Chapter Seven
“Emma honey! Time to get up! I have a surprise for you!” Kate nuzzled her little girl and pulled the covers off.
“What, Mommy? Santa come already?” Emma rubbed her nose, her pink cheeks glowing with her smile.
“Not yet, sweetie. We still have a couple weeks. Santa has a lot
of work to do! But guess what? I remember you said you liked that girl Victoria, so I called her mama, and we arranged for the two of you to spend the morning together. Would you like that?”
Emma threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “Mommy! Mommy! Oh yay!”
Kate had an orientation meeting at the hospital and thought it would be a good opportunity for the two girls to get to know each other better. It would be less than two hours—what could go wrong? Hopefully, nothing, and they would become tight friends.
“Go brush your teeth and come have breakfast,” Kate instructed Emma.
“But, Mommy, I am going to brush after breakfast. Why do I have to do it now?” Emma was being a little whiny.
“Because Mr. Slippery Slime sneaks into your mouth at night, and you have to chase him away so you don’t get cavities!”
“But I am
going to chase him away. Chase him with my pancakes!” Emma tried to negotiate with her mother.
“Very funny, missy, but you know the rules! Now skedaddle. Meet you in the kitchen.”
Kate listened for Emma to pull up the step stool so she could reach the sink, followed by the water running, then Emma exaggerating spitting out the toothpaste.
Kate smiled to herself. She’s going to be just fine. We’re starting a new life in our new home.
Then she grimaced as she considered her reaction to the famous Christmas tree man. What was I thinking? Well, Dr. Kate, you will be just fine, too!
Emma skipped into the kitchen, wearing a very mismatched outfit. “Honey, do you really want to wear those purple flower pants with the orange kitty top?”
Emma looked perplexed. “I like them!”
“Okay. I just thought you might want to wear one of your new outfits to go visit Victoria.”
“But these are my new outfits!” Emma protested, not realizing the top and bottom went with two different items.
“You are correct! But they are a part
of two different outfits!” Kate was trying to be reassuring and instructive at the same time. “The kitty top goes with the furry striped bottoms, and the . . .”
“Purple pants go with the pink top. I know, Mommy . . . but I like these parts the best!”
Kate worried that the Sullivans would think she was a terrible mother, allowing her daughter to wear mismatched clothes, as if she hadn’t been paying attention.
Attempting to bargain with her, Kate suggested Emma pretend she liked all of them so as not to hurt their feelings. Emma was still young enough to buy into the personification of almost anything, so maybe this would do the trick.
“Really, Mommy? Do you think purple pants would be upset if I wear kitty pants?” Now Emma was becoming concerned.
“Oh, I think if you explain to purple pants that furry striped needs to go out and play, and you promise to wear purple pants tomorrow, Mr. Purple Pants would be just fine with that!”
Breathing a sigh of resignation, Emma marched herself into her room and slipped off her purple pants and slipped on her kitty pants.
As she made her way back to the kitchen, Kate reminded her to brush her teeth again.
“Oh, Mommy. Sometimes you are bossy!”
Kate wasn’t sure if she should laugh or not. It wasn’t something she would have expected to hear from Emma, but she was being exposed to more people and a lot more television. More than Kate liked, but for now it acted as company for her only child.
“Bossy?” Kate teased. “I know you’re just teasing me. But you do have to brush your teeth! Now make it quick-a-dee-quick! We have to be at Victoria’s in a half hour!”
Emma rushed to scrub her teeth and pulled out a pink sweater from the closet.
Kate cringed but realized that one fashion victory was probably all she would be able to manage for the day.
As Kate was buckling Emma into the car seat, she reminded her, “Jake will be bringing our tree over later today, so we’ll need to pick out a good spot for it. Once he sets it up, it’s gonna have to stay put.”
“Will ‘the famous tree man’ come, too?” Kate thought Emma would have forgotten all about him by now and was a little stunned.
“I don’t know, honey. But we will
have a tree by dinnertime, no matter who brings it!”
Kate punched the address of Melissa Sullivan into her GPS and pulled out of the driveway.
As they made their way across town, Emma pointed out all the decorations, as in all
the decorations. “Look! Mommy! Santa! Look! Mommy! Angels!” It was very similar to her excitement at the tree farm, when Kate remembered her disappointment in the missing “famous tree man.”
They turned onto Miller Lane and looked for the numbers on the house. When they were approaching the Sullivan house, Kate noticed a familiar truck in the driveway. She saw the logo for Cedar Park Christmas Tree Farm on the side of the truck, and she thought her heart was going to stop beating.
