"Two weeks," Joan declares in an over the top voice, throwing her hands into the air. "Fourteen glorious days."

"Yeah, yeah. Gloat about it." I smile, walking to my locker and grabbing my bag.

It's been a long shift, but Joan's wedding festivities begin today. Her family arrives, she spends the whole week prepping the final details, having her nails done and relaxing, and then she marries Sam on Saturday, followed by a honeymoon in St. Barts.

I, however, will be here, navigating the halls of GW with none other than Dr. Morton L. Keller, the single most difficult doctor to work beside in the hospital. He's never been known to state his opinion directly but rather with a tsk-tsk-tsk if he disapproves if they way you're handling a task- right or wrong.

"Elaine, Sam's mom, lands at Dulles in 40 minutes. That's cutting it close but I should be able to make it to the airport just in time to help her get her bags. I was hoping to fix myself up a bit but, surprise surprise, we had to stay late."

"And then you're having dinner with your mom, Sam and Josh?

"Yeah. Sam's going to wrap up everything he can so he will be off tomorrow and then they're meeting us at the rehearsal dinner location. Elaine is excited to see it."

"Well, have fun," I offer, quickly changing out of my scrubs and into a pair of yoga pants and tossing on a T-shirt and University of Wisconsin zip up hoodie.

Joan's cell rings and I can hear the irritated sound of her mother on the other end of the line.

"I just finished my shift and I'm on the way to pick up-" she stops short as the voice grows in volume. "Ah… okay. Sorry, Mom. Let me call Sam. Yeah. Call you right back."

I watch silently as Joan sets her jaw, punches the first number on her speed dial, and puts the call on speaker so she can get changed.

"Let me speak to Josh," she growls before Sam has the opportunity to say anything.

"Hey." Josh is clueless but I have a pretty good idea of what has happened.

"Did you forget something today, Joshua?"

"Uhh… no?" He answers, though it's obviously a trick question.

"Oh really? Then maybe you'd like to tell me why our MOTHER has been standing at Reagan Airport for TWO HOURS waiting for her son to pick her up!?"

"I wondered why she kept calling during my meeting," he mutters.

"What?!" Joan shrieks.

"Nothing." Josh has the good sense to not repeat himself.

"Well?! Go get her!"

"Yeah that's going to be a problem…" Josh begins. "Because I have a Senator waiting in my office and I didn't even drive today. Can she just take a cab?"

"Joshua!" Joan is at the end of her rope.

"What? The woman lived in and around New York City for fifty years. Now she can't hail a cab at the airport?"

"Ugh!" Joan practically growls. "If she does, can she get into your apartment?"

"Oh." He's realized the flaw in his plan. "No. She doesn't have a key."

"I'll go get her," I offer softly. I didn't have anything to do this evening anyway, and Sarah has always been exceptionally nice to me.

"Really?" Joan's face lights up.

"Who is that?" Josh questions from the other end of the line, suddenly becoming defensive.

"It's Donna," Joan informs him. "I'm going to give her my spare key to your place. She can pick up mom and take her to your house to get changed for dinner. Are you still coming to dinner?"

"About that…" The tone of Josh's response is almost cringe worthy.

"Whatever." Joan is short with him. "I don't even have time to care right now. Goodbye."

"Wait! Joanie?" Josh calls from the phone.

"Yeah?" She softens just a tad at the use of her childhood nickname.

"I'd prefer," Josh begins with a smirk I swear you can hear, "if you called it National instead of Reagan."

Joan purses her lips for a second and glares at the phone before flipping it closed and ending the call on her brother.

She looks at me and laughs though. As much as Josh drives her crazy, it's all in good fun.

"Are you sure you don't mind picking her up?" She asks me again, pulling Josh's spare off of her key ring and handing it to me.

"Not at all. Seriously."

"You're a lifesaver," she gives me a hug, followed by directions to Josh's place. "Mom always gets turned around in DC," Joan warns, "so she'd never be able to direct you there."

"And hey! I've already paid for the tasting dinner tonight and Josh is flaking. You should come!"

"Oh, I don't wanna squeeze in on your family time…"

"Please." She waves her hand in the air as though the notion is absurd. "I could use an ally. It's only a matter of time until someone mentions grandkids."

I laugh and agree before walking to my car and heading straight for the airport.

When I finally make my way into the terminal, Sarah is sitting at a coffee shop reading a book with her bags.

"Ms. Lyman?" I ask hesitantly, feeling a little awkward about greeting her.

"Donna! Hello, dear!" She immediately jumps up to greet me, pulling me into a hug. "Oh you are so sweet to come all the way out here and fetch me."

"It's really no problem," I tell her. "Can I get one of these bags for you?"

She thanks me and hands me the rolling suitcase parked beside her while she grabs her garment bag and the oversized tote sitting next to her in a chair.

We load into my car and I drive her to Josh's place, chatting amicably on the way. It's easy to see that she's excited for the week ahead, and for the wedding itself.

I know she's close to Joan, and even though they drive each other a little crazy sometimes, there's a lot of love there.

"Now, I didn't realize you were friends with Joshua as well," Sarah states in a way that makes me think she's fishing.

"I'm not. I mean, I not not friends with him. But we don't know each other all that well. Just when I've ended up going somewhere with Joan and we run into him with Sam." But that's not exactly true. He's come by the hospital on several occasions and I've enjoyed talking to him.

"But you know where he lives and you have a key to his apartment…" she leaves the end of the sentence open ended.

"Oh!" I blush. "No, no. Joan gave me her spare key and directions over here when we left the hospital. I've never been here before."

"Oh." I must be crazy because I think she sounds almost disappointed. "I thought maybe he was getting out of the office occasionally."

"I really wouldn't know, Mrs. Lyman." I smile awkwardly, not wanting to say anything either way, but the thing is that I kind of do know. According to Joan, he works crazy hours and spends his free time thinking about politics, too. From everything I've heard, the man is not unteres in being anyone's boyfriend.