Regina was tired. She had spent a long time going over city business last night, mostly to keep her mind off of her dad's surgery today. But now it was here and Regina's nerves were on full display as she had been unable to even sit down in his room while they did some surgery prep.
Finally, it was just her, him, and her mother in the room. They would be taking him back into surgery any time now.
Cora was sitting in the chair holding Henry's hand as they talked softly. Regina observed her parents and even smiled a little at this small display of love. Her parents had always been so busy when she was growing up that she didn't always get to see moments like this. Again, she felt guilt over how long had she been away and her ignoring her parents' calls.
She watched as Cora stood, leaned over, and kissed Henry.
"I will give you some time to speak with your father," she said to Regina before leaving.
"Sit down," Henry said.
Regina didn't want to sit, didn't want to be in there suddenly. She didn't like the feeling that this was one of those times that could be a "last time" if something went wrong with this surgery. Still, she took a seat.
Henry reached out for her hand and she placed hers on top of his.
"Are you happy?" he asked her.
The question caught her off guard.
"Yeah," she said, unable to keep herself from shrugging a little. She could see the doubt immediately in her father's eyes.
"My beautiful little girl," Henry said, giving her a small smile. "Do you even know what it is that would make you happy?"
She pulled her hand back from his. "I have a good job. I have a good life dad." Even as she said it, she wondered if she believed it. Yes, she enjoyed her career, but did she love it? Her mind went back again to the fact she never got to create anything. The only mark she left on her projects were marks that had to be built on the works of others before her. She made old things new again or made new things look like the old.
"I just worry about you. Your mother and I, we worry. We're parents, it's part of the job description, but honey, even when you coming back here for visits, it's been like something is missing from your life. I don't know, maybe it's because you don't like being here. Maybe you are just happier being anywhere else but here," he said. "But your mom and I, we miss you. Lately, though it feels even more like you have been pulling away from the life you once had back here. It's your life, I understand that. All I ask is that whatever path you choose to take in life, choose the one that will make you happy."
She hated that it sounded like he was giving her some sort of goodbye speech.
"I love you and I love mom," she said. "And I promise to make a better effort at coming back for visits. It has been too long since I've been here, and I'm sorry it's taken this to get me to come back."
"I would like that very much," he said. "I think I could handle you being away so long if I knew you were happy though. I worry about you going from city to city, never putting down roots – never having anyone permanent in your life."
"I have people in my life."
"I know, but you also know I mean someone special, someone, you share your life with."
He looked sad, and Regina thought it also made him look older than he had ever looked before. If something were to go wrong in surgery, she didn't want this expression on his face to be the last one she ever saw.
"I have someone like that," she said.
"You do?"
"Yes," she said, smiling. "His name is Neal. We've been living together in Philly. He's … he's the reason I haven't decided on moving to Savannah. I was thinking of staying in Philly with him and just going to Savannah on an as-needed basis. I hadn't told you about him because I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the job, but being back here and seeing you and mom, I see the importance of having someone like Neal in my life. He is a great guy. I think you would like him very much."
"That's wonderful," he said, giving her a fuller smile. "How did you two meet? How long have you been living together? What does he do for a living?"
She opened her mouth to respond but before she could, the nurse was coming back in to bring him out for surgery. Regina got to her feet quickly and kissed him on the forehead and then moved out of the way, so they could wheel the bed out.
"You'll tell me all about Neal when I get out of surgery," Henry said as they wheeled him past her.
She walked into the hall where her mom had been waiting. Cora gave her husband another kiss and as they took him up to surgery, she came over to stand next to Regina.
"He's going to be alright," Cora said.
She knew her mother was saying it to convince herself just as much as she was trying to convince her daughter.
"I know," Regina responded. "He has to be."
The next couple hours of her life were the longest she had ever experienced. She had tried to concentrate on getting some work done, but it was a lost cause. She ended up in her mother's office to wait for news. Regina didn't say much, but her mother couldn't seem to stop talking. It was as if she was trying to tell Regina every little thing that had gone on in this town since the last time she had been there.
Finally, Dr. Whale came in to tell them that the surgery had been successful and there were no complications in inserting the stents. It would be another 45 minutes or so before they could see him in the recovery room and even then it was expected that he wouldn't be conscious for long.
"Hey you," Henry said when he opened his eyes to see his wife sitting beside the bed.
"Hi," Cora said smiling and taking his head. "You're going to be alright."
"Of course I am, never a doubt," Henry said, and then he looked over at Regina. "Hi, honey."
"Hi daddy," she said, smiling.
He yawned and they knew he wasn't going to be awake much longer.
"Did you tell your mother about your guy?" he asked.
"Your guy?" Cora asked, looking at her.
"Neal," Henry said. "Our daughter has someone special in her life. She's going to be happy."
He drifted off to sleep before he could say anything else.
"Neal?" Cora asked.
"Um, yeah," Regina responded. "He's …"
"Someone special?"
"Yes. We've been living together," Regina said.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Almost eight months now."
"How did you two meet?"
"You know, maybe we should wait until dad is awake, no sense in repeating the story and I did sort of promise him I would tell him all about Neal when he got out of surgery."
Cora gave her one of those appraising looks that always made Regina feel like she was doing something wrong, even when she wasn't.
"Of course," Cora said. "When your father is awake we can all catch up on what you've been doing with your life."
Regina ended up excusing herself, telling her mother that she needed to go to city hall to get some work done. She asked her mother to call her with any updates and that she would be back later to check in on her father. She got into her car and was pulling out of the hospital lot, while also dialing Neal's number.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she said as the phone continued to ring. Finally, the voicemail kicked on. "I need you to call me as soon as you get this message."
