"These past two months have been great," Zoe commented over breakfast; they both managed to get the morning off.
Over the past two months, they had managed to have one or more meals together, depending on their schedule. Making time for each other was as simple as it should be. Everything had been easy for them. It gave each of them something to worry about because their relationship was easy, and they've had no problems in the last two months; they weren't going to start complaining about it because to them getting to where they were at was enough trouble and struggle for them to last a lifetime, and these happy, easy moments were enjoyed immensely.
"It really has been," he smiled, reaching across the table for her hand. "What is it?" He questioned, his smile still in place. Reading her like an open book was simple for him, like they hadn't been apart for the last ten years. Some things never changed.
"I don't want anyone to think that we are rushing into anything because we have only been back together for two months…"
"I can stay over less if that is what you want, Zo, I don't want you to start feelin' all uncomfortable or anything," he said, cutting her off, feeling like he had been kicked in the gut. Zoe couldn't help but giggle. "What is so dang funny?" He questioned, trying to pull his hand away, but she was faster and held on tighter.
"Don't be so offended," she replied, getting up to sit on his lap. "I was thinking the opposite, if you'd let me finish. You are here more days than not, we have known each other since we were little, dated for three years beforehand, I'm safe to assume that we can live together and the world will keep going, that is if you want to move in here, and we can make it our home, after all this is your home as much as it mine, it would be unfair to keep you from…" Her rant died against his lips.
"I love those rants just so I can kiss ya," he smirked, stroking the skin of her upper thigh. "If you oughta know, I'd like nothing more than to live here in our home with you," he smiled, back on the fluffy little cloud that had his and Zoe's name on it.
"Good," she smiled, bringing her lips to his.
All she wanted was to feel so light and happy, so in love. And that is what she has, and she wouldn't let it go. Couldn't let it go.
"I'll be home late," he commented later that morning, both getting ready to go. Normally, they would take one car, not much sense in taking two cars when they were going at the same time, seldomly they would take separate cars, today being one of them.
"Are you going to visit your father?" Zoe questioned, double checking she had what she needed.
"Something like that," he responded, rubbing his neck. He had yet to visit his father; Jesse had been, but Wade couldn't face him, not yet.
"When you're ready," she replied, pecking his lips. "Anything you want for dinner?"
"Surprise me," he whispered, pulling her back for a deeper, longer kiss.
She had been at work for an hour, her office door open, when she wasn't with a patient. She was left in charge when Brick took the rest of the day off, and Harley was needed out at Graham's farm. The only noise heard inside was the clicking of computer keys from Didi, who was filling in until they could find a replacement for Emmeline.
Hearing voices, Zoe made her way to the waiting area. She sucked a breath in seeing just who was sitting in a chair, bent over. She smiled taking the file from Didi.
"Hey Earl, follow me please," she said, getting his attention. He nodded and followed her. "What's wrong?" She questioned, moving her chair in front of him.
"It's my right elbow," he said. "Hurts like a sonofabitch."
"Okay, any tingling sensation?" Zoe asked, taking a look at his arm. He shook his head. "Has there been any weakness of the arm, wrist, or hand?" She asked then.
"A little bit," he told her.
"We'll get an x-ray done to be certain. To me, it sounds like you've got a posterior interosseous nerve syndrome," she told him, getting up. "It could also be tennis elbow."
"What is that?" He questioned all sorts of confused. "The first one."
She smiled, getting him ready for an x-ray. "Simply a pinched nerve," she informed him.
"Oh," he replied, doing as Zoe instructed him to do.
After getting the x-rays back, Zoe knew what was going on with her boyfriend's father. She wanted to spend as less time as she could with him. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and get his hopes up that Wade would be coming to see him in the near future, and she didn't want to disappoint him by making him think that Wade may never come around and make amends.
"Rest for the next few days," she told him after telling him what was going on in the x-ray, and he did, in fact, have a pinched nerve in his elbow. "Do some stretches, I've got a list of them you can do. Along with that, I've got a prescription for you for some anti-inflammatory medicine. I'll see you back in two weeks, if it gets worse, please come back in."
He nodded, making a move to the door. "Zoe, I'm glad to hear that my boys have you in their lives. I'm lucky that you have been there for Wade, and that you are you back in his life. I can't make him see me, but I'm sorry for everything I have put him through, will you make sure he knows that much?"
"I will do my best; we both know how stubborn he can be especially when he sets his mind to something. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than with your son; he makes my life complete a lesson, I learned the hard way, and for Jesse, he makes a good friend, even a better brother. I make no promises with Wade, but I will stand by him and the choice he makes regarding your part in his life, you have to know this is not easy on him."
"I do know and thank you," he told her, heading out.
Zoe sighed, cleaning up the room. That had been a bit harder than she had expected it would be. She didn't want to sound as harsh as her words had made her sound regarding Wade, but he was his own person, and she can't make him do anything he doesn't want to do, and she isn't going to start a fight with him over it either because this choice was up to him to make and him alone.
"Are you ever going to hear dad out?" Jesse asked, catching Wade right before his shift was to end.
"Not today and the near future looks to be the same," he replied back. "Why do you care for any ways?"
"I don't want you to be making a big mistake," Jesse replied, gladly accepting the beer Wade shoved into his hands. "Why won't you go see him?"
