Page 55 of Perfect Chemistry

“Here’s hoping,” I said before walking to my desk and the stack of patient journals waiting to be updated.

* * *

“What are your plans tonight?” Bradley asked as I stepped out of the office. I knew he was calling to get me on some blind date his wife Amy had set up.

“B, I am not going on a date,” I huffed, as my ass dropped into my car. “I logged 10 hours today, 10 yesterday, and tomorrow I work from eight to five, and then I have classes with the other PTA. Unless you are offering to feed me and let me sleep, I am not available.” I explained.

Bradley laughed. “No strings. Amy made lasagna and garlic bread, and the guest room is set up. We didn’t know if you had gotten your results yet.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “No. Nothing yet.”

“Well then this will either be a celebratory dinner or your pity party,” he deadpanned. “Results will be posted today, right?”

I chuckled. “Yeah. It’s today. Let me run home and get cleaned up. I can be there in about an hour, hour and a half?

I waited while Bradley relayed information to Amy.

“She said make it an hour and you have a hot meal. Hour and a half, you may be eating burnt toast,” he laughed.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Amy may have thought we were laughing at her threat, but it was more that we both knew she couldn’t stand to let food burn.

“Ok. I’ll be quick,” I promised and hung up as I drove home.

It felt good to have everyone’s support. I thought they would be more critical when I told them I had applied for a doctoral program in Physical Therapy.

It was another three years of schooling, and I would have to foot the entirety of this bill myself. Thankfully, my living expenses were fairly low, so I had saved up quite a bit in the last few months.

In April, my grandmother asked me to take over her house after she moved into an assisted living community. That meant no rent or mortgage, just upkeep and utilities. I tried to decline, but she insisted.

Then there was the restitution from the suit against Jenny and the douche for. The State pursued felony fraud charges against Jenny and her douche boyfriend after our divorce was finalized. I was shocked when I received a check for twenty thousand dollars. My lawyer had accepted settlement money from the doctor’s office who “treated” Heather. He cleared all of the medical, funeral, and burial expenses, and zeroed out what I owed for his services.

The money was restitution for the wrongful death of my acknowledged child. The pediatrician’s office hadn’t followed proper protocols, or something like that. It made me sick to receive it. Still made me sick to think about it.

My parents had advised me to set the money aside, and forget about it. When I applied for the program, Val suggested that I use the money toward my tuition. I started to argue against it, but then she made a counter argument that made me rethink things.

Val thought I should treat the funds as a grant from Heather. I could use this portion of settlement money to fund my education, and, in return, donate time to treat the elderly and children and adults with congenital defects or birth defects. In this way, that money would enable me to help those most at risk of being overlooked.

I talked to my bosses, Doctors Lee and Jones. They were thrilled when I told them what my plan was, and began adjusting my patients accordingly. It was how I came to meet Grace, and, to be honest, provided me the final push needed to move forward.

I was in and out of my house in under twenty minutes. Given the travel time between work, home, and Bradley’s place; I made it to their door in just under fifty-seven minutes.

Amy smiled from ear to ear when she saw me. “You made it just in time!” she said, giving me a hug and pulling me in the door.

I heard several voices coming from the dining room, and couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the mess. Bradley was next to his and Amy’s daughter, Hannah. On the other side of the table were Lacy, her wife Val, and their newly adopted son Xavier.

Xavier and Hannah looked like they were competing to see who could wear the most red sauce. Val and Lacy were embracing the chaos, and Bradley was losing the fight against his two year old.

“Su-pize!” Xavier yelled when he noticed me. His hands shot up in the air and sauce went flying.

I knew I was smiling ear to ear. These were the people nearest and dearest to my heart. “Hey buddy!” I greeted him back.

These were my best friends and my life lines when I didn’t want to live for myself. They kept me going, and helped me through the never-ending grief. It only made sense that they would be with me to celebrate a victory too.

“Is there anything left?” I asked, as I sat down in a empty seat next to Bradley. Amy and Bradley always ate with Hannah seated between them. Didn’t matter where they sat at the table. On any other day, I would have given everyone hugs, but tonight I could only shake my head at the messes they were wearing.

“Don’t worry, Kai. There’s plenty of food for us. Kiddos are eating pasta noodles,” Amy explained as she sat down.

“When do the results get posted?” Val asked.

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