She hung up the phone, scarcely believing she had told her parents about Neal. She knew her parents wouldn't be inclined to drop the subject and telling how she met Neal was not something she wanted to do. After all, how do you tell your parents that the man you are living with is someone you met when he tried to steal your car?
In Philadelphia
Regina was walking to her car thinking about what to have for dinner. She had spent all day at the historical society examining documents and photos of the city so she could work on some of her initial designs for the library. It was late – a member of the historical society finally asking her to leave so they could lock up – and so it was dark outside.
Despite still being somewhat new to the city, she knew her way around so while she checked her email on her phone, she hit the unlock button on the car and got inside while still concentrating on her phone. After finishing reading the email from her boss, who was asking for a status update by the end of the week, she put her phone aside and started the car.
Pulling out onto the road, her stomach growled slightly. She was hungry, and she was beginning to think that this was all so much easier when she was living out of a hotel that had a full-service restaurant.
"I would appreciate it if you just let me off at the next light," said a man's voice from behind her.
Regina screamed and slammed on her brakes.
"Jesus, are you trying to kill both of us," said the man as he popped up and sat on the back seat.
Traffic was still flowing around her stopped car and she was lucky she hadn't been in an accident.
"Who the hell are you?" Regina said.
Horns were honking as other vehicles moved around her.
"Um, you can just pull over there and I will get out."
"Are you armed?"
"What?"
"Do you have a weapon?"
"No, why would I have a weapon? And seriously lady, move the car."
Regina wasn't sure why she did it, but she got the car moving again. She also didn't stop it once she did get it started.
"Where are you going? You can let me out you know."
"I will as soon as I find a police station."
"Whoa, whoa, there is no reason for any hasty actions," he said leaning against the passenger seat.
"Excuse me," she said. "A strange man is in my car and I'm just supposed to let him out at the next stop. What are you doing in my car anyway?"
"Well, I was going to steal it until you decided to come back for it. You didn't leave me much choice but to duck back here."
"You were going to steal my car!"
"Volume lady, I'm not deaf."
"Stop calling me lady."
"What's your name and I will call you that. I'm Neal by the way."
"I'm not telling you my name," she said.
"Why not?"
"Why not? How about because once you get out of jail I don't want you tracking me down," she said glancing at him.
"I didn't steal the car so what do you think they are going to charge me with?"
"I am sure they will find something," she said and she reached for her phone so she could call 911 or Google map directions to the nearest police station, but he saw her going for it and grabbed it first. "Give that to me."
"I will as soon as you pull over and let me out."
"I will do no such thing."
"You seem tense," he said. "Were you just now leaving work? Kind of late isn't it? Or are you one of those workaholic types? Please don't tell me you are one of those uptight perfectionists."
"You don't know anything about me."
"Let's see, you're car is immaculate – not even a leftover coffee cup. Your phone looks like you wipe it clean every five minutes to keep smudges off of it. You're dressed nice so you probably have your act together. You have no wedding ring."
Regina quickly pulled to the side of the road and parked in a spot, turning to look at him.
"Get out," she said.
"Did I touch a nerve with the whole wedding ring thing? If so, I'm sorry. I mean I'm not married either so it's cool."
"Get out," she repeated.
"Ok," he said, handing her back the phone. "Thanks for the ride."
He got out of the car and she immediately put the car in gear and took off.
The next day when she was again leaving work, Neal was leaning up against her car with a single, cheap carnation and another apology for her.
To this day she couldn't tell anyone why she not only accepted the apology or why she ended up going to dinner with him.
Regina hadn't even gotten to city hall when her phone rang and she saw it was Neal so she answered it.
"Is something wrong with you dad?" he asked immediately.
She sighed knowing the way she left the message and timing of it would of course make him think it was related to her father. "No, he's fine," she said. "The surgery was good. That's not why I called. I called because … because I told my parents about you."
"You did? Ok, I thought you weren't going to but as I said before, I didn't mind if you did."
"Yeah, I know," she said. They had spoken about this before she had left albeit briefly since she had to leave so quickly. "It's just that before the surgery dad was asking me questions about whether I was happy and I don't know, I ended up telling him about you sort of."
"What do you mean sort of?"
"I didn't get the chance to explain who you were or anything. I merely told him that we were living together and I maybe said it in a way so he would think you and I were living together because we were a couple."
Neal started to laugh so loud that she had to pull the phone away from her ear for a moment.
"Would you stop laughing? What am I supposed to do about this?"
"How about telling them the truth? Tell them you and I are best friends and you have no desire to sleep with me because you like the women. I mean they do know you are gay, right? Or do they think you can just turn that off and on like a light switch? I don't understand why you would even suggest we were a couple."
"I didn't suggest exactly, or maybe I did. I didn't want my father going into surgery thinking his daughter was unhappy."
"Are you happy?"
She had reached city hall and she parked her car without answering.
"I'll be happier when I get to leave this town," she said finally.
"Regina, you know I love you right?"
"Of course."
"Then don't hurry back," he said.
"Why would you say that?"
"It's your hometown, your parents are there – parents you haven't seen in a long time. Take it from me, the time with your parents is precious because you don't know how long you will have with them. This thing with your father should be enough of a sign for you," he said. "And while you are there, you should talk with Emma."
"I told you …"
"I know what you told me," he said. "But I also know what happened between the two of you still bothers you. If nothing else you should take this as an opportunity to move past it once and for all."
She didn't say anything at first. "I have to go. I have some city business to address."
He said goodbye and she hung up. She stayed in the car for probably five minutes thinking. She knew Neal only wanted the best for her, but she was sure what was best for her was to get out of this town.