"Michaela!" her mother waved at her enthusiastically, as she made her way through the crowd of people in Logan Airport.
"Mother…" Michaela offered her a light hug, and Elizabeth Quinn ushered her along toward the car park.
"You did not bring much" she commented, and Michaela suppressed a smile.
"I am going back in 4 weeks."
Elizabeth chose not to respond, but merely opened the trunk so her daughter could unload her things. Then they drove off.
Michaela had braced herself for meeting her parents and staying home all the way on the plane.
She just hoped everything would work out well in the end.
"I love you" Sully had confessed into her hair as she was about to board the plane, and they had kissed passionately in the airport.
She had longed to stay with him and forget about promises made in the past and obligations to her family.
She wished she could have disappeared into that feeling of love and just be… be with him.
"Mike, how are you?" her father appeared in the doorway to his office to greet his youngest daughter.
He was wearing his white coat still, and she gave him a light hug.
"She was awfully quiet on the way," Elizabeth spoke, and her father patted her shoulder.
"She probably just needs to settle in again."
Michaela gave him an appreciative smile, and grabbed her bag.
"I think I'll go to my room and unpack."
Like her mother, her father eyed her luggage. But he did not say anything.
"Afterwards I'm taking a walk along the Charles."
Her mother nodded. "Just be back for dinner. We've got people coming over who are dying to see you."
That very moment, David peeped through the door from the adjacent clinic.
"Joseph, Mrs. Hanson is here…" his eyes rested on Michaela for a moment "You know she only wants you."
Joseph nodded and gave Michaela a squeeze. "I'll see you at dinner. I'll be right there David."
Then he was off, and Michaela quickly went for the stairs to the top floor averting David's gaze on the way.
Safely in her room she felt exhausted already.
"I told her to wear a dress" she heard her mother hiss at her father, but she did not care.
She wanted to wear jeans, and she'd picked a top she knew Sully liked just, so she could think of him.
She also wore her hair down. The soft curls were floating freely down her back with only a few clips to keep them from falling into her face.
"Mike you look radiant" Rebecca beamed at her and gave her a long hug.
"I take it is not because of David" she whispered, and Michaela blushed. She had confessed her feelings for Sully to her older sister a while back.
"He told me he loves me," Michaela whispered, and Rebecca squeezed her and giggled in a hushed voice "when do I get to meet him?"
"What are you two pretty ladies giggling about?" David came over, and hugged Rebecca.
Then he looked at Michaela as if uncertain how to act.
"Mike…" her father interrupted the awkward moment.
"I see David has already worked his charm on you two," Joseph winked at her. "I am to tell you that dinner is served."
He offered his arm to Rebecca leaving Michaela with David to escort her into the dining room.
"Shall we?" he offered her his arm, and she gave him a vague smile.
She really wanted to say no, but that would be impolite, so she took his arm keeping a distance between them.
"Just don't think too much of it…" she mumbled between her teeth, and he simply took her to her seat.
Dinner was a tiresome affair.
Michaela found her thoughts drifting off to dinner at Charlotte's with Brian's excited exclamations and Charlotte's simple but wholesome cooking,
and most of all a warm loving atmosphere and not this display of privilege and assets.
"You must be very pleased to have Michaela home… and that she did so well in her final exams" one of the guests remarked.
"Yes, we are very proud of her." Her father said, and her mother interjected.
"And we look forward to having her in the clinic. Then maybe Joseph can take some time off."
"If you say so, dear." Joseph knew Elizabeth dreamt of the day he could retire from work and spend more time with her.
"Surely Dr. Lewis is a great help?" the guest continued, and Michaela focused on her food.
She knew what was coming next "Why he must be thrilled to have her in the clinic – another young person – the future generation…"
"I most certainly am." David felt he had to cut in. "I am very happy to have her here…" his eyes met hers, and he smiled mildly at her.
"Very happy indeed. Who wouldn't be?" She gave him a polite smile and looked away.
When the evening was finally over she had managed to remain polite to everyone, to small talk about everything and nothing
and to avoid David most of the evening even though she felt his eyes on her.
She was starting work in the clinic the very next day, and she knew she would get plenty of his company.
In her room she connected to Skype.
Sully… her mind ached not only to see him, but to hear his voice and she wished she could disappear into his embrace if only for a short moment.
"Hey…" she waved at him, and laughed softly at the other end.
"Why are you waving?" he teased, and she let out a sigh.
"I don't know…"
For a little while they just looked at the other through the screen.
"How was your flight?" They chit chatted back and forth, and she told him about the dinner party, and her parents.
"The only bearable person here tonight was Rebecca – she's my older sister." She realized she had not told him very much about her family.
"She wants to meet you sometime…"
"Really..?" Sully went a little quiet in the other end. He was not sure how he liked being talked about, but at the same time he was happy she had someone to talk to.
"I miss you…." she admitted yawning a little, it had been a long day.
"I miss you too." That moment he longed to hug her and hold her tight.
"You look tired," she nodded at his remark. "Let's talk some more tomorrow."
Neither wanted to disconnect, but in the end her need for sleep took over, and she switched off.
In bed it took her a while to fall asleep.
The blue of Sully's eyes was haunting her, and she realized that it was going to be a long summer in Boston.