"Girls, time to go!" Carol Hathaway shouted to her daughters. She walked to the kitchen counter, picking up two brown paper bags as a thundering rumble came from overhead and two identical five-year-olds ran into the room.
"Where's my lunch, Mom?" the one in pink asked.
"And my picture?" chirped the one in purple.
"Your lunch, Tess, and Kate's picture." Carol handed the girls their brown bags and a large roll of paper to Kate.
"Thanks, Mom." They chorused, kissing her cheeks and running out to the school bus. Carol smiled at the two little girls hurrying happily off to school. They were hers entirely. She raised her head. She didn't need a man, like Mama said. She was fine, though her heart gave a little throb as Kate winked at her from the back seat on the bus. They looked like Doug. She missed him, just a little. But she would, of course, never admit that to anyone.
"Time to go." Carol told herself, walking to the car and driving to the hospital she worked at, then stepping into the doctor's lounge.
"Carol?"
Carol looked up from her locker.
"Hey, Mark, come in." Mark came over to where she stood.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.
"Sure, go ahead." Carol nodded and they sat down on the old worn out couch.
"Last night, a woman came here in heart failure." He announced.
"Mark, who was it? Was it my mom?" Carol asked frantically.
"No, she was Mrs. Ross, Doug Ross's mom." Mark explained. Carol's face grew less hysterical and more somber.
"Is she okay?" she asked.
"She died." He replied gently.
"Oh...." Carol looked away.
"We...Kerry and I...wanted to tell you because I called Doug and he's coming into town." He said. Carol's shoulders slumped.
"He did?" she faltered.
"Yeah, and he talked about seeing you and the girls." Mark added. Carol didn't respond.
"Well, what did you say to him?" she asked somewhat stiffly.
"I said it'd be nice for him to meet them." He replied. "You know it had to happen someday, Carol."
"I know." She nodded, her voice cracking.
"Here, I got you this." Mark put a cup in front of her.
"What the...?" she looked inside it.
"It's a milkshake." Mark smiled gently and Carol did, too, hugging him tightly.
"When is he coming?" Carol asked.
"Um...he's downstairs in the morgue." He replied. "He just came a few minutes ago."
"Mark!" Carol cried.
"Go ahead and take the day off." Mark advised.
"But-"
"It's a Friday, we can spare you." He added, seeing her face.
"But if...when I see him, what do I say?" she asked nervously.
"Anything." He replied. "He's Doug, he's not gonna make a big deal."
"Thanks, Mark." She hugged him again and walked out, just missing a tall man with gentle eyes and now graying hair who was searching intently for her.
"Where's my lunch, Mom?" the one in pink asked.
"And my picture?" chirped the one in purple.
"Your lunch, Tess, and Kate's picture." Carol handed the girls their brown bags and a large roll of paper to Kate.
"Thanks, Mom." They chorused, kissing her cheeks and running out to the school bus. Carol smiled at the two little girls hurrying happily off to school. They were hers entirely. She raised her head. She didn't need a man, like Mama said. She was fine, though her heart gave a little throb as Kate winked at her from the back seat on the bus. They looked like Doug. She missed him, just a little. But she would, of course, never admit that to anyone.
"Time to go." Carol told herself, walking to the car and driving to the hospital she worked at, then stepping into the doctor's lounge.
"Carol?"
Carol looked up from her locker.
"Hey, Mark, come in." Mark came over to where she stood.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked.
"Sure, go ahead." Carol nodded and they sat down on the old worn out couch.
"Last night, a woman came here in heart failure." He announced.
"Mark, who was it? Was it my mom?" Carol asked frantically.
"No, she was Mrs. Ross, Doug Ross's mom." Mark explained. Carol's face grew less hysterical and more somber.
"Is she okay?" she asked.
"She died." He replied gently.
"Oh...." Carol looked away.
"We...Kerry and I...wanted to tell you because I called Doug and he's coming into town." He said. Carol's shoulders slumped.
"He did?" she faltered.
"Yeah, and he talked about seeing you and the girls." Mark added. Carol didn't respond.
"Well, what did you say to him?" she asked somewhat stiffly.
"I said it'd be nice for him to meet them." He replied. "You know it had to happen someday, Carol."
"I know." She nodded, her voice cracking.
"Here, I got you this." Mark put a cup in front of her.
"What the...?" she looked inside it.
"It's a milkshake." Mark smiled gently and Carol did, too, hugging him tightly.
"When is he coming?" Carol asked.
"Um...he's downstairs in the morgue." He replied. "He just came a few minutes ago."
"Mark!" Carol cried.
"Go ahead and take the day off." Mark advised.
"But-"
"It's a Friday, we can spare you." He added, seeing her face.
"But if...when I see him, what do I say?" she asked nervously.
"Anything." He replied. "He's Doug, he's not gonna make a big deal."
"Thanks, Mark." She hugged him again and walked out, just missing a tall man with gentle eyes and now graying hair who was searching intently for her.