Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

Nico and Eden had a busy final month as their school programs drew to a close, so they never had a chance to stay overnight at The Discovery again, as much as they both wanted to. Nico knew he’d miss his Irish friends when they headed back to Los Angeles, so he managed to drop in on them one last time to give them a proper goodbye and extend an open invitation to anyone visiting the southern part of the state.

Walter had gotten his way finally and had a telephone installed at the house in Los Angeles, so as Nico’s time in medical school drew to an end, he was able to call home to let his family know his plans. As it happened, his mother answered his call, and they ended up speaking in French. Nico was relieved for the added privacy this allowed him, should another student or faculty member wander past or need to use the telephone.

“Maman!” he said happily. “I’m almost all done here, and I’ll be home next week.”

“Marvelous, Nico. We cannot wait to see you again. How is the end of school going?” They had been in contact by letters and more recently the occasional telephone call, so she knew he loved it there.

“Quite well. I need to tell you and my fathers something important. I’ll be bringing my future bride with me.”

Suzette gasped. “Nico! You never said a word! Who is she? What is she like?”

With a big smile, Nico explained, “I met her by accident actually, but she is a nursing student—a very lovely one I might add, and I think you’re going to love her. Her name is Eden Godwin, and she will travel with me to Los Angeles. I will let you all get acquainted with her, and then we need to see her family at their ranch down near San Juan Capistrano. We will be making our wedding plans when we get there. I suppose I ought to speak to her father as well.”

“You would prefer to get married in Capistrano instead of where you will live?”

“Oh, I don’t care, Maman. I’ll leave that up to Eden. I’m sorry, I have to rush off now because of a paper I need to deliver. Eden and I will be taking the night train, and we’ll be home next Tuesday. I’m so anxious to see you, Maman. I love you. ”

“I love you too, Nico, and I am looking forward to meeting your bride. We’ll make sure someone will be at the railroad station to get you. Safe travels.”

As their departure day drew nearer, Nico’s nerves started to get the best of him. He worried about what it would be like to eventually run the clinic himself, and he had to laugh at his own arrogance for previously thinking he could skip going to medical school before undertaking that job. He also wondered how it would be to be married to Eden. She was so lovely and bright. He loved her curiosity and her fearlessness. She had proved to him on the one night they spent together that she was an adventurous and passionate lover. But he was plagued by a tiny doubt in the back of his mind that she would not be enough for him. He never voiced his concerns to anyone, of course. He thought possibly the only person he might consider speaking to about it was his papa. Of his three parents, he felt the closest understanding with Walter. Nico resolved to speak to him before saying, “I do.” He supposed he owed it to Eden and wondered if he should even tell her about Matty. If he should, he was not eager to do it. Telling Eden about having three parents also gave him pause. He didn’t think she would refuse him because of that, but so far, he’d been too nervous about it to speak up. He fervently hoped she wouldn’t be appalled.

He had so much on his mind, it was staggering, and he still had to make it through the rest of his studies successfully.

Ultimately, Eden agreed to work in the clinic after they were married because she didn’t want to waste her education, and she knew Nico could benefit from her help. She wanted to spend a little time with her family when they arrived in the southern part of the state, but she was not the least bit interested in staying in Capistrano long-term. They would be close enough to visit now and then, and that pleased her. She loved her family, just not ranch life. When Nico finally asked her what it was she disliked so much, she went into a detailed description of castrating male calves, branding livestock, and preparing meals for an ever-changing (large) number of ranch hands. And dirt. Endless dirt. She wanted a life that would stimulate her brain. He understood after that.

Nico discovered he was sad to leave some of his fellow students, and he collected addresses so they could keep in touch once they went their separate ways. He’d become especially close to one fellow named Otto Schubert who came from Idaho and who did not seem all that interested in leaving California to go home. Nico tucked that information away for future reference in case running the clinic became more than he could handle once Doc Louis retired for good.

After a weekend of celebrating with their friends and packing their belongings, Nico and Eden boarded the train and headed south. Nico was able to secure a private compartment for them which was a relief since it was a night train. Eden discovered she was not only exhausted by the time the train took off, she was also queasy from the motion of the train. Nico had looked forward to having several uninterrupted hours with Eden during which they could talk about anything and everything, but she fell asleep almost right away and slept for twelve of the fourteen-hour trip. Eden looked so peaceful sleeping, he didn’t have the heart to wake her so she could listen to him unburden himself about his family dynamics.

Nico, on the other hand, was terribly restless. He only managed a couple of short naps, and when he was not resting, he immersed himself in a particularly revolutionary how-to manual called Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment published by Johnson & Johnson. He had to scoff a little at how everyone thought it was so earth-shattering to keep things sterile—Doc Louis had been stressing cleanliness in the clinic for as long as Nico could remember. The idea of invisible germs creating havoc with infection was extraordinary, however. He absolutely planned to emphasize the practice of sterilizing equipment after reading this.

When he finished his reading, he wished he could sleep too, but his mind was racing about his future.