Chapter 26 – Interviews

Thursday, September 28th, 2023

Gabi's POV

"What made you choose orthopedics?" My eyes lifted to meet Troy's as he read off the piece of paper, I gave him while he juggled Knox in his hands. I squinted and took a breath as I focused on my answer. Troy listened to my response as Knox tried to chew on his hand and I couldn't help but laugh as Troy kept trying to keep the piece of paper out of his reach. He had been a fast and furious four months of Knox Meyer.

It was amazing how fast he grew from the little baby to the sitting up little man that we got now. He was mostly sleeping through the night, still breastfeeding, and absolutely loved his daycare. "Gabs," I looked up at Troy and smiled. "What? Knox is distracting me. He's too freaking cute." I reached for him and Troy handed him over as I blew on his belly getting smiles in return from him. He grabbed my hair with a tug and I shook my head.

"Knoxy," his blue eyes looked at me with another smile coming over his lips. "Do you want to get ready for bed so mommy can focus?" I questioned towards him and he just giggled before burying his head into my shoulder. I rubbed his back as Troy smiled at the two of us. "I'm going to miss you boys this weekend," I whispered rocking Knox as I had my first set of interviews this weekend for residency. I had four totals over the next several weeks.

"Tell momma that we are going to be just fine," Troy leaned over to kiss my head as we both went upstairs to start his bedtime routine. "This weekend is Waco, correct?" I nodded my head. "Yea, Baylor's program." The nerves riddled my stomach because it was a good program and I was honored to get an interview. I had an interview with Duke the following weekend. In the middle of October, the whole family was going to Washington as Troy and Knox were going to go to Seaside while I go to Seattle for my interviews before going to catch up with Troy and Knox for a few extra days. My final interview was in Boston as those were the four programs that seemed to be the most family-friendly while also getting a good education.

Troy found a pair of PJ's for Knox as I changed his diaper. Troy handed me the little footie PJ's as I wrangled his wiggling body into the fabric. Troy stroked his head, "Night little man, I'll see ya in the morning." Troy dropped a kiss to his forehead as I put him to bed any night that I was home. It was a little bit of extra bonding time for Knox and I. I settled back into the rocking chair as I started to feed him while Troy shut down the lights and cracked the door shut before going downstairs.

We had slowly fallen into a new routine around the house since I had gone back to school. I got up with Knox in the morning to cuddle and love on him, feed him, and get him ready while Troy made breakfast with a lot of extra coffee. Troy and I would eat breakfast together before I left to go to the hospital or class – whatever was going on that day while Troy stayed home for another hour or so with Knox before taking him to daycare.

Our mornings started early but we got that little bit of family time in the morning. It was our special time because I wasn't even sure when I was going to make it home. Troy always picked him up from daycare, unless there was a game, then my mom would pick him up. The routine was almost flawless and it was going to be hard to disrupt it but I knew all routines were meant to change. My fingers danced across his soft skin while he ate and I kissed the side of his head.

Knox's eyes were growing heavy as he finished eating and I pulled him off my breast before rocking him gently to sleep. My mom warned me that I shouldn't rock him to sleep but I wanted, too. I wanted to hold him. Snuggle him. I didn't get all day with him as I wanted too so this was the second-best in my opinion. I kissed him again after he fell asleep and I gently laid him down into his crib. I watched him sleep for a few extra moments soaking up this time before I turned on his sound machine and walked out the door gently closing it.

I walked back downstairs as Troy was laying on the couch scrolling through his phone. "Did he go down okay?" Troy asked without breaking eye contact with his phone. "Yea, he did. I wish I was home more to do that with him." I said and Troy gave a tiny smile before looking up at me. He reached for my hand and he pulled me down onto his body. I snuggled into his strong chest and breathed in his earthy scent that caused my entire body to tingle.

He rubbed my back like I just did with Knox and I nearly fell asleep right there as we just laid together. "Be honest, what is your favorite program?" I played with the hem of his shirt and breathed out. "Baylor, probably. Duke is right behind them." Troy was constantly giving the same message over and over again – do what makes sense for you. I considered family, travel, and what was going to be the best for Knox. I had, too.

"I think Texas would be a lot of fun," Troy said. "It wouldn't be that long of a flight to either of our parents and I bet we'll easily find a daycare that Knox loves." I smiled as I tilted my head up to look at him. "I love how much you encourage me to do what I want. This is your life, too." He shook his head with a smile. "My job can be done anywhere. Hanson already promised a glowing recommendation + he knows people all over. I'll find something and it'll probably be easier if I don't work for a few weeks to allow time to adjust, find a daycare, and be there for you."