Tiny beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. Then her palms. She could feel her face turning red.
“Mom! Mommy!” Emma broke Kate’s angst for a moment.
“Huh. Yes, sweetie. We’re here.” Kate was trying to regroup. It was Kevin Matthews’s truck. In Melissa’s driveway. At ten o’clock in the morning. She was crestfallen. Obviously, “Mr. Famous Tree Man” had someone in his life. She hesitated, not knowing if she should ring the doorbell. Surely, they were expecting them. And he had no idea Kate had fancied him in any way. Or did he? Kate’s mind was racing.
“Mom?” Emma was starting to sound impatient. “Are we getting out of the car?”
“Of course! I was just trying to remember something, that’s all. Hang on a sec.”
Kate slowly unbuckled her seat belt, hoping for some miracle that would enable her to avoid seeing “the famous Christmas tree man” again. Especially in the company of another woman. Maybe if she waited long enough, he’d get in his truck and drive away.
“Mommy! I want to go see Victoria!”
“Okay. I’m coming.” Kate was gulping back this odd emotional struggle.
“Yay!” Emma was finally free of the confinement of her seat. “Hurry, Mommy! Look! It’s ‘the famous tree man’!” Kate observed Kevin giving the woman at the door a slight hug while Victoria waved from the window.
Kate continued to busy herself with the straps of the seat, trying to avoid any eye contact as she held her breath, praying he wouldn’t notice them before he got into his truck.
Slowly, Kate lifted her head and, to her relief, Kevin jumped into the cab and pulled away. She then realized he didn’t know what kind of car she drove—hence another reprieve from embarrassment.
Kate grabbed Emma’s hand as they crossed the street to Melissa’s house, all the while wondering what kind of relationship she had just observed.
Melissa had spotted them walking up the sidewalk and greeted them warmly.
“Hi. You must be Kate and Emma. I’m Melissa. Victoria’s mom. We didn’t have a chance to meet on Sunday, but I am so glad you reached out.” She leaned over to look directly into the little girl’s eyes. “Victoria is looking forward to spending time with you, Emma.”
“Hi. I’m Emma Stafford. It is nice to meet you.” She held out her hand in such grown-up fashion, Kate was almost brought to tears. Or was it the encounter she had just witnessed?
“Well, it’s certainly very nice to meet you, too!” Melissa shook Emma’s hand, then extended her own to Kate. “You have a very polite daughter. It’s refreshing!”
Both mothers burst into laughter. “Isn’t that the truth?” Kate thought she might actually like this woman—this woman who was with the man she was so interested in getting to know. Kate wasn’t sure if she should be blunt and come right out and ask, but then she thought better of it.
What else would a man be doing at a woman’s house at this hour of the morning? Although she did recall someone saying that Melissa was married, and her husband was out of town. That horrified Kate even more. The charming Kevin was having an affair with the pastor’s daughter? She shook off that thought as best she could.
Melissa turned, and called into the house, “Vic, Emma is here! Come say hello to Mrs. Stafford.”
Victoria was a pretty little girl with curly blond hair and a very light complexion. Kate thought she was a little too fair to be Kevin’s child when she realized her imagination was running amuck.
“Emma, honey, Mommy has to go to a meeting and will be back around lunchtime. You have some fun with Victoria.” Giving Emma a hug, she thanked Melissa and walked back to her car, still rattled from what she had witnessed a few minutes ago.
“Bye, Mommy! See you later, alligator!” The two little girls scrambled into the house as Melissa waved to Kate.
“I’ll be back around noon! Thanks very much!” Kate could barely eke out the words. What was happening? She had become unglued. Again . . . by that man.
Remembering what she had on her agenda, Kate began to pull herself together, started the motor, and drove off. She was still having trouble shaking her anxiety and forgot to program the GPS for the hospital and it took ten minutes for her to discover that she had been driving in a circle.
“Get a grip!” she admonished herself out loud. “What is wrong with you? I mean me? Oh, my goodness. Do I need therapy?” Once again she thought about the big move, the new job, and chalked off her neurotic behavior to all the changes occurring in her life.
Finally, when the hospital was in her sights, she brought her mind around to the tasks at hand. Meet with the new boss. Check out her new office. Meet the staff. Get a feel for the layout. She was beginning to feel more like herself. Dr. Kate Stafford, orthopedist.
She parked her car in a space that said RESERVED FOR DOCTORS.
The action helped her to recover from her recent meltdown, reassuring her that she was, in fact, a doctor. Sitting for a moment, taking in the newness of everything, Kate checked her watch and her tote bag to be sure she was prepared for the orientation. The emotional roller-coaster ride was over, and now she was stepping into her world. Filled with a sense of excitement, she checked herself in the mirror—no gunk between the teeth, lipstick on the lips not smudged over, hair in place. She was ready.
