cancer until it became serious. She spent a lot of time in the hospital for me to even notice. If I knew, would my eyes of admiration dim? Or would they shift to worry?
"I wouldn't…I would want her to stop and focus on us," I admitted as I sat up and hugged my knees.
"Stacy, you have a beautiful dream," he said softly, "but you have to make sure you're focusing on other things as well. Stop for a second and observe your life."
Ethan was right. Why did it take this long for me to realize that this was what my father meant?
"I didn't really think about it that way. I just thought he wanted me to stop," I said.
"He didn't want you chasing after a dream that wasn't yours," he explained. "Now that you've made it clear that the dream clearly belongs to you, he wants you to focus on the beautiful things life has to offer beyond the four corners of this hospital."
"Like what?" I raised a brow.
"Me," he replied with a smile as he poked my nose.
I giggled at his silly gesture. "You're definitely right about that."
"Now as much as I want you to lie down and let me continue touch–I mean,massageyou. I want to ask you for a favor," he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Will you come back to Richmond with me?" he requested. "My time here is up, and I need to make sure everything has been going smoothly in my absence. Also, I want us to consult with someone who's more successful than I am, concerning your hospital situation."
"One question: if you really want me to follow my father's advice and focus on you, why not just buy the place?" I asked.
"Because you won't like that choice," he said. "It's not in my nature to do anything that makes the person I'm in love with become unhappy. Wanting you to focus on me doesn't mean you should sacrifice your dreams entirely. You're a strong woman. I'm pretty confident that you can love your career and me at the same time. I just want some extra love, that's all."
I couldn't stop myself from grinning. "You sure do know how to make me feel like a high school girl in love."
