Page 68 of Dr. Intern

“I guess it’s a good thing my patients are asleep,” I joke, knowing that it’ll piss her off.

Mom ignores my comment. “Honestly, after all of our traveling, it’s been nice to be in one place, especially now that the girls are growing so fast. I’m pretty sure that Ansley is going to be a prima ballerina one day soon. She’s so graceful,” she pauses, whispering something on the side. “Hang on, Beau, someone wants to speak to you.”

“Uncle Beau,” my oldest niece shrieks into the phone. “I miss you.”

She has a slight lisp, and it’s so damn cute.

“I miss you too, baby girl.”

There’s a rustling on the line.“Are you at work with Daddy today? He said your job is bones.”

I laugh, imagining Brad trying to explain my job to his daughters. “My job is bones, that’s right. But your daddy’s job is cancer. Not bones. Only Uncle Beau gets to fix bones.”

“What’s cancer?” she asks, and my eyes go wide as I immediately realize my mistake.

I hear my mom jostle the phone. “Alright, Uncle Beau has to go, tell him goodbye, Ansley.”

“Bye, Uncle Beau,” my niece sings, her voice trailing off into the distance.

“Good lord, Beauregard,” Mom hisses into the phone. “You better hope that she forgets what you just said, or your brother is going to be livid.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. I don’t deal with a lot of kids!”

Atlanta has several pediatric-specific hospitals, so I rarely have to interact with children. It didn’t even register in my brain that I should’ve held back that word.Whoops.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“But you love me,” I reply in my sweetest tone.

“Sometimes I wish I didn’t,” Mom replies before adding. “We miss you. Do you think you’ll be able to come out any time soon?”

I glance down at my email. “So, I actually just got my schedule for December. I think I can make it out there for a few days between Christmas and the New Year.”

There’s a noticeable shift in my mom’s tone. “Really? That’s wonderful.”

I can’t help but feel a wave of warmth at the thought of seeing my family, especially my nieces. “Yeah, I’ll make it happen. It’s been too long. And I might bring a friend along if that’s okay.”

“Oh? A friend? What kind of friend?” There’s a hint of curiosity and teasing in her voice.

The thought hadn’t crossed my mind until just now, but suddenly, it’s the only thing I want. I’ve never introduced a woman to my family before, but something tells me that once they meet Claire, they’ll be just as smitten as I am.

“She’s my roommate actually,” I state, trying to sound nonchalant. “Don’t want her to be alone for the holidays.”

If I add any more detail, my mom won’t ever let me off the phone. Give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile.

“We’d be happy to have her,” Mom says excitedly. “Just send me the dates, and I’ll make sure everything is ready for you two. Bradley’s house has plenty of room. Everything really is bigger in Texas.”

By the time I hang up the phone, my stomach rumbles again. I swear on my