"Because I'm not ready, because I don't know what to say to him," Wade said, feeling defeated. Having the same conversation with his brother daily was tiresome, and he couldn't do it anymore so telling Jesse the truth was the only way to escape.
"You don't have to say anything, just hear him out," Jesse stressed.
"I don't think I can do that right now," Wade replied, gathering his things to leave. He had somewhere he needed to be, and it didn't have to deal with Jesse grilling him about something he wasn't ready for. Ever since his dad left he had dreamed about the day he could confront him, tell him everything that he didn't have the chance to say to him, now that the day had finally arrived he didn't know what he could possibly say to his father to make things okay.
"Okay then, I see there is nothing I can do to make you do anything," Jesse replied, wanting only the best for Wade once more. He wasn't functioned to give up on his little brother.
"There isn't a thing," he responded. "Dude, I was okay with you pushing Zoe on me, but I'm not okay with you pushing Earl on me. I will do what feels right to me when it feels right to me," he warned his brother. "Now I've got things to do, or my girlfriend will be mad that I lied to her, and I have no intentions to lie to Zoe," he stated, heading out.
Jesse got up shortly after. If he couldn't talk sense into his brother, then maybe he could convince Zoe to talk to Wade into going to see their father. It was a long shot, but the only option left. He would try everything there was to get Wade over himself. Wade would regret not making amends if something was to happen, not that anything was wrong with Earl.
"Just the doctor I was looking for," Jesse smirked seeing Zoe sitting outside the practice.
"Having a break," she shrugged. With her dad back and the place empty she figured she'd take a small break and enjoy the beautiful weather the day gave them. "But if you are here to talk about Wade or your father, save it, Jesse. We both know Wade wouldn't listen; this is something he needs to figure out on his own and come to terms with it in his own way. I respect that, I know how it feels after all," she informed him.
"I need new friends," he joked, joining her on the bench.
"You'd miss us," she smiled. "Don't deny it," she told him. "Just because you found it easy to make amends with your father doesn't mean it's that easy for Wade. Please, Jesse, I am begging you, just let it go and when Wade is ready to go see Earl, he will go, in the meantime let Wade do what he needs to do," she advised him.
"That may be so, but I still need new friends," he replied, arching an eyebrow. "I will back off, I won't say another word."
"Good and if you do go visit your father, make sure he is resting his right arm; he has a pinched nerve, and I would hate to see him do more damage to it," she informed him.
"Ya know; Wade takes after him in that aspect, both too damn stubborn for their own damn good. I'll see what I can do about that, but I can't promise a single thing," he informed her.
"I know," she replied getting up. "Did Wade say what he had planned after his shift to you?" She questioned before walking back inside.
"No, just that he didn't want to lie to you about what he was doing, why?"
"It's nothing," she brushed him off, walk inside. If he wasn't going to spend time with Earl, that only meant one thing, and it really was nothing to worry about. "I'm going to take off, if you need my help with anything just call," she informed her dad.
"I'll be fine, not much going on anyway, besides you should have been out of here over an hour ago," her dad told her. She didn't mind staying a little late to help out. She quite enjoyed it.
"Tomorrow?" She questioned, giving him a hug.
"Around 9, that okay?"
"We will be there, need us to bring anything?" She asked. One of her favorite parts of living in Bluebell was the little family dinners they had each week and now that she was back in town, she wouldn't miss them for the world.
"Just Wade," he replied with a chuckle. Zoe rolled her eyes, making her way to her office to collect her things.
She thought about going home to find something to make for dinner. She loved to cook, enjoyed baking more. She spent most of her nights growing up helping her father in the kitchen preparing dinner. Those were some of her favorite memories from her childhood. Had something in mind when she spotted her boyfriend's car.
One look at the cemetery had her parking her car. She couldn't just go by, not when she knew that Wade was there. Walking further through the cemetery the easier it was to hear Wade's voice, it was hushed, but she could make out a few words.
"I haven't been here in quite a while," Zoe commented softly sitting by her boyfriend. "She was very much a mother to me."
"She loved you; she wanted a daughter of her own, heard her say so more than a few times," he chuckled, pulling Zoe's hand closest to him onto his lap. "I always believed at times that he loved you more than me or Jesse."
"Is that why I went from being your friend to you ignoring me the whole year in 4th grade?" She questioned, laying her head on his shoulder.
"It was wrong of me, but that is the reason," he confessed, kissing the top of her head. "I am sorry for the hurt, I caused you that year."
"You have already apologized for that, Wade. Water under the bridge. Though it is good to know the real reason after all these years. I will have you know that I tried to figure out what I had done wrong to make you hate me, went over everything I ever said to you, and I always came up empty, now I know why that is," she smiled, tilting her head to kiss his cheek.
"It was never you, doc, just me being jealous. You oughta know that she loved you like a daughter, wanted the world for you like he did for myself and Jesse."
"I saw part of the world, and I have the world I want right here with you," she sweetly told him.
"That is excellent news because the only part of this world I want is the part that has you in it," he told her.
"That is excellent news," she smiled. "I'll be at home, when you are ready to come home. And for extra incentive, there will be homemade stew waiting."
"Like I need any extra incentives other than I get to come home to you," he smirked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"That's what I like to hear," she giggled, walking off.