CHAPTER14
Kyleigh
Waking up in Liam’s arms was amazing, but also felt strange. I’d never shared a bed with anyone before. Karrol and I used to joke that it would be the best sleep ever, but the truth is, I tossed and turned. I tried sleeping with my head on his shoulder, and then my neck started to hurt. Then I rolled over and he cuddled me from behind, but I wasn’t used to sleeping on my left side. I normally slept on my back.
He was still fast asleep, and I slipped out from beneath the covers. I had promised to check in with my parents each day and since this was my first day of class, I wanted to get it out of the way.
I went into the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub and dialed my mother’s number.
“Hello, Kyleigh. You are calling me earlier than I thought you would. Let me guess. You couldn’t sleep because you’re nervous about your first day.”
I rolled my eyes. Definitely couldn’t sleep. “You know me so well.”
“You will do fine. You’re smart, and one thing I know about you is that when you want something, you don’t let anything stand in your way.”
“I can’t help it, I take after my mom,” I said.
“I love you, Kyleigh.”
“I love you too. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know how class went.”
“You can call me again later today if you want,” she offered.
“I would, but I’m sure I will be studying. Dr. O’Connor is counting on me to learn as much as I can,” I said.
“The hospital is lucky to have you. I just can’t believe that after all that schooling, you won’t be a nurse any longer. Your patients are going to miss you,” she said.
“Mom, I’m still going to be at the hospital, maybe just in a different role. Even that hasn’t been determined yet. If I want to pursue something different, something new, it would mean I need to further my education. I haven’t decided if that is something I want to do yet, this is just a basic course needed so I can assist the operating technician in their duties.” Education meant my being away from Tabiq a lot longer than three weeks. I wasn’t sure how my parents would feel about that. And now understanding the reason behind their fear, I’m not sure I want to put them through the stress either. Not just for a job when I already have one.
“True. You might not like it at all. Not that I even know what they do.”
“They set up and are responsible for ensuring that the surgical equipment is sterilized and adequately supplied. They work directly with the patient by preparing the incision area and also hand the surgeon the instruments they ask for.” If I wasn’t already a nurse, I might feel overwhelmed by what I needed to learn in such a short period of time.
“It sounds…like a lot more schooling would be required,” she said.
“Exactly. But I am just focusing on this piece right now. Whether I use it or not, knowledge is powerful.”
“You do listen to me when I speak,” she chuckled.
“More than you know. Oh, it’s getting late, Mom. I have to go and get ready. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
She ended and I left the bathroom. Liam was sitting up in the bed. “Good morning. Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yes. I just needed to touch base with my parents. Tabiqian parents are different from many other parents. Until someone is wed, they believe it is their job to act as protector and guide.”
“I like knowing that you have a family who watches out for you. There are many good people in the world, but I’ve crossed paths with some very shady ones, too.”
“Oh, we have seen our share of…people with unscrupulous morals.” People who want nothing more than to take advantage of others.
“It seems like Tabiq has a good president.”
I slipped back into bed beside him and asked, “How do you know?”
He smiled down at me. “First of all, I consider myself a good judge of character. Secondly, I’ve been having dinner with Reesa and Finn most nights while I was in Tabiq. I enjoyed listening to her explain to Finn all the plans she has in the works for ensuring Tabiq will one day have a strong economy.”
“I didn’t know you knew her so well.” I’m almost jealous. She’s had more time with you than I have.
“I wouldn’t say I know her, more like I happened to be in the same room when she was talking to Finn. But she’s going to be my sister-in-law soon, so it’s important to make the effort.”