Page 18 of Dr. Intern

Claire’s eyes glass over, the flood of tears that she’s held back now taking control. From the side of the pulpit, I can see her hand unclench slightly, revealing the white handkerchief that I gave her.

“Thank you all for coming today to celebrate our mom,” she chokes out, barely holding it together. “Parker, Caroline, and I will be holding a reception at our family home after the service. Everyone is welcome.”

The heartfelt eulogy ends with a round of applause from the congregation, and Claire steps down from the pulpit with the weight of the moment clearly etched on her face. She returns to her seat next to me, and I can feel the tension in her body slowly easing with each tear that she finally allows to stream down her cheeks.

Leaning in, I whisper, “You did a great job.”

I know she probably doesn’t care what I think, but something tells me that despite her irritation with me, she needs a friend right now.

Her glistening eyes flick to mine as she nods, silently handing me back the crumpled handkerchief. I take it, my fingers lingering on hers a second too long before I pull them away.

As the crowd begins to disperse following the final hymn, Parker and his siblings stand at the front of the church, receiving encouragement and embraces from friends and family. I watch from a distance with Cassidy, still unsure of my role here. This would be a hell of a lot easier if someone ordered me to get food or clean the house before guests arrive.

“How’s everyone doing?” I ask Cass, eyes drifting to Claire standing beside her siblings. Her gaze is distant, almost glassy as people pass by to give their condolences.

Cassidy sighs, her concerned eyes following mine, though they land on her fiancé instead of Claire. “You know Parker. He’s ordering everyone around and hasn’t rested at all. Honestly, if I didn’t know his mother had just died, I would just think he was just stressed at work.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Caroline is the same,” she adds, shifting her focus to Parker’s youngest sister. “Though she would never order people around. She’s much more reserved. I’m sure she’s hurting, but she seems to be channeling her emotions into studying for her med school exams.”

“And the other sister?” I ask, trying to sound casual despite the emotion hammering through my chest when I look at Claire.

She was so poignant during her eulogy, so emotionally aware in a way that her brother isn’t. It struck me as interesting that two completely opposite people could come from the same family.

“Claire wears her heart on her sleeve in everything that she does,” Cassidy explains as her eyes fall on her future sister. “She’s having a tough time, which only makes her brother more frustrated with her. It’s been hard, feeling like I’m caught between them. They won’t stop going at it.”

I can’t explain it, but I feel my pulse quicken at the thought of Parker’s irritation with his sister. Like I need to protect her. To tell her it’s going to be okay—that she can feel how she needs to feel.

“We all grieve differently, Cass. He should lay off,” I comment, grinding my teeth to control my building rage.

She sighs, her weary eyes finding mine. “Trust me, I’ve told him that. Every day.”

“Her speech was really good,” I offer, drawing my eyes to Claire again. She’s looking at an elderly funeralgoer’s phone and beaming as she zooms in on a photo.

Fuck what Parker thinks, she’s more together than I could ever expect to be at this point.

“She’s so much like her mom,” Cassidy points out, watching her with the pride of an older sister. “She’s intuitive, empathetic, and extraordinarily friendly to everyone she meets.”

I nod, because I remember exactly how she bounded up to me that night, completely unafraid of a stranger who had messaged her just hours before. It was like meeting me was a challenge to her, and she wanted to unpack every piece of me in that finite encounter. Surprisingly, the only thing she didn’t ask about was my job, as if who I am as a person had nothing to do with what I did for work. And as someone who only works, talking about anything else for a few hours was like a beacon of light.

She was my beacon of light.

“I just worry about her,” Cass adds quietly. “Claire put her life on hold to move to Atlanta and help her mom. I’m not sure what she’ll do now that she’s gone.”

“I’m sure she’ll figure it out,” I assure her, watching the final few people trickle out of the church. “Fortunately, that’s a problem for another day. For now, let’s go back to the house, entertain these people for a few more hours, and then drink ourselves silly.”

Cassidy’s spirits seem to lift at my suggestion. “Rematch in beer pong tonight?”

I grin, glad to see that her mood is improving. “You’re on, Callaway.”

Chapter 7

Claire

After the funeral, we hosted hundreds of family friends at our childhood home. I felt like a volleyball constantly being passed between people that were clamoring for my attention. Fortunately, by the time the reception was over, it was late enough that I could credibly claim exhaustion and go to bed.

I would have truthfully enjoyed spending the evening with my siblings and Cassidy, but having Beau around threw a massive wrench in my already horrible day. When I’m around Parker and Caroline, I feel like the odd one out no matter how much I try to fit in. I didn’t need to make my feelings of inadequacy worse by spending hours with a hookup who never texted me.

---