The rest of the night was a blur. A happy blur. I remember him
leaving,
but I knew he would come back. I remember kissing Molly when I came
inside
and thanking and paying Emily for babysitting. I remember going to my
room and sitting on my bed, still in my dress, and sitting there thinking about our night. It had been magical, something I had only dreamed about and never imagined would happen to me. It had been perfect.
I woke the next morning and laughed. I was still on my bed in my dress. At some point I had laid down, but that had been it. Molly came in when she heard me laugh and looked at me funny. "Why are you still all dressed
up?" I could tell that she might have been wondering if I had just gotten home, although she was still young enough that even if I would have told her that, she wouldn't have known what it meant, thank goodness. It's a little too
early for that discussion.
I smiled at her. "Because I didn't feel like changing into my pajamas when I got home last night. I was very tired." That was true, wasn't it? I was tired. But I also wanted to savor the night, to make it last as long as I could, and I knew if I took off the dress that it would end right then,
and I didn't want to do that. But now it really was the morning and, looking at the clock, I realized I had one hour before I had to be into work. I had a
shift this morning. So did he.
I quickly changed into my scrubs and hung the dress up in my closet. I smelled it one last time before I shut the door. It still smelled of him. I smiled, then went out into the kitchen and ate breakfast. Molly had
been watching me carefully the whole time. I think she saw something different in me. A happiness, a love that only a man could give me. Well, that only one specific man could give me.
I said goodbye to Emily, who again was over to baby sit, and then kissed Molly goodbye, telling her I'd been home later, but I wasn't sure how much later. I secretly hoped he'd want to do something after our shifts.
On my way out the door I saw the mail. There, on top, was an envelope from the Chicago School of Medicine. I got mail from them all the time since I had been a student there, and normally I discarded it, but today was
different. I picked it up and slipped it in my purse, deciding to read it later. Then I left.
The first thing I did after I got there was check for him. He wasn't in
yet, but our shifts didn't start for another 15 minutes. I sat down on the couch and started reading the letter. It was the same old thing about wanting me to continue my education there, and enclosed they provided an application. I paused and looked at it. Med school. I had quit so
many years ago because the timing just wasn't right. I had a new baby and no money. Now I had a steady job and Molly had school. Maybe it was time to go back.
Right then the door opened and he walked in. He smiled instantly upon seeing me, and I put the letter in my purse again and stood up to greet him. We kissed hello and then stood there with our arms around each other. "How was your night last night after I left?" he asked.
"Long," I said.
"Same here."
I smiled. It felt good to have him hold me like this. "What were you reading?" he asked me.
I paused. What if he didn't want me to go back? Was I even sure I
wanted to go back? What kind of problems would this create in our relationship?
"Ummm.it was an application. For med school."
I looked up at him trying to read his eyes and know what he thought. He looked back at me and asked, "Do you want to go back?" It wasn't a hurt
reply, and it wasn't filled with negativity. He seemed okay, maybe.
"I'm not sure yet. I've always had it on the back burner, you know. I
never quit, but I never tried again. The timing is finally right with Molly and me and my job, but now with.with us I'm not sure. Because I don't want to go back to med school if it's going to ruin this. Nothing is more
important to me than us right now."
He smiled. "I'm behind you 100% with whatever you choose. Don't let me stand in your way. You deserve to go back to med school and graduate, Abby.
But only if that's what you want to do. Nothing you do is going to spilt
us up. Believe me, I not going to let you go." Then he kissed me again,
and it sealed his words. I knew that he wanted me to have everything I wanted and to be happy, and I knew that he was going to be there for me. He
was going to be my rock through all of this. Through the late nights, through the finals, he was going to be my pillar, and I knew there
wasn't anyone stronger or anyone else I would rather go through this with than him.
I smiled back. "Thank you." I kissed him again. "Now, Dr. Carter, we need to get to work. I don't think they'll find it funny if we stay in
here all day."
He laughed a little. "I guess not." He picked me up and swung me around the room. "Hey, what do you think about a little dinner after our shifts
today? Say 7ish or whenever we get off?"
