Andy returned to work, and tried to remain strong for her children. No one took Milo's death easily, but as time went on, people managed to file those memories away. Andy however, did not date again, even at the urgings of her two closest friends, Lu and Lana. She wanted to remain faithful to Milo, even if it meant never being with another man for the rest of her life.
Exactly a Year after Milo's Death
Andy walked into her office, her face showing signs crying. Lana knew what today was, and she got up and gave Andy a hug.
"Oh girl, I'm so sorry. I know today's going to be rough, but we'll get through it, I promise," she told Andy, calming both of them a bit.
Andy nodded, and then eased into her role as a doctor. "Hawkins, who is my first patient?"
"You had no one scheduled for your earliest slot, but a Mr. Sinclair came in this morning, requesting to see you," Lana answered, nodding towards Andy's office.
"He requested to see me? Why? I'm a women's doctor," she questioned Lana, giving her a weird look.
"How am I supposed to know?" Lana answered, filling her newly polished nails at the same time. "You're the doctor; I'm just the lowly secretary."
Andy sighed, and looked at her watch. When she saw the date, she was again reminded of Milo's death, and as she walked into her office, tears began to creep over her eyelids, and down her face.
The man in her office stood up and began to question her. "Are you alright Dr. Campbell?"
Andy wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and answered him. "Yes, I'm quite all right. Someone I loved died a year ago today, and I'm afraid I'm still not over his death." She looked sad, and the man seemed to sympathize with her.
The man started to speak. "A year ago today, I was in a horrible car accident, and everyone believed I had died." The man took off his hat, and peeled off his mustache. "But Andy, I'm not dead...I'm alive, and I'm so sorry..."
Andy's mouth fell wide open and tears began to stream down her face. "Milo...?" She sputtered, as she rubbed her eyes to see if they were deceiving her. "Is it you Milo?"
Milo slowly walked up to Andy, and pulled her into a great big hug. "Yes, baby, it's me..."
Andy hugged him back, still not convinced. "But...how?"
Milo pulled Andy over to the couch. "It's a long story, so I'll start from the beginning. I don't have much time...I'm not supposed to be here."
Andy nodded, holding his hands tightly as if he might dissolve right before her.
Milo began his story. "About a year and a half ago, I treated a male patient who had recently had a heart attack. I walked into his room one night to check on him, and he was on his phone. So, I waited outside until he finished his conversation. Of course, I couldn't help but overhear what he said. He was talking to an obviously frantic person, who, from what I could tell, owed my patient money for drugs that he had provided to my patient. My patient proceeded to tell the man on the other line that if he did not receive the money in the next week, he would kill him. I pushed that conversation to the back of my mind, and the man was released from the hospital a few days later. The next week, I was watching the news, and I saw that a man had been shot, and it was possibly drug related. I immediately thought of the conversation I had overheard, and called the police. Anyway, to make a long story short, they arrested my patient. Apparently he had mob ties, and so after he was found guilty, the police believed that they would come after me. They agreed that it would be best if I went into the Witness Protection Program. Oh Andy, you have to believe me, I didn't want to leave you. But deep down, I knew, if I wanted to keep you and the girls alive, it would be best if I left. It hurt me so much. I went to my funeral Andy; I stood at the back of the church. What you said about me...it made me weep. I felt so bad about leaving you...I never meant to hurt you." He finished his story, and wiped the tears out of both of their eyes.
"Then why are you here? How come you came back?" Andy wondered aloud.
"I was listening to the radio last night, and a song came on, I'm Already There by Lonestar. It made me realize how much I love you Andy, and how mush I've missed you. I had to see you one last time. I don't want to you to suffer anymore, thinking I'm dead. I know I only have two hours here with you...but that's better than nothing," Milo replied.
Andy nodded. "Thank you Milo...you'll never know how much this, how much you mean to me." She leaned in and kissed his lips gently; savoring the touch and taste she had missed for so long. "Oh god Milo, I've missed you."
Milo nodded, and whispers softly into her ear, "I've missed you more."
