Chapter 9

Chance

The bell rings, and the noise in the classroom goes from a gentle buzz to an all-out roar.

"Okay, Aleksander," Lucy says. "We're done for the day. Go on outside. Chase each other around and get rid of what's left of your energy."

He waves goodbye to me as he leaves. What a great day.

The kids were so excited and loud that other teachers and administrators from around the building were curious about the commotion. I pack up the plastic heart I brought and chuckle as another kid asks why we draw hearts that look like butts. I smother a laugh and play it safe. "I have no clue," I tell him.

Lucy shoos the rest of them—students and faculty alike—out of the class and turns to me. "Thank you so much. You were a natural with the kids."

I nod. "Lots of training in the emergency department. But I enjoy this kind of outreach. Thank you for inviting me."

When I turn, I realize Farida remains. She approaches me with a quiet confidence that belies her years, the stethoscope I gifted her draped around her neck like a badge of honor. Her hand finds mine and tugs gently, guiding me toward the office with Lucy trailing behind us.

In the silence of the hallway, our footsteps are the only sound. As we reach the school's front door, I squat down to meet Farida's gaze.

"Farida," I tell her, "you're really smart, you know that? And if you want to be a doctor someday, I have no doubt you'll become one."

"Thank you," she says, her voice a whisper. She launches herself at me, her arms squeezing tight around my neck in a hug that carries the weight of dreams yet to be realized. Then, just as suddenly, she releases me and scampers away.

Turning back to Lucy, the shift in atmosphere is palpable. Her eyes, usually so full of fire and command, now glisten.

"Her parents…" Lucy begins, a tremor in her voice. "They were killed in the Middle East. She and her brother were sent here to live with an aunt who's doing her best, but it's hard. She's single and trying to keep it all together."

I nod. Farida's resilience, the quiet strength she must draw from some well within, makes sense now.

"Farida doesn't talk much, but she takes everything in. Today, with you, she opened up."

For a heartbeat, we stand there, each lost in our thoughts.

"Chance, I'd like to take you out," Lucy says. "Somewhere other than Barney's, as a thank you for today."

"Sure," I hear myself say, spurred by the warmth of her gaze. "How about tomorrow night—Saturday?"

"Tomorrow night it is," she confirms. Her smile seems a little forced now, though I can't fathom why .

"You're sure you're not working?" I ask.

"Checked this morning," she assures me, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm not on the schedule."

"Okay, then." The words are light, but a heaviness settles in my chest as she says goodbye and walks back to her classroom.

Outside, I mount my motorcycle and navigate back toward the hospital, the wind whipping past me, offering a temporary reprieve from the swarm of thoughts buzzing in my head. The reality of our impending date slowly crystallizes. Lucy is attractive, of course, and she's quite accomplished in the classroom and has a fantastic laugh… A pang of regret jolts through me, sharp and unexpected. What am I doing? It's too soon. I've barely stepped out of my last relationship. Have I fully stepped out of my last relationship? And Lucy… Well, I've seen glimpses of how she could be if things don't go her way.

The beer issue. The way she tampered with the food. Vindictive might be too strong a word, but I'm smart to be cautious. I'm not worried about retaliation. I know how to handle myself. But the truth, raw and simple, is that I'm not ready to dive into anything new. I don't need the complication, whether I can manage it or not.

"Focus on the department," I tell myself, trying to suppress a muddle of emotions with the practicality of my day-off tasks. But even as the hospital looms ahead, a vision of Lucy, both fierce and tender, lingers stubbornly in my mind.