I reached up and kissed him and he groaned when I bit down on his lip causing him to flip us over. Sex was hard to come by these days and it wasn't from a lack of trying. The first eight weeks I just wasn't ready and Troy was supportive, never pushed it, and was very content with just spending time together. After that, our little man didn't like to be separated all that much. He cried just about every time somebody put him down and then my schedule got busier.

"C'mon, cowboy, let's take this upstairs," I whispered and Troy chuckled against my lips, picked me up, and carried me straight to the room. Yea, I'm not upset by this.

Friday, September 29th, 2023

Waco, TX

I fidgeted with my skirt as I landed and went straight to my interview with a double-check of my outfit in the Dallas airport. I followed the director of the program, Angie Marks, around as I asked appropriate question, presented myself as a knowledgeable person, and smiled when the moment was right. My gut was stirring with nerves and anxiety, though.

"This is our simulation center, as an orthopedic resident you will practice injections, surgeries, and many other tasks in there with preceptors before doing them on the patients. These simulation models can do just about anything so do not be surprised." Angie smiled over at me as she guided me to a room and she settled down into a chair as I followed suit. My hands were a sweating mess but I just took a calming breath, thought of Knox, and smiled at Angie.

"I know today was probably a lot of information and I am glad you are sticking around for tomorrow's portion of the interview. That way if you think of any questions you can come ask and we can be on the same page by the time you leave." I smiled with a nod, "I am thrilled to be here tomorrow as well. I think talking with the residents might help ease my mind a lot."

Angie frowned, "Do you have any concerns?" she questioned and I sighed as I nodded, "Not many, just a few, I have a son and while I have an amazing husband who is just about willing to be anything to be there for our son. I want to be there, too. Trying to figure out how to balance that family portion of my life while excelling in my career that I am very passionate about. Many different people have warned me that going into this specialty with a family is not going to work but…I want to make it work. I want to hear from those residents and how they do make it work."

Angie gave a soft smile, "How old is your son?" she asked. I let a megawatt smile take over my face, "He's four months old,"

"How precious. I think you will find that reassurance tomorrow from our residents and a very smart way to think about coming into this. Many people do tend to run away from the time commitment but knowing that it is going to be a lot, knowing that you have to make the balance work, is important. Residency is a long time but at the same time will fly by and then you will have more of an open schedule. I know it's hard in the moment but worth it in the end."

I smiled because I liked that. I liked that a lot.

"I just think that I should be able to go into any specialty and have a family. Family is important for the mind and the soul. I go home every day and maybe he's sleeping but I can still look at him and he makes me happier. My husband is there and will always support and encourage me." Angie laughed, "Seems like you found a nice man," I smiled. "I did. He is actually the one that pushed me to become a doctor. I didn't think I could do it but he encouraged me and told me to reach for my dreams. He still doing it even though I am uprooting our entire lives across the country."

"It sounds like you have excellent support," I smiled. "I do have excellent support. I've been through a lot of different things throughout the years and my family, my husband, my friends have all supported me through it." Angie smiled as if she was pleased with all of my answers this far. "I read on your resume that you were a basketball player at Duke University and it seems to overlap while you were in medical school. How did you make time for all of that? Between your family, your commitments to school, and your commitment to the basketball team?" I let out a laugh and a short nod.

"It was probably one of the craziest times in my life. Luckily, I lived with my boyfriend who also supported me during this time. He would help me study, allow me to practice different things on him, and gave my mind a break when it was getting to become too much. I really had to shuffle my schedules around a lot to get through basketball and medical school. I was always upfront with my coach that I might have to miss practice but I also worked really hard on the side to make sure I never fell behind my team. My boyfriend also played for Duke so we would practice together if I missed a practice or he would help me watch films. It was those little things and it shows all of the support that I have been provided over the years."

"Finally, the school was my first priority. I knew medicine was my entire life after college but I also knew I had a commitment to my team to finish out my last year. I always did my homework or studying first. It was important to me. With all of the help that I had – I made it work. It wasn't something that I did alone and I know going into residency that I will need all of that help again. My parents won't be around but I will find that same support system here."

"It seems you are very good at multitasking," Angie provided and I smiled, "I am. I think I've learned it a lot more over the years. I planned a wedding during my second year. I was pregnant in my third year. I'm a mom finding my residency while finishing all of my clinical during my fourth year. It takes a lot of work but it's the work that I am willing to provide."

