Until I didn’t.
Over the last year or so, something seemed to be weighing heavily on my heart, and I wasn’t enjoying work in the same way.
Part of it was my father’s heart attack. I wanted to be home in case anything happened again. Or, at the very least, to help my mom out at the restaurant in order to give Dad a break. But I also missed Seaside and Gannon. Seeing him a few months ago only made me realize it was time for me to head back home. He would never ask me to come back because he wasn’t selfish that way. But I knew in my heart that the time to leave Boston was now.
I’d decided I was going to move back a year ago, but when Harlee had told me that Gannon was dating Olivia Newman, I couldn’t do it. The last thing I wanted was to see him with another woman. Hearing about it was one thing, seeing it was something totally different. I knew if I had moved back, Gannon would probably have broken up with Olivia. And that wasn’t the way I wanted us to get back together.
“Addie, if he knows you’re coming back, he’s going to dump her,” Harlee had said a time or two.
But now things were different. Between my father’s heart attack and the knowledge that Gannon was single, I knew it was time. I needed to be back in Seaside. For my mother and father, and because I wanted to see where things would take me with Gannon.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I stepped outside the patient’s room for a quick moment. I pulled it out to see the message was from Gannon. I couldn’t help the smile that appeared on my face.
Gannon: How’s your last day going?
Me: It’s sad, but I’m also excited to move back home.
Gannon: I can’t wait to see you, Addie.
Butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Me: Me too.
After slipping my phone into my pocket, I headed back into the room to see my patient looking tired and very emotional.
“I don’t think I can do this. I don’t want to do this.”
Smiling, I patted the expectant mom on the arm. “You’re doing great, Lee.”
“I’m not going to lie, I’m scared.”
I reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Women do it all the time. It’s a beautiful thing, and soon you’re going to have your little girl in your arms.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. Lee’s husband jumped up and brushed it away before kissing her. It was so sweet.
“No, no, baby. Don’t cry. You’re amazing and strong. You’ve got this.”
Lee’s frown melted into a wide grin, and my chest warmed as I watched the couple. There was nothing more beautiful than witnessing the birth of a child. The different emotions the parents went through was enough to exhaust even me.
I couldn’t help but smile a bit wider as I thought about what it would be like to have Gannon’s baby.
But then my stomach twisted as I thought about returning to Seaside for good. There was no doubt about it, I was worried about going back. It was obvious to me Gannon still had feelings for me. And I was pretty sure he knew I had feelings for him. Would things work out between us like we hoped? It had been so many years—did we simply pick up where we’d left off?
I pushed those thoughts away and patted Lee’s arm. She still had a ways to go before she was fully dilated and ready to push.
“I’ll be back in a few. If you need anything, you push your call button, okay?”
“I will, Adelaide, thank you so much,” Lee replied.
The moment I stepped out into the hallway, I drew in a deep breath.
“You okay?”
Looking to my right, I smiled when I saw my friend and co-worker, Taylor. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and fell over her shoulder as she tilted her head toward me. Taylor and I had started working together at Massachusetts General Hospital about eight years ago. We were both fresh out of nursing school and in the same group of new hires. We were scared to death, new at the job, and new to the big city of Boston. We quickly became close friends and ended up renting a house together. For all of those eight years, we’d both been in labor and delivery. “Hey, Taylor. I’m fine.”
She rose one brow. “You could never lie well.”
I pushed off the wall and started toward one of the ready rooms to make sure it was stocked. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Taylor laughed. “In the eight years I’ve worked with you, Adelaide Bradley, I’ve learned when you’re pretending to be okay. And you are not okay.”
Pushing open the door to room four, I quickly did a scan. “If you knew I wasn’t okay, why did you ask?”