She grabbed the handle of the big hospital door, flung it open, and marched in as if she owned the place. Yes, this was the Kate she knew. Not the silly, starstruck teenager she had been experiencing.
As she walked toward the orthopedic clinic, she observed an area that was dedicated to orthopediatrics. That was the area she wanted to pursue. Helping kids get back on their feet—literally. She remembered when she was twelve years old and had fallen from a friend’s tree house, broke her arm, collarbone, and a few ribs, forcing her to spend the entire summer in an awkward cast and Ace bandages. It was excruciating, both physically and mentally. She had missed the whole season of playing, swimming, and riding her bike. Her friends would visit occasionally, bringing her teen magazines, but they didn’t want to be inside when the sun was shining and they didn’t have to be in school. It was a very lonely time for her, and often it seemed like the only person who was paying attention to her was her doctor. He reminded Kate of her grandfather, and was very kind. He didn’t speak to her as if she was a mere child of twelve years, but spent time explaining a lot of details, showing her the X-rays, and helping her to understand her injuries and why they would take a while to heal. Being a very bright girl, Kate took an interest in the information and began reading more about bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Having to spend so much time alone, she asked her mother to check out some books from the library about anatomy—not such an easy task to find material that a child could understand. But Kate dove into the pages and would shock her parents when she would recite some of the passages she had read, especially when she opened up the conversation one evening with “Did you know that some clavicle fractures can heal without surgery?” Kate’s parents were impressed and surprised.
Kate had never shown interest in any of the sciences before. She was strictly an arts and music student up until that point. Having tried to paint watercolors with her left hand proved problematic, and she couldn’t practice the piano, so reading was her only form of entertainment—and she immersed herself in books.
During her days in high school, she excelled in biology, anatomy, and chemistry. And it was then that she recognized that she wanted to become a doctor—just like the one who had patched up her bones. By the time she was sixteen, she was taking advanced classes and maintaining her straight A average. Kate had become a brainiac, which was a good thing because she would need some form of scholarship and loans to get through college and all the postgraduate work.
Her parents encouraged her but secretly doubted their daughter could manage to reach the level she imagined. But when she got a full scholarship to Baylor, they were relieved and stunned. Maybe, just maybe, Kate would become a doctor. Paying for med school was another issue, but they would cross that bridge when and if they came to it.
Kate continued to excel, graduated with honors, and attended medical school with the help of a small student loan. It was only small in comparison to the hundred-thousand-dollar loans many of her fellow students were saddled with. She seemed to breeze through her internship; then came the pregnancy. Her residency was a bit of a struggle. Maintaining her schedule and raising a baby was no easy task. But she managed, and managed it quite well, thank you very much.
Now here she was, a first-year, on-staff orthopedist. Yes, it had been a long haul, and now she could practice her craft as a full-fledged professional.
Kate slowly strolled down the hallway, taking in her new surroundings. She had seen some horribly mangled bodies during her studies and knew that would not be the end of it. The hard work was about to begin, and she was ready for the challenge.
Walking up to the office marked DR. SIMON REGAN, ORTHOPEDICS
, she felt butterflies in her stomach. This was really happening. With her head held high, she firmly knocked on the open door. “Yes! Come in!” boomed the voice of a very large man. Large in stature, and large in his specialty. Dr. Regan was a fine orthopedic surgeon, and people would wait months for a consultation.
“Kate! How good to see you! Please come in, sit down. Can I get you something? Coffee? Water?” He was impeccably dressed. It was obvious he had his suits specially tailored to fit his large frame.
“Dr. Regan! I am so excited to be here!” Kate tried not to gush, but her new boss was an icon in the healing business. “Maybe a cup of coffee?”
“Sure thing. Let’s take a walk to the lounge, and I can show you around a bit. Then we’ll meet with the rest of the staff in about a half hour.” He was genuinely kind—a big teddy bear of sorts.
As they passed by the glass walls of the rooms, Kate felt a pang of empathy. “I remember when I spent an entire summer in a cast. But at least I was able to be at home.”
“Yeah, some of these kids are in bad shape, but most of them will be okay. There’s one kid whose leg was crushed in an accident. We did some radical surgery to try to save the leg, but it will be a few days to see if we worked a miracle.”
They came upon a space that was a large community room for those patients who were more mobile, and where families could spend time interacting with other families. Children and adults were busily making paper stars, while others were cutting strips of paper and turning them into a chain of garland. Soft holiday music was playing in the background.
