By Melissa Larkin
Chapter Five
Disclaimer: I do not own ER. The characters of Sara Lewis and Melanie Malucci are my own creation.
On a sunny June afternoon, Sara gathered at her cousin Susan Greene's home with Melanie, Abby Lockhart-Kovac and Sara's fourteen-year-old cousin, Susie. The group sat at the kitchen table, eating lunch.
"This is the first real day out I've had in a while," Abby commented.
"Do you miss Luka and Joe?" Sara asked.
"Yeah, but it's nice to have some time with the girls," Abby replied with a smile. She and her husband, Luka Kovac, recently had their first child together, a son they named Joe.
Melanie filled her salad bowl and turned to Susan. "This is delicious," she remarked.
"Thanks," Susan responded. Susie checked her watch and stood up. "Where are you going?" Susan asked her daughter.
"Library!" Susie exclaimed. She ran to the front foyer and grabbed her backpack.
"The library?" Abby asked. "But the school year's over."
"Yes, but now I have time to read all the books I didn't have time for during the school year," Susie patiently explained. "And the library closes early today, so I have to get going." With a wave, Susie left the house.
"Wow, tough teenager you've got to deal with, Susan," Sara joked.
"Next thing you know, she'll be helping old ladies cross the street," Abby said with a laugh.
"She's a dream come true," Susan remarked.
Melanie munched on a carrot and looked over at Sara. "Are you and Robert coming out to dinner with us next week?"
"I think so," Sara said as she sipped her coffee. "I have to check with Robert, but I think he's free."
Abby sat back and focused on Sara. "I never really saw you as Romano's type," she said. "Obviously I was wrong!"
"Oh, when I first met him, the last thing on my mind was a romance," Sara admitted. "I never expected to fall in love."
"What was it like when you first met?" Melanie inquired.
"It's all still so fresh in my mind," Sara said.
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Flashback. It is three months earlier, in March. Sara waits for her new patient, Robert Romano, to arrive for his first physical therapy session. She'd heard from Susan and Dave that Romano could be a major pain in the ass, and that he wasn't always the nicest person to be around. Sara wasn't the least bit flustered, however; she'd dealt with difficult people before.
The door to the physical therapy room opened and in stepped Robert Romano, a scowl on his face. Sara readied herself for a possibly thorny afternoon and walked over to introduce herself.
"Robert Romano?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes, unfortunately," Robert sassed.
"How are you? I'm Sara Lewis," Sara said as she extended her hand.
"Lewis? Any relation to Susan?" Robert asked as he limply shook Sara's hand.
"We're cousins," Sara offered.
"Well, your cousin is one of the few people here at County who don't annoy me," Robert replied. "So maybe you and I will get along."
"I don't see any reason why not," Sara began. "I'm a nice person."
"Yeah, well, I'm not," Robert said sharply. He waited to see if Sara was uneasy, but noticed that she wasn't. "I um, I meant I'm not always nice, but I can be."
"Hey, we all have tough days. I'm not Little Miss Sunshine all the time." Sara motioned to a pair of chairs that were nearby. "Let's have a seat and talk about your injury, and what you can expect from physical therapy."
"A lot of pain." Robert sat down, his expression one of hopelessness. "Listen, Ms. Lewis, I just want to know if I can ever operate again."
"First of all, call me Sara. And yes, you will, Robert. Your injury isn't that serious."
"No, I've just been in a cast for no reason." Robert rolled his eyes. "Have you ever had a broken bone?"
"I broke my wrist when I was twelve," Sara said. "And I've sprained my ankle."
"Klutzy kid?" Robert joked.
"Former gymnast," Sara laughed. "And I've had a whole other host of injuries, but I won't bore you with those."
"How long do I have to have therapy?" Robert asked impatiently.
"I'd say at least two months." Sara looked over a chart and nodded. "Yeah, definitely that long. Then we'll check your progress and see if you need to continue."
"Ooh, goody," Robert snapped.
Sara calmly placed the chart onto a nearby desk and faced Robert. "I do have a rule, though."
"And that is?"
"You have to check your negative attitude at the door," Sara said firmly. "I'm here to help you, not to hurt you. We have to work together as a team, and the only way we can be successful is for you to come to every therapy session."
Robert was about to retort but decided to keep quiet. He nodded his head in agreement. There was no question about it, Sara Lewis meant business. She was a lot like Susan, behavior-wise.
"Okay," Robert said quietly.
"Do we have a deal?" Sara asked. "You show up to each session, leave the complaining at the door and work with me?" She extended her hand.
"Yeah, deal," Robert agreed and shook her hand.
Sara sat back in her chair and grinned. "You won't regret it, trust me."
"I hope so." Robert sat back, still not feeling very encouraged.
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Present time. Abby looked over at Susan and raised her eyebrows. "Wow," she commented. "You really had your work cut out for you, Sara."
"Did he miss any sessions?" Melanie asked.
"No," Sara said proudly. "I think he was afraid I'd come looking for him!"
"And knowing you, I bet you would have," Susan remarked.
"How's everything going with you and Robert?" Abby asked.
"Amazing!" Sara beamed. "Last week we said 'I love you' for the first time."
"Wow, you've only been together for a few weeks!" Melanie said.
"I want details," Susan stated. "And don't leave one syllable out!"
"Okay," Sara said. She sipped her coffee and sat back. "I fell asleep at Robert's watching 'Chocolat.'"
"Aww, your favorite movie! How romantic!" Melanie exclaimed. Abby and Susan looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Sorry, continue."
"It's all right, Mel," Sara assured her. "I woke up and Robert was holding me. I was watching him sleep, and he was so peaceful. He woke up and we were just kind of looking at each other, and I stroked his cheek. Then he said it: 'I love you.'"
"And you said?" Abby inquired.
"I said 'I love you, too,'" Sara informed her. "And you know what? It feels so right. I love Robert, and I love being with him. He treats me like a lady, and he respects that I want to remain a virgin until I'm married."
"He's a good guy," Melanie declared. "You're lucky to have him."
"I really am." Sara smiled and shook her head. "And it's funny, I'd heard of all the horror stories, about how he was so nasty, but I haven't seen that side of him. He's very tender and loving."
"The love of a good woman can change a man," Susan said.
Sara nodded in agreement. "I totally believe that."
Susan rose from the table. "Excuse me, I just want to check on Chris. He should be up from his nap soon." Susan walked upstairs to Chris' nursery.
"And I'm going to call Luka," Abby said. She took her cell phone out of her bag and left the room.
"Bathroom break," Melanie said with a laugh. She walked out of the room.
Sara looked around, then reached for her pocketbook and took out her cell phone. She dialed Robert's number and smiled. "Hey," she said. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing much," Robert replied. "I just took Gretel for a walk. How's lunch?"
"A lot of fun," Sara said.
"Do you want to come over after you leave Susan's?" Robert asked.
"Hmm, what could we do?" Sara laughed.
"I plan on meeting you at the door with a passionate kiss," Robert said softly. "And then I thought I'd make you dinner."
"But I've just had lunch," Sara commented.
"I thought we'd spend a little while together first," Robert stated.
"Kissing?" Sara asked, a huge grin on her face.
"Oh, yes," Robert replied.
"I'll definitely be there," Sara said. "I'll see you in a little while. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye." Sara and Robert hung up their phones and Sara lounged back in her chair, the smile on her face growing larger.
She was completely in love with Robert Romano.