Free Road to Reality by Natalie Ann Page B

together. “I followed Brooke.”
    “Just like that? Picked up your whole life for your sister?” she asked, stunned.
    “It’s long story, but suffice it to say, we’ve always had each other. She needed to relocate in order to move on with her life. And I realized last summer that I needed to be here, too.”
    He didn’t really want to share any more than that, not now anyway. “What about you?” he asked. “Why did you did you move?”
    “I needed to if I wanted to give Zoe a better life than I had. And I do, more than anything.”
    “It had to be hard being on your own, moving like you did.  You had help from your family before you moved, right?” he asked, hedging. He wanted to know her story, wanted to know about Zoe’s father, but couldn’t think of a polite way to ask without just blurting it out.
    “Yeah, it was hard.  I had my mom’s help. Sort of,” she trailed off, then changed the subject again. “So why pediatrics? Why not something more glamorous like a surgeon?”
    He tried to laugh. He had seen the change come over her when she mentioned her mother, but he didn’t push.  Squeezing her hand a bit for reassurance, he answered, “That’s easy, I’ve always loved kids.”
    “I can see that, and that you’re really good with them. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s a bit shocking. Most men aren’t normally that good with kids, at least other people’s kids,” she said, trying to clarify.
    “True.  I guess it goes way back though. I’ve always been someone who loved to cuddle. I know, sounds silly,” he added when she laughed at him. “Brooke always teased me about it. I have memories of always crawling in someone’s lap for a hug.” His eyes twinkled sheepishly. She didn’t need to know his mother always pushed him off, or told him to keep his hands to himself. “But it ties into some of my first memories as a kid, always wanting to hug people, get close, even with my doctors.” He chuckled lightly. “And the first memory I have of a doctor’s office as a child left me scarred for life.”
    She looked horrified, which only caused him to laugh even more.
    “Just kidding. But seriously, it was a very sterile environment. The doctor was stiff, not addressing me, not even looking at me, sort of manhandled Brooke and me before our shots. It made me not want to go back. I used to pitch a fit when we were told we had to go.”
    “Somehow I don’t see that, you pitching a fit.”
    “It’s true.  Anyway, it was always expected I would go into medicine, and when it came time to narrow my field down, it seemed like a logical choice.  I guess I didn’t want other kids to feel the way I did.  Your health is important, if your first memories of the doctor scare you, you are more likely to always be afraid to go, right? I hoped I could I change those feelings in others.”
    He watched her absorb what he said, then nod her head.  “I can see that. You were so good with Zoe, trying so hard to make her feel comfortable before you even started the exam.  If your other patients felt even half of what Zoe did, then I bet you have already made a huge difference in their opinion about going to the doctors.” She smirked lightly at him. “I bet you get your fair share of crushes from your patients, too?”
    He rolled his eyes and didn’t answer, no use confirming or denying. Instead he asked her a question. “What about you? Did you always want to be a hairdresser? Or is it a stylist? I’m not sure anymore.”
    “Either, same thing really. And no, it’s not what I had planned.”
    Now he was even more curious. “So what were your plans?” He was hoping she would elaborate. He enjoyed sitting here talking to her, getting to know her. He was so relaxed that he didn’t even realize his thumb was rubbing the top of her hand, soothing her.
    She sighed contently. “I always liked the business courses in school. I went to community college and graduated with my