“It’s nice to see that the PC Police haven’t stopped the holiday spirit here!” Kate was delighted to observe good fellowship and laughter in this kind of setting. “It’s tough being in a hospital during the holidays. I guess it’s tough being in a hospital, period!” She laughed at her own obvious remark.
“Indeed. And we are very happy you were able to start now, with everyone trying to get their schedules wrapped up. No pun intended!” Dr. Regan, too, laughed at his own comment.
“We’re getting a tree later today and a menorah, and we’ll have the Kwanza candles, too. I think, well, at least I hope, we’ve covered almost everyone. It’s not about religion. It’s about honoring each other as human beings, kindness, brotherly love, and all that—at least for a couple of weeks!”
Kate was struck by how genuine this man was. He was a healer on many levels.
“I am sure it will be very festive!”
“We’re going to have to make some room for the tree,” Dr. Regan addressed one of the orderlies. “Ryan, the Cedar Park Tree Farm folks are coming by this afternoon. Be sure they have a clear path and the corner is ready for them.”
Kate’s stomach went into her throat. Just when she thought she had forgotten about that man. It was as if he were following her.
“You okay?” Dr. Regan noticed that Kate had turned a little pale.
“Oh, yes. I’m fine. It’s just a little overwhelming. The big move. The new job.”
“Completely understandable. Come on. Follow me.”
Dr. Regan walked Kate down another corridor, where they came upon the lounge.
“This is where you’ll get your nanosecond breaks. There’s a Keurig, a Nespresso, Magic Bullet if you want to make your own shakes, fridge, microwave, pantry. We try to stock it with some items like protein bars, canned soup—organic, of course—and occasionally donuts.” He patted his girth. “We try to keep it healthy, but everyone needs something sweet once in a while.”
“I usually pack a salad and some fruit,” Kate replied. “But I am a sucker for a buttery croissant if they’re ever on the menu!”
“Speaking of menu, the cafeteria is on the fifth floor. It’s not too bad for hospital food, and it’s reasonable.”
“Good to know. But I’ve had so much hospital food over the past five years that the smell makes me want to gag!” Kate was trying to regroup from the Cedar Park tree comment, hoping she would be out of there before she ran into “the famous tree man” again.
As they were about to walk out of the lounge a familiar voice called out: “Kate? Kate Stafford? Holy smoke, is that really you?”
Turning abruptly, she recognized an old friend from medical school. “Brian! What on earth are you doing here?” She saw he was wearing nurse’s scrubs.
“Had to get out of town!” Brian said teasingly. “Seriously. Been working here for about two years. The question is what are you
doing here?”
“Kate is our new on-staff ortho. She starts this week. How do you two know each other?” Dr. Regan took the lead.
“We were in med school together, but I went on to get my RN instead.” Brian had been one of Kate’s buddies in school, but he didn’t have the discipline for the rigorous program. “It’s a job I can take with me.” Brian was also a wanderer, thinking his medical career would lead him to the Peace Corps or some other organization, like Doctors without Borders. But he couldn’t cut it and had left med school after the first year. “Yeah, I worked in Chicago for a while, but the weather was brutal, so I moved back here.”
“It’s so good to see you!” Kate gushed. A friend. Or at least someone she knew. “We must get together!”
“That would be great, but I’m going to have a hefty schedule starting next week. The holidays. Most people want to spend time with their family, and if you remember, mine wasn’t the easiest. They invented the word ‘dysfunctional.’” As Brian laughed, Kate remembered how difficult it had been for him.
“Well, how about tonight? We’re getting our tree. You can help decorate!” Kate was effusive and excited about reconnecting with an old pal.
“Yeah. Sure. What time? I get off at four. What’s the address?” Brian seemed genuinely pleased with the reunion as well.
“Sounds like old home week to me!” Dr. Regan continued. “Okay, you two. Figure out the details posthaste. Kate still has a few more people to meet.”
Kate wrote down her address and phone number. “Great! Come over around six? I’ll rustle up something for us to eat that doesn’t resemble hospital food! And you’ll get to meet my daughter, Emma.”
“Wow! A kid, too? You must have been some kind of busy woman!” Brian was slightly startled by the news. “I’ll bring the wine! If I remember correctly, you fancied Malbec. Australian?”
“And you, sir, have an excellent memory.” Kate threw her arms around Brian, giving him a big squeeze. “See you later!”
“So, Dr. Stafford, or do you prefer Dr. Kate? Some of the kids’ doctors use their first names. Seems to put them—the kids—more at ease,” Dr. Regan said.
“‘Dr. Kate’ is fine with me. Unless you don’t think it’s professional enough?”
“I’ll let you play it by ear. Some people like the official—professional way of addressing a doctor, but the kids seem to like the more casual approach. Heck, it’s scary being in here, and the more relaxed the patient, the quicker the recovery; although we don’t let them slack off on their PT!”
“Gotcha!” Kate was beginning to feel her way.
“Paging Dr. Regan. Dr. Regan,” a voice came over the PA. He walked over to the nearest desk and picked up the phone. “Dr. Regan here. They are? A little early, but I guess we’ll have to scramble a bit. Yes, let them know and show them the way. Thanks.”
He turned to Kate. “The Christmas trees have arrived. Better tell them to clear the corner, pronto!”
Kate tried not to worry. But how was she going to avoid him for the second time that day?
“Dr. Regan. Were there some other people you wanted me to see? Other people I need to meet today?”
“Well, you can watch the tree guys create havoc, or we can take this up again on Friday.” He gave her a wide grin.
“I told Emma I would pick her up before lunch. She’s visiting a new friend, and I don’t want her to feel abandoned.” Kate tried to make light of it, but was aware that her feet were pointing toward the door—hoping for a quick exit.
“All right then! Eight o’clock sharp on Friday morning. You know where the day-care center is, right? Second floor just outside that elevator. Have a good evening with Brian. Glad to have you on board!” He shook her hand, and Kate dashed to the nearest exit, trying to avoid any contact with the tree people.
Sweat was running down her back. This guy seemed to be everywhere. Even now! In her
place! She was beginning to think moving to Cedar Park had not been such a brilliant idea, after all.
How long would it take to deliver a tree? Twenty minutes? Ten? Her mind was racing. As she came around to the physicians’ entrance to the building she looked frantically for the truck. In her haste, she stumbled—again. This time landing in the boxwood. “Dr. Klutz, for sure. I have to stop wearing these chunky heels. I’m a fashion victim. God forbid I end up as a patient before I start my rounds!” Kate was muttering to herself. As she was about to climb out of the bush, she spotted the trees being carried into the building but couldn’t see the faces of the people carrying them. Just sit tight until they’re gone,
she told herself.
As she was peering from behind the shrubbery, waiting for an opportunity to escape the humiliation, someone’s Yorkshire terrier started yapping at her. “Oh crap! Shoo . . . Get lost, pooch. Where’s your mama?”
“It’s his brother. Dr. Klutz, I presume?” It was him
! “The famous Christmas tree man.” Again! “Do you have a thing for dirt and brush?” Kevin could hardly contain his laughter. If mortification had a face associated with it in the dictionary, it would be Kate’s.
“First day on the job, sorta.”
“Landscaping? I thought you were a doctor?” Kevin was confused and amused.
“Very funny. I was checking out my new place of employment, got a little disoriented, and tripped. So, yes. Dr. Klutz.” Kate was actually on the offense, which suited her. She pointed to the little dog: “They have veterinary clinics for those.”
Stifling a grin, Kevin retorted with, “I must have made a left at Albuquerque,” mimicking Bugs Bunny, one of his favorite Warner Bros. cartoon characters.
Kate couldn’t hold back the laugh. “You must think I’m Looney Tunes!”
“Well, no. Not exactly. But it does seem like the only time I see you is when you’re covered in topsoil!” He held out one hand to help her out of the brush, while he scooped up Wylie with the other.
“Dr. Klutz, meet my mom’s favorite son, Wylie. He doesn’t normally travel with me, but the kids get a kick out of him.”
“Come here often?” That sounded really stupid to Kate. “I mean, do you bring him here often?”
“No, but Mom does sometimes when she volunteers. They let her smuggle him in. There’s one little guy who got his leg smashed up pretty bad, and she thought I should go talk to him. Being I had my leg smashed up a bit, too.”
“So you were serious when you said you might need an orthopedist?”
“Yes, ma’am. Shattered my femur during a jump.”
“From a plane?” Kate was incredulous.
“Certainly not from a building!” Kevin was starting to relax with this new woman in town. “I heard you stopped by the farm last night, and Jake helped you pick out a fine one.”
“Yes, we did. Emma was enthralled with the winter wonderland. You folks certainly know how to decorate!”
“You should see our house. It’s almost as bright.”
Kate thought she would love to see his house. But who lived there with him? she wondered.
“I don’t doubt it. I’ve got to get going. Nice to see you again.” Kate tried to act nonchalant.
“Good to see you as well. Maybe next time it won’t be in the dirt!” He tipped his hat and made his way into the hospital.