"Sounds good to me." I smiled. "Now we really have to go!" He put his stuff in his locker and then kissed me one last time before we exited
the
lounge, ready to face our day. Together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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room and sitting on my bed, still in my dress, and sitting there thinking about our night. It had been magical, something I had only dreamed about and never imagined would happen to me. It had been perfect.
I woke the next morning and laughed. I was still on my bed in my dress. At some point I had laid down, but that had been it. Molly came in when she heard me laugh and looked at me funny. "Why are you still all dressed
up?" I could tell that she might have been wondering if I had just gotten home, although she was still young enough that even if I would have told her that, she wouldn't have known what it meant, thank goodness. It's a little too
early for that discussion.
I smiled at her. "Because I didn't feel like changing into my pajamas when I got home last night. I was very tired." That was true, wasn't it? I was tired. But I also wanted to savor the night, to make it last as long as I could, and I knew if I took off the dress that it would end right then,
and I didn't want to do that. But now it really was the morning and, looking at the clock, I realized I had one hour before I had to be into work. I had a
shift this morning. So did he.
I quickly changed into my scrubs and hung the dress up in my closet. I smelled it one last time before I shut the door. It still smelled of him. I smiled, then went out into the kitchen and ate breakfast. Molly had
been watching me carefully the whole time. I think she saw something different in me. A happiness, a love that only a man could give me. Well, that only one specific man could give me.
I said goodbye to Emily, who again was over to baby sit, and then kissed Molly goodbye, telling her I'd been home later, but I wasn't sure how much later. I secretly hoped he'd want to do something after our shifts.
On my way out the door I saw the mail. There, on top, was an envelope from the Chicago School of Medicine. I got mail from them all the time since I had been a student there, and normally I discarded it, but today was
different. I picked it up and slipped it in my purse, deciding to read it later. Then I left.
The first thing I did after I got there was check for him. He wasn't in
yet, but our shifts didn't start for another 15 minutes. I sat down on the couch and started reading the letter. It was the same old thing about wanting me to continue my education there, and enclosed they provided an application. I paused and looked at it. Med school. I had quit so
many years ago because the timing just wasn't right. I had a new baby and no money. Now I had a steady job and Molly had school. Maybe it was time to go back.
Right then the door opened and he walked in. He smiled instantly upon seeing me, and I put the letter in my purse again and stood up to greet him. We kissed hello and then stood there with our arms around each other. "How was your night last night after I left?" he asked.
"Long," I said.
"Same here."
I smiled. It felt good to have him hold me like this. "What were you reading?" he asked me.
I paused. What if he didn't want me to go back? Was I even sure I
wanted to go back? What kind of problems would this create in our relationship?
"Ummm.it was an application. For med school."
I looked up at him trying to read his eyes and know what he thought. He looked back at me and asked, "Do you want to go back?" It wasn't a hurt
reply, and it wasn't filled with negativity. He seemed okay, maybe.
"I'm not sure yet. I've always had it on the back burner, you know. I
never quit, but I never tried again. The timing is finally right with Molly and me and my job, but now with.with us I'm not sure. Because I don't want to go back to med school if it's going to ruin this. Nothing is more
important to me than us right now."
He smiled. "I'm behind you 100% with whatever you choose. Don't let me stand in your way. You deserve to go back to med school and graduate, Abby.
But only if that's what you want to do. Nothing you do is going to spilt
us up. Believe me, I not going to let you go." Then he kissed me again,
and it sealed his words. I knew that he wanted me to have everything I wanted and to be happy, and I knew that he was going to be there for me. He
was going to be my rock through all of this. Through the late nights, through the finals, he was going to be my pillar, and I knew there
wasn't anyone stronger or anyone else I would rather go through this with than him.
I smiled back. "Thank you." I kissed him again. "Now, Dr. Carter, we need to get to work. I don't think they'll find it funny if we stay in
here all day."
He laughed a little. "I guess not." He picked me up and swung me around the room. "Hey, what do you think about a little dinner after our shifts
today? Say 7ish or whenever we get off?"
"Sounds good to me." I smiled. "Now we really have to go!" He put his stuff in his locker and then kissed me one last time before we exited
the
lounge, ready to face our day. Together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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