My heart hit the ground at Julie's harsh words. I didn’t blame her though. I did deserve it. I had just up and left without so much as a goodbye. What she didn’t know is that it was the only way I could have left her. There was no way I was going to be able to face her and still leave.

I had to go. I had to make something of myself. More than anything, I had to get out of this little town that knew everything about everyone. I wanted to see the world and experience life before I was chained down.

I was sorry she was a casualty of that dream. Honestly, once I had left and really got to experience life I never planned on coming back. Even now coming back I had never dreamed in a million years that Julie Jones would still be here.

I steeled my guilt on the fact that at least she had found happiness for herself. The little girl on the papered table was proof of that.

I couldn’t help but get a quick glance at her left hand. No ring. That didn’t mean anything though. Most people didn’t get married these days. She caught my glimpse and moved her hand out of view.

I made my way over to Emma and began the examination all the while acutely aware of Julie's closeness to me.

“Alright Miss Emma, I’m going to use this little arm ban to take your blood pressure. It's going to squeeze like a big bear hug.”

“Okay,” the little girl said putting out her arm.

She didn’t seem that shy and timid to me.

“You want to tell me where you hurt?”

“I told you,” Julie said a little irritated, “she has a sore throat cough and a fever.”

“I'm just going to listen to your heart and your lungs now,” I said putting in my stethoscope.

I had to admit I hated this part of exams the most. The plugging of my ears usually just make the constant ringing that much louder, but I ignored it as I worked.

“You have beautiful eyes just like your Mama,” I said as I shined the light into each one of her honey brown eyes.

The little girl blushed. I couldn’t help but look over the rest of her and sense a familiarity. She had lush black hair that still had a bit of a baby curl to it. I assumed she got that from her father since Julie's hair was a vibrant red auburn color. Other than her hair, however, she had the generic look of a cherubic five-year-old.

“You started school yet?” I asked as I felt her tonsils.

I could tell they were swollen and her throat did look a bit inflamed.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m in Mrs. Gardner's class.”

“Mrs. Gardner, you say. She was my kindergarten teacher too,” I replied. “Does she still twitch her nose and sniff all the time?”

“Yes,” Emma said with a giggle. “Sometimes we call her Mrs. Bunny,” she added in a whisper.

“That’s very clever,” I encouraged with a smile.

“Can you just tell us whats wrong?” Julie said impatiently. “I need to get her home.”

I looked back up at her. I expected to see her irritated with me, even extremely anger. She wasn’t either. All my SEAL training kicked in as I looked her over. Her body movements and posture spoke of nervousness and fear. Why was she so afraid to have me look over Emma?

The only possible answer I could find was that she didn’t trust me. Maybe she feared me not doing a good enough job. I didn’t blame her for not trusting me, but I was a little hurt that she didn’t believe in my abilities.

“I think its just a bad cold,” I said to ease her worry. “I am going to do a strep swab and flu swab just to be on the safe side, but there really isn’t anything to worry about.”

“Swab?” Emma asked inquisitively.

“Yep,” I said back to her. “Just a little cotton ball in your throat and nose. It won't hurt. Might tickle a little. It will rule out any bad germs.”

I wheeled over to the small desk with computer to type in my prognoses and collect the items needed.

“So do you still swim?” I asked as I typed away.

“No,” she said solely.

Julie and I had met in college at the pool. She was on the swim team, and I was with the water polo team. We saw each other often enough between both of our practices, my games, and her meets.

I had fallen for her from the moment I saw her. I smiled at the memory of our first encounter. It took me a while to convince her to go on a date with me. We had the perfect relationship in my books. It was just at the wrong time.

I had to leave before I was tied down to this small town. I guess, in the end, it didn’t really matter for me. I was still tied to this small town, and all that I was free of was Julie. It was the one thing I would have rather not been free of.

I took my two swabs and quickly as possible. Julie's nervousness was setting off my own nerves. The last thing I needed was to lose my head in the middle of an exam.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes with the results,” I said more to Emma then Julie as I took the two swabs and headed out.

I walked out and over to the small lab where we did our basic tests. It wouldn’t take more than five minutes to get the results. I didn't think Julie's little girl had any severe conditions like strep or the flu, but it would be worth it just to cancel out those two options.

“So you saw Julie Jones," I heard my dad’s voice come from his office.

The door was open and was directly across the hall from the lab. I leaned out to look through the two open doors to find him at his desk writing something.

“I thought you were going to lunch?” I said back to him.

He shrugged his shoulders in response.

“Cute little girl, don't you think?” He said this time setting his pen down and looking at me over his spectacles.

“If this is the part where you tell me I missed out on the best thing in my life, I’m really not in the mood to hear it.”

I was probably a little gruffer then I needed to be, but I didn’t need one of those ‘I told you not to go’ talks from him. He had never come right out and said that he didn’t want me to join up, but then again we just about never actually spoke more than a few words to each other. He didn’t have to tell me for me to know he didn’t approve of me leaving and joining the SEALS.

Luckily at that moment, the last test dinged, and I got the results. Without another word to my father at the other end of the hall, I strolled out of the lab and into the small room to give Julie Jones and her daughter the good news.

“It’s not strep or the flu. Most likely it's just a nasty cold. Popsicles for hydration, Tylenol for the fever, and a lot of bed rest.”

“I don’t need you to tell me how to be a parent,” Julie spat back at me. “I know all that. I was hoping you would give me something that actually might help,” she added as she scooped up her purse.

“Sorry, nothing else will really help. You just got to wait it out. Which means,” I said turning to Emma and giving her a Jolly Rancher I confiscated for her, “lots of couch time and cartoons.”

“Thank you,” she said taking the hard candy out of my hand.

“Mrs. J has a little treasure box of stickers and little toys on your way out,” I added to Emma as I helped her down from the table.

“I’d like to have her come back if things get any worse or any new symptoms show up,” I said back to Julie. “I’ll have the office cell on me all weekend so if you need anything just call.”

“Okay, sure,” she responded with little heart in it. “Okay, come on Em let’s get you home.”

The little girl took her mom’s hand happily, and I watched the two of them as they strolled out of my office. I couldn’t help but feel that ping of regret in losing her as I watched Julie go. I told myself she had to be better off now, she had the little girl after all, but a part of me still wished she was mine.

I sat back down in the doctor's chair as I took in all that had just occurred in that room. I thought about that little girl some more. There was something so familiar about her. Then I looked at her records again. She was five years old.

For a second it made me a little mad. I left six years ago. Julie must have bounced back quicker then I thought from my leaving to have a kid a year later.

I hauled in my tracks at the thought. Looking at Emma’s birth date one last time I did some quick math before cursing out loud.