Page 96 of My Almost Ex

The receptionist at Dr. Ramirez’s old office was right. There is a waterfall in the middle of the reception area. There’s also an entire area for kids to play, and the walls are painted to depict Dr. Seuss stories. Dori tries to go in the back, but the receptionist stops her. I politely give my name, and the receptionist smiles while telling me it’ll be a moment.

“This is impressive,” Ethel says, glancing around. “Stella and her partners did a great job.”

Dori smiles proudly. “I know. You see those paintings in the children’s area? My Liam did those.”

“He’s so talented.”

“So who is Stella married to?” I lean forward to look at Dori. Although I’ve heard of the Baileys, I don’t know them personally. Although after reading Buzz Wheel, the online gossip blog in Lake Starlight, sometimes I feel like I do.

“Oh, she’s not married just yet. They’ll be married next year. Kingston, my youngest grandson.”

“The firefighter?” I ask.

She nods again, a proud smile overtaking her entire face. “They have the sweetest love story.” She elbows Ethel and winks. “Another second chance young love story.”

I’m sure these two feel as though they pushed Adam and me together, but I think we’re just fated to be with one another.

A woman comes out of the back and says, “Lucy Greene?”

“I’ll be back,” I say, standing.

“Oh, we’ll just go say a quick hello.” Dori stands.

“I can do this myself. I’ll tell Stella to come out.” They walk over to the woman and give them my name.

I raise my hand behind them and the nurse smiles at me.

“Hey, Sarah.” Dori walks through the door to the back without the nurse inviting her.

Obviously this isn’t the first time Dori’s barged in.

“Hi, Dori,” Sarah says. “Why don’t you two sit right out here and I’ll check Lucy in? After Stella sees her, you two can come in and say hello.” The nurse points at a seat for two near the nurses’ station.

“I guess so.”

Ethel and Dori sit down where they’re told, already chatting with the other nurses about someplace called Sweet Infusion and their donuts.

“Thank you,” I mouth to Sarah, then she leads me farther down the hallway.

“Step on the scale for me.” She motions to a scale and I do as she asks. “We’re used to Dori. We actually refer to that chair as her and Ethel’s.”

“Like a time-out chair?”

She laughs, jotting down my weight. “Pretty much. They don’t much care for HIPPA guidelines. You should see when the Bailey kids come in. She’s pushier than Ethel.”

“Oh, just wait. Ethel will surprise you.”

Sarah laughs and I follow her down the hallway to a room way too close to the Dori-and-Ethel chair. Ethel waves at me and I smile back. They’ll probably have a glass to the door within minutes.

Once we’re in the room, I go over my symptoms with Sarah and she gives me a gown to put on, leaving the room for me to disrobe.

I take off my clothes at warp speed and put on the gown, then sit on the bed with the paper blanket over my legs. I have no doubt Ethel and Dori won’t sit there like altar boys and the last thing I want is to flash the entire office.

A soft knock on the door sounds a couple minutes later. I’m pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to wait long, but then Ethel’s face pops through the opening. “We worried we missed her.”

“Nope.” I shake my head. “I’m pretty sure you’d see her before I would.”

She’s about to shut the door when a woman comes up behind her. “Ethel?”

---