Page 36 of The Call She Made That He Never Answered
"Come here, Ella, let me see you!"
I leaned against the doorframe, my gaze cutting through the crowd to land on Ella's radiant face. My irritation and confusion smoothed out.
Look at my Ella. Like a star with her own light.
She had this gentle, compassionate presence, her smiling eyes full of something like scattered starlight, making her impossibly captivating.
I hadn't seen someone smile like that in years. Not the fake mask everyone wore at galas. This was real. One genuine heart meeting another.
I wasn't the only one drawn to her. Nearly everyone in the lobby surrounded her. The half-finished chess game sat abandoned. Knitting lay forgotten on the sofa. No one was watching TV anymore.
She bent down to hug an old woman in a wheelchair. Then took another elderly person's hand, patiently asking about their recovery. Busy. Completely absorbed.
I watched for a while, surprised.
Ella remembered every single person's condition and needs. She repeated the same small tasks over and over with the patience I had to admire.
Gradually, the order returned. Some of the residents who'd seen Ella or received treatment went back to what they'd been doing. The rest lined up neatly, waiting for simple physical therapy or just to talk to her.
At some point, a brown-haired man in a white coat appeared beside Ella, helping her.
By the time I really looked at him, he was already bent over, his movements quick and professional as he helped Ella with an elderly patient's neck therapy. They worked together seamlessly, like they'd practiced it a thousand times.
I stayed by the door, my brow furrowing involuntarily.
Who the hell was this guy?
He was younger than me, radiating the kind of enthusiasm I'd lost years ago. But what really got under my skin was the way he looked at Ella—careful, hopeful. He kept glancing up at her like he was waiting for her to notice him.
The more I watched, the less I liked it.
That was how a man looked at a woman. I knew it too well.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked over.
"Ella." My voice came out harder than I'd intended, cutting through their conversation.
She turned, surprise flickering in her eyes, like she'd only just realized I was there. That delayed reaction made my chest tight, irritation spiking hot behind my eyes.
"Shouldn't you go see your sister?" I looked at her, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Ella froze for a second, her gaze bouncing between me and the guy in the white coat. Then she nodded.
She gave the man a few brief instructions.
"Keep an eye on David's blood pressure monitoring—increase the frequency. And Annie missed her anticoagulant again..."
Watching the brown-haired guy write it all down so eagerly made me want to snap. Shouldn't this stuff be logged in daily care files? This guy was obviously staff. If he couldn't handle basic work, he was useless.
The whole time, I noticed him glancing at me. Bold. Like a challenge. I stared back coldly until he finally looked away, uncomfortable.
Finally, it was over. I took Ella's hand and left the activity hall quickly.
Maya's wing was behind the main building, down a long corridor through the back door. I walked beside Ella, our footsteps echoing in the empty hall.
In those few short minutes, I noticed Ella had changed again.
Her head tilted down slightly, eyes fixed on the floor. She still looked gentle and compliant, but it was like someone had hit mute. Nothing like the vibrant girl in the lobby minutes ago.