Angie and I continued to talk for some time as I asked her questions about the program and she asked me questions about medical school and how my mental health was. My anxiety had greatly improved over the past several months. I still found myself getting anxious when things were getting out of control but reminding myself that I can do it, taking a deep breath, and hugging my son and Troy – it helped. I still spoke with my counselor when I could fit it in.

I weaned off the medication after a few weeks of being home and I definitely felt better. Angie ended our meeting as I was meeting with a big group later today for dinner and then tomorrow, I had my big formal interview followed by spending time with some of the residents. I walked out of Angie's office and I immediately called Troy's cell phone. "How did it go?" he questioned. I heard Knox fussing from the other end of the phone and just that alone made my heart warm.

"I think well. The facility is impressive and I really like the people that I have met so far."

"Good," Troy said. "I am glad it is going well. You are smart, B. You are going to blow them away." I smiled at his vote of confidence as I settled in a pair of chairs. "Thank you, I do appreciate all of your support." Troy chuckled. "I think it fell into my job description as a husband somewhere." I glanced at my wedding ring and knew that I made the right choice with him. "I love you. I'll facetime both of you tonight because momma misses Knox."

"He misses you. He refused his bottle this morning but eventually took it." I frowned as I left before he woke up this morning for the airport. "Tell him Sunday morning I'll be there."

"I thought you weren't flying in until Sunday,"

"I moved it. I leave late tomorrow night."

Troy sighed, "You know it's okay."

"No, I want to spend Sunday with him. I don't have anything and I want to spend the whole day with my boys." Troy grunted, "Can't argue with that." I smiled. "No. You really can't."

Sunday, October 1st, 2023

Troy's POV

My eyes lingered on Gabi and Knox as they were snuggled up on the couch together taking a nap as I prepped dinner. She hated traveling without him. I can guarantee that. Luckily, her next trip we were going with her to Washington, well, kinda. I was going to Oregon and she was staying in Seattle but I was starting to wonder if I could get my parents to come to Seattle so I could stay with Gabi. She needed us and that was okay.

I went out back and threw the steaks on the grill when I heard car doors shut. Lauren and Grey were coming over this evening for dinner. I peeked around the building, "You guys can come around back." I told them and Grey nodded as I went back to the grill and turned the potatoes before going over to help Lauren and Grey. I took the plate of food from Lauren and she smiled. "Where is that little ham?" I laughed with a smile. "He's asleep with his momma on the couch. She was exhausted from this weekend."

"How did it go?" Lauren asked. "I think really well. She loved the residents that she talked to and the program seems to be good about balancing families as much as they can with all of the different work that has to be done. A few of them have kids and they talked about how it worked for them and I think that helped her. They asked her how she was going to rank them on her list and she told them she had three more interviews before Thanksgiving and that she would tell them as soon as she knew."

Lauren beamed, "Good. She has worked so hard for this."

I couldn't agree more with that statement. Gabi had worked incredibly hard throughout the entire four years in medical school for this opportunity. She deserved the recognition and had the scores to prove how good she truly was. Lauren went inside as Grey plopped down onto the patio furniture. "How was the game?" I questioned and he laughed, "Good. We got here earlier than I was anticipating as there was minimal work afterward."

"Any good beer in the fridge?" Grey asked pushing up and I nodded, "Grab me a Miller Lite," I told him and he nodded as he went inside and was back out handing me the ice-cold beer. "Are you wanting to move to Waco?" Grey questioned and I shrugged. "I moved from Seaside to Durham without anybody. At least this time I would have her and Knox. It will be a bit difficult to adjust to no parents around to help with Knox and the whole finding a new job thing but we'll figure it out."

"Do you think it will be Waco? It seems to be the one she talks about the most." I shrugged. "She has three more interviews to go. Duke is next week and that I think is a bit more informal as a lot of the directors already know her. I think they want to keep her here but I'm not sure that is what she wants to do." Grey just nodded his head and smiled. "Lauren keeps trying to get me to agree to have a baby." I laughed as I flipped the steaks over and looked over at him.

"What's the hold-up? Just not ready?" I questioned. "I don't want to be in season for the first part when the baby is born and I feel like committing to that right now scares the shit out of me. I told her one more year. Just the two of us for one more year. This is my first year at this job and me just…I just want to be ready." I chuckled underneath my breath. "I don't think you'll ever be like okay; this is the perfect time to have a baby," I told him and he sighed while running his fingers through his hair.

"I know."

