Page 109 of Starting Back
I stepped through the doors and jogged to the ER. I headed for the ultrasound room before I clocked in and found her inside, making notes in a folder.
“Hey, babe,” I said and leaned against the doorjamb.
The ominous feeling in my gut only worsened when she gave me a fake smile.
“I just saw your brother. He thinks you’re upset and asked if he should beat me up.” I chuckled, the pang in my gut twisting when she didn’t laugh with me. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”
“We can talk later,” she said, tucking the folder under her arm and heading for the door behind me.
“Or we can talk now. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Not at work,” she said, avoiding my gaze even when I grabbed her arm.
“Baby, you’re scaring me. Please just talk to me.”
“I’m fine.” She finally turned toward me and kissed my cheek, resting her forehead against my jaw before backing away.
Something was definitely wrong, and it would kill me to wonder what it could be for my entire shift, but she was leaving me no choice.
“I need to give this report to the doctor before I clock out. Have a good shift.”
All I could do was watch her leave, even though I was tempted to make up an emergency excuse not to have to work tonight so I could run after her.
I made it through the first hour, wanting to text Kristina on my break to check on her, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t respond, which would only make me feel worse. What the hell could have happened in less than a day?
I was pouring a thick cup of muddy coffee from the break room when my phone buzzed in my pocket. My heart sped up, hoping it was Kristina, but dropped when I spotted Gabe’s name on the screen.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Hey! Can you stop by Dr. Keller’s office in the morning? He called to say that the receptionist forgot to give us back Dad’s insurance card. They open at seven tomorrow if you wouldn’t mind stopping by on your way out.”
“Sure.”
“What’s wrong? You sound like shit. Bad shift?”
“No, I wish it were that. I mean, I don’t wish, but that I could deal with. Kristina is upset and I have no idea why, and she was leaving when I was coming in, so I couldn’t ask her.”
“She did seem a little off today when I saw her.”
“You saw her? When?”
“She was on the elevator after I took Dad to the doctor. I had to leave while they were doing the tests, and I saw her when I headed back up. She seemed to be surprised that we were moving Mom and Dad to a facility near us.”
“Surprised? What do you mean? What did you say?”
“I told her that we were moving them closer to be near us and the kids, and I appreciated you taking a break from traveling to help.”
Shit.
“I think that may explain it.” I scrubbed a hand down my face.
“Why? What am I missing?”
“I think she’s afraid that I’m going to pick up and move again. I keep telling her that this is my home now, but it never looked like it sank in. She probably thinks now that tío and tía are moving by you, I have no reason to stay.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I told her when we met I didn’t like to stay in one place for too long, and I guess I haven’t convinced her otherwise.”