I smirked while shaking my head as I pulled the potatoes off and went back inside to see Lauren snuggling with Knox and Gabi sitting up rubbing her eyes. I sent her a quick wink while I grabbed the plates, condiments for potatoes and steak, and went back out to pull the steaks off the grill to everybody's liking before going back in as Knox was rocking in his swing, Gabi and Lauren had a glass of wine, and we all started to dig in.

I went over and kissed the side of her head and she nuzzled into my body. "Did you and Knox have a good nap?" she nodded but released another yawn. I laughed while kissing her before we made our plates before somebody woke up and wanted to be held.

"Lauren, how is your first semester going?" Gabi asked once we settled into the table. "Really, really, well. The kids are amazing and I feel like I am really getting the hang of the new school. I love it." Grey sent her a smile as I reached over and rub Gabi's leg. "Are you guys taking Knox to a Duke game this winter?" Lauren asked and I smirked, "I want to but somebody else needs to find time in her schedule. That was one of those things we promised we would do together for the first time with him."

Grey raised an eyebrow, "Things to do together for the first time?" I nodded as Gabi went into explaining. "With my busy schedule, I made a list of like ten things that I wanted to do with him for the first time. See Santa, go to the pumpkin patch, go to a Duke game, go to the beach, to the zoo, things like that. Troy can go do whatever else with him besides those things because I just want those firsts unless it truly just won't be possible."

"That is actually really smart to do that. You don't limit Troy, he knows what you want, and you get the peace of mind that you'll be there for big things." Gabi smiled, "It was one of the many things that my therapist suggested to help ease my anxiety about not being there for him. She told me to constantly update that list as he gets older so that Troy knows what I really don't want to miss out on. I can't control his first steps, crawl, words, or sickness but I can control some other things."

"Gah, I love it," Lauren mumbled as she stuffed her mouth with green beans. The conversation floated to basketball, the girls talked about work and school, while we all shared some laughs and just enjoyed company. I think deep in my gut I knew we weren't going to be here come July. Our friends were constantly busy and trying to fit in our time together was important. Our next adventure was going to be fun but I would miss this.

My eyes lingered on Knox for a moment as he wiggled in his seat but stayed asleep as his next feed was coming up soon. Gabi had built a solid supply of breast milk over the past four months and we only really used it for daycare or when she was gone. She planned to stop when she went back to school but she found a way when she grew to love it. It was again – more work – but something Gabi set her mind to and did.

"Troy you are sure in love with him," I snapped my attention back to the group as I took a quick drink of beer and nodded, "Yea, I am. He's a lot of fun and I love seeing him grow." Gabi smiled over at me and I gave her a smile back. "I didn't realize how much I was going to love being a dad," I admitted to the group. "It just never screamed to me back in the day but now? I love it. I love it so much."

"You're really good at it," Gabi said with a smile. "Knox is a lucky little man to have the both of you," Lauren said. I chuckled, "Yea, whenever you guys have a kid they are stuck with Grey." Lauren and Gabi laughed as Grey rolled his eyes. "Yea, yea, very funny."

Thursday, October 19th, 2023

Gabi's POV

Troy carried Knox in his arms as we walked the pumpkin patch together in 70-degree weather. Knox was wiggling and trying to get Troy's hat off of his head. "Knox," Troy said with a laugh and I smiled over my shoulder at the two of them. He turned 5 months old this past week and I didn't know where time was going. I needed it to slow down a little bit because he was starting to look less like a baby and more like a toddler.

Knox offered Troy a smile and reached for the hat again causing Troy to laugh. "Knoxy, are you being mean to daddy?" I cooed and he looked at me with those blue eyes with the ring of brown and produced his own smile. He reached for me and I felt my heart sing as I took him from Troy and snuggled him into my body. I watched Troy pick up his camera and take a picture of me but I mostly ignored him as I talked to Knox about what pumpkin we should pick out.

"Do we want a little pumpkin? A medium one? Long or short?" I murmured into his ear. "There are just so many options." Knox cooed as he pulled my hair gently. "No, hair pulling," I said to him as I pulled it out of his hand as we found a good spot of pumpkin and I stopped to sit down Knox. He was sitting up on his own and I couldn't be prouder of him for his little accomplishments. Knox leaned over and touched the pumpkin as he ran his fingers over the pumpkin.

He bounced on his butt as Troy laughed watching him when he started to lean in and eat the pumpkin. "Oh no, buddy," I said with a laugh while I picked him up and I looked up at Troy. "I think he picked this one." Troy smiled with a nod as he snapped a few other pictures before putting his camera back in the diaper bag. "We need a family picture. We can just use our phones." I said and Troy nodded his head as he looked around and found a family to take a quick family picture of us.

"What a beautiful family!" she complimented after taking a few snapshots while we struggled to get Knox to look at the camera. "Thank you," I told her. She nodded as Troy flipped through the pictures and I smiled looking at them. "We do have a really cute family," Troy chuckled as he dipped down to give me a quick kiss and then kissed Knox's forehead. "I know you want to spend the day with Knox because we fly out tomorrow and then you're going to Seattle while I go to Seaside but…want to do a date tonight?" He asked.

I squeezed Knox as Troy tried to see if I would be okay if he stayed with me and just had his parents come to Seaside. I told him no because I wanted Knox to go spend time in Seaside and I would be there Sunday and we weren't flying home until Tuesday. I was able to schedule it out so that we could spend a long weekend there with his family. "How about Monday afternoon? I'll have pumped breastmilk for your mom. She can watch him while we go kayaking or hiking or something that we don't get to do here as much."

Troy let a smile work over his lips as I think he liked that idea. "But, how about a home date tonight? We'll put Knox to bed a little early since we fly out early tomorrow morning and we can have a good night together between the sheets," Troy grinned like a fool after that and nodded, "Yea, let's do it." Knox started to fall asleep as he rested his head on my shoulder and let out a long yawn. "I know, buddy. Are you sleepy?" I rubbed his back as Troy picked up the pumpkin and we headed back for the front.

"Are you nervous about this weekend? Where does it rank after Duke?" I smiled as Troy had refrained too much from asking. I wasn't sure if he wanted to go to Seattle or not. It would be a lot closer to his parents but far enough away and in a city for his liking. "I think Duke is amazing and I wouldn't mind continuing my education there but I think I still like Baylor better."

"Do you want to go to Washington?" I questioned him and Troy was quiet for a beat as he thought about the answer to my question. "Yes and no. I want to do it because it would be fun to be closer to my parents, in a big city, and a lot of adventures we could do as a family of familiar ground for me. No, because I don't want to influence your decision at all." I smiled as I sighed, "I understand. I am really just making sure the residency is okay with me having a family. Understanding that family is important to me. I can't force that on anybody and Baylor has handled it the best so far."

Troy was quiet the rest of the walk as we approached the checkout counter for Knox's first pumpkin. We checked out and went back to the car as I strapped Knox into his car seat as he didn't even wake up during the transition. Troy waited for me to shut the door before he kissed me, his body pinning mine against the car door. "Thank you for putting us in front," he whispered against my lips and I couldn't hold back my smile.

"You would do the same."

Troy grinned, "Yea, I would."

Saturday, October 21st, 2023

Seattle, WA

"What is drawing you to Seattle?" the second-year resident, Madison, asked me as we sat across each other at dinner. "I think the program is amazing, one of the best in the country, and my husband's family is not too far in Oregon," I said with a tiny shrug. "We have a five-month-old son so it just makes sense to be around family," I told her. Madison smiled as she pushed her salad around the plate while a few other potential residents were talking to other second years.

"I am just going to be kind of honest here. I became pregnant during my first year, intern year, go freaking figure the worst year, and it was really hard. They don't really care if you have a baby or not. You get the six weeks and then you are back at it working long ass hours." She sighed heavily and gave me a weary look. "My daughter is my entire world but I feel like she just doesn't know me." I felt a smile slip from my lips as I felt a churn in my gut.

"Really?" I whispered and she nodded her head, "Yea, I am not supposed to say anything negative about the program but I wish I knew before coming here. Especially since you already had him and if there is a program who is at least trying to be better than here – then go for it." My mouth was dry as I pushed around my own food on my plate as they preached to me earlier today that family was important and all of these different things.

Were the other residents lying to me?

My anxiety started to heighten at the table and my eyes blurred because Knox and Troy were the number one priority. Nothing else mattered but those two and I can't. I stumbled through more questions and answers. I survived the dinner and I knew Madison was giving me concerned glances as when the program director asked me if I was going to rank them as my number one, I just politely smiled and said I wasn't sure at this time with one more interview to go.

They didn't like that answer but I already had a sneaking suspicion I knew what my number one was going to be. Once I stumbled out of the restaurant, I climbed back into my rental car and gave myself two minutes to freak out. Tears filled my eyes and I reached for my phone. Knox did so well on the flight across the country on Friday and he handled it like a freaking champ. Jessie and Sam were so happy that he was here and they were showing him off to anybody that would look.

I called Troy as I tried to keep my shit together but when he answered I lost it. "B, baby, what's wrong?" his voice was soft but I could hear the concern in his voice. "What if this is all one big mistake?" I finally sobbed to him and Troy sighed quietly on the phone. "Baby, this isn't one big mistake. From the sounds of it – the interview didn't go well and that's okay. It's okay if it didn't meet expectations. It's okay if things didn't go well." I sniffed and wiped some of my tears away.

"B, head back to the hotel. Change into some comfy clothes, and then facetime Knox and I. We can talk about it more." I took a deep breath and nodded my head, "I love you, I just…"

"Shh…go get comfy and then we can talk."

I just nodded as I hung up the phone and drove back to the hotel in a complete daze. I parked the car, headed upstairs, and slipped the key into the lock when I noticed an extra bag sitting on the floor next to my own. I felt the tears already form as he stood up from the bed and I raced into his arms. He lifted me off the ground and hugged me tightly against him. "What are you doing here?" I cried against him and he just squeezed me tighter. Completely ignoring my question. "Oh, B. I love you. I'm sorry it didn't go well." I cried into his shoulder for what felt like forever until I was able to explain myself.

"The resident that was like my person today told me that this isn't a family-friendly type of environment. I understand that they are going to expect me to juggle it. That I am going to have to put this first and my family second but I still want a good environment that supports families. It sounded like from her that this isn't the place and that crushed me. Then I started to freak out because they preached all day that family was important and for a resident to tell me all of these things? It crushed me." Troy wiped away a tear that escaped. "I then started to doubt everything. What if they were all lying to me? What if all of these programs just don't care and I am signing my family up for five years of hell? What if I have to wait that long to have another baby? I don't want to wait that long."

"Hey, hey, one thing at a time. What did your gut tell you when you were listening to these people today?" he asked me and I closed my eyes and leaned against him. Taking in the comfort of having him here in the bedroom with me. No wonder he told me just to go back to the hotel. "I didn't feel like it was right. Nothing about today felt right. It wasn't like Duke or Baylor."

"Okay, see, your gut was telling you all along that this wasn't the place."

"I wanted it to be," I whispered and Troy tilted my head back to look at him. "Gabi, baby, I've lived away from my parents since I was 19 years old. I don't need them. I know you want Knox to grow up around family and I respect the hell out of that but we're going to be okay. They will come to see us frequently and we'll go see all of them. This isn't forever and you know that. This is just for five years and then we do it again. Maybe when you are finally where you want to be, we can go to Seattle or back to Durham."

I curled into his lap and he held me close as he kissed the top of my head. "Why didn't you bring Knox?" I asked and Troy chuckled. "Because I haven't spent one night with just you since he was born. I love him to pieces but I need a night of mommy." I laughed as Troy kissed me again and tried to soothe all of my anxiety. "You just need to follow your gut, Gabriella. What did your gut say about me?" he questioned and I smiled. "That you were going to destroy me." Troy chuckled and dropped his lips down my sternum.

"Yea, I did do that." He hummed and I giggled as he kissed me again. "Tomorrow, we are going to get breakfast in Seattle." He began to undo my blouse and untucked it from my skirt. "Then we're going to head over to Seaside where you can see Knox for a few hours before I take you to one of my favorite destinations and then we're going to have a big family dinner with my parents because they miss you." He slid my skirt down my legs and I was putty in his hands at this point.

"Okay," I whimpered and he shot me that infamous grin. "Then we're going to show Knox all over Seaside on Monday."

"Was your mom excited to have him for a night?" Troy laughed as he dropped his lips to mine again. "More fucking excited than me and that was really high because I was going to see my beautiful girl and spend the entire night with my head between her legs and some of the best sex included." I felt my cheeks flush red as I went back with the IUD so that there were no surprise babies until we were ready for it.

Troy went good on his promise for the night, too. I was back to my pre-dinner self and curled up with my amazing husband who seemed to always know when I needed him the most.

Tuesday, October 31st, 2023

"Gabi, what is Knox dressing up as?" Cassie asked as we were both on this rotation together. I frowned because I was taking it so hard that I wasn't going to be around for his first Halloween. I cried this morning before I left as I nursed him and I cried again my whole way to work. I was devastated. Luckily, I wasn't having to be in the hospital on Thanksgiving or Christmas. "He's going to be a little lion," I said with a smile as I tried to push it from my mind.

"That is adorable, will Troy send you pictures?" Ethan, the nurse sitting in front of me, asked. I smiled, "Yea, he will. He is going with my brother and his kids until it's time for Knox to go to bed." I said as I picked up my phone to make sure that Troy hadn't sent me a picture of my little lion baby. I did help pick out the outfit, we saw him in it together for the very first time, but it still just wasn't the same. The doctor was assigned to today was currently eating his dinner so I read through some notes on the chart and made mental notes to ask questions.

"Gabi, are you ready for your last interview?" Cassie asked. She did four interviews herself. Boston, New York, Tampa, and Minneapolis with New York being her favorite. She was still planning on doing emergency medicine but was currently on her internal medicine rotation with me. "Yea, I think so. I am pretty sure I know how I am going to rank but I will give Boston a shot and see how it goes." Cassie let her eyebrows pop up.

"What's number one?"

"Baylor. Duke will be number two while Boston will probably fall to number three." I had told Cassie all about my time in Washington and she basically said the same exact thing as Troy. My phone buzzed and I snatched it up to see that it was just an email. I sighed setting my phone onto the desk when I heard a coo of awh. I glanced up and I saw Troy Bolton with a little cub in his arms. Tears pulled in my eyes as I pushed back from the desk and practically ran over.

Troy let a megawatt smile stretch onto his face, "We couldn't let Halloween go by without seeing mommy," I couldn't stop the tears as I picked up Knox and held him up to see his little lion costume. "Oh Knoxy, you are so precious." I cooed to him when I felt Troy's eyes heavy on me. "I know how upset you were about missing today so I figured I would at least bring him here. Your co-workers and students can see him and he can see his momma," I felt the tears splash down my cheeks as he always knew.

I don't know why I ever question him because he knows me better than I know myself.

"How about a picture of this cute ass family?" Cassie suggested and I smiled as we all took a picture together as the entire nursing station tried to get Knox to smile. I kissed his little head and breathed his baby scent into my nose. "Troy! I love the shirt!" I looked to see his shirt that read Lion Tamer and I giggled myself. "He is a pretty decent lion tamer," I shot him a wink and he smiled right back as Knox curled up in my arms and let his eyes grow heavy.

"He loves to fall asleep in your arms," Troy said with a laugh and I smiled up at Troy. "Thank you for bringing him here. I was really bummed about missing out on his first Halloween." Troy brushed my hair away from my face. "I know, baby. I hope this is at least better than nothing." I smiled with a tiny nod, "Yea, it really is. Thank you." I kissed him when my doctor came back out of the attending lounge. I frowned but only for a beat as I kissed his tiny little head again.

"Mama will see you in the morning," I whispered into his little ear and he looked up at me as I dropped another kiss. I gave him over to Troy and Troy brought me into a quick hug. "I'll have a glass of wine ready," he whispered into my ear and I kissed him. "I love you, please, please send me lots of pictures." Troy grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you, too."

"I love you, Knoxy," I whispered and he sent me a bubble of a smile and I couldn't help but feel my heartache wishing I could go with them but I knew there was going to be more Halloween's in the future. I waved good-bye to them as I turned back around, and got back to work.

Thursday, November 9th, 2023

Boston, MA

"What made you choose orthopedics?" my eyes bounced to Quinton, then they shifted over to Brenton, finally over to Willis. All three males for a female resident interview. In my opinion, it wasn't a very good look but they didn't care about my opinion. The question so familiar and the ghost of a smile popped on my face because I thought of the moment that Troy asked me that question and Knox was being silly.

My boys.

"I chose orthopedics because over my years of playing basketball – I have had many surgeries, rolled ankles, talk of knee replacements, and the love of being able to fix something that truly is broken. My time at Duke University showed me that orthopedics can be many different things and I know I want to venture and branch into sports medicine in the future. I want to be there for the athletes and I know I have a long way to go before that happens but it drives me. Helping athletes. Returning to sports. Something that I had to do once. I had to fight and claw my way back into basketball after many different knee surgeries."

I paused as I took a glance at the three boys. They knew immediately who I was. That I was Gabriella Montez who was married to Troy Bolton. The Duke Royalty for the longest time. They were itching to talk basketball. I could feel it deep in my bones but they also had to conduct this interview. "I also chose orthopedics because this is something that I can fix. You broke your arm. Let me fix it. You tore your ACL, let me repair it. You need a cortisone shot to help with inflammation – I have it. There are so many aspects and so much help that I can provide." I shook my head as I smiled. "I just feel the calling. It's deep and personal and something that I plan to put my heart and soul into."

"How did your time at Duke University help you?" Quinton asked me and I let out a breath with a laugh behind it. "I learned a lot of things over my time at Duke. I learned how to be a fighter for things that I believe in. I had to fight for my right to get back on the court. I had to find my own doctors. I had to find my own therapist to do all of it. I learned how to fight for what I want. I learned how to be a girlfriend and how to balance basketball and a future in medicine. I learned how to multitask. I learned how to divide my time. I learned how to talk with people about our personal problems. I learned that not everything will always go the way you want it too. I learned that you can break a heart even though you are really trying you damn hardest not too. I learned that I have to fight for the people I love and show them how I love. I learned that I can be loved right back in the same way. I learned how to be a team player. I learned how to be a wife. A mother. I've learned more at Duke University than anybody else will ever be able to teach me in the future."

A look went among the three men as it wasn't the exact answer, they were looking for but it was better than the original I had scripted. "You played basketball, went to medical school, and managed a relationship – from the sounds of it – you didn't have much time to do anything else," Willis spoke. He was the oldest in the room and I nodded my head, "Very much so, I didn't have time for anything but those three things. I will include my family with the relationship part because they are just as important. My family. My school. My career in basketball. My coach was very understanding that my school work came first and she wanted me to be on that team – for good reason. We won it that year."

Again, the three shared a look.

"This is off topic but how was that? It had to be thrilling." Brenton asked with a gleam in his eye. He was in sports medicine so I wasn't surprised this question came from him. "It was thrilling but it doesn't even go in the top five of the best feelings in the world," I answered honestly and they all looked at me this time. I smiled, "My husband proposing to me, that is probably number one, welcoming our son into this world, getting married, the start of our relationship, and then probably winning the championship with watching Troy win his own were all special."

"Where would Troy rank his?" I laughed, "Probably at like number two. I would probably bet the birth of our son was number one."

"How do you plan on balancing your family and your residency?" Willis asked me with a serious look in his eyes and I took a moment to think this answer out before I dove in. "I think I am going to have to go into without a plan. I don't know what my first, second, third, etc. years will look like. I don't know what's going to happen but I can tell you I am going to try my hardest to figure out quickly each year. I don't want to set expectations that may be very hard to meet. My husband is very understanding and is probably going to go a few months without a job to allow all of us to settle wherever we end up unless we stay in Durham." I said with a tiny shrug. "He is giving me the flexibility to not know what I am going to do but I do plan on figuring it out as I figure out my new schedule."

"How will you handle only seeing your son for hours a week?" I knew this was probably not the friendliest to a family out of all my choices but I still wanted to try and see it myself. This question kind of gave me my answer but I went ahead anyway. "I think that is something else I'll have to figure out. I am a mom and I know that there will be a lot of meals in the cafeteria with my son. I know that I am going to miss things. I know that I will not be there for everything but what I do know is that I am going to try my damn hardest to be the best mother I can be. To be present. To be there when he needs me. I also know that this job is demanding. That these next several years will be demanding. It's a moment of time in our lives. We will handle it like we need to handle it. Again, I think it is something that will work itself out once we know more about what we are doing."

They all three nodded their heads and smiled, "Gabi, it was a true pleasure getting to know you. You truly are an amazing candidate and we would love to be your number one rank," I gave a grim smile because I knew I had to be honest. "I did enjoy your program. I liked your residents. You guys were amazing and I think I could learn leaps and bounds here but I also think there is another program that is going to be my number one." I said honestly.

"Thank you for the honesty, I just have one more question, who are your biggest supporters?"

I felt a pull of tears in my eyes as they all popped up into my head. "My husband first and foremost. He is my biggest cheerleader. He was the one who pushed me into medicine. He told me to reach for my dreams and do it. That he would do anything for me and follow me anywhere. Second, my son. Seeing his face in my brain, going home to snuggle him, it shows me that I am doing this for him. That I am being my best version for myself. My family, they have always supported me even when our relationships were strained, and all of the friends I have made along the way but all of the credit goes to my husband. I would never be here without him."

Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Only TWO more to go. It's been a wild ride but I am so happy that I gave you guys this story. It has truly been a lot of fun to write and with the last two chapters coming…I hope you all loved it just as much. A lot of you asked if I am back to every other Sunday with this story and…no. this story is whenever I finished a chapter – I post it! Coach Bolton has over 20 chapters ready to go (mostly for when I go back to school, I don't have to worry about getting on to you every other week!) so that is why that is on a consistent schedule.

Thank you for all of the love and patience! I am very hopeful that this story will be completely finished by August 24th (when I go back to school) so you will get two more chapters between now and then!

PLEASE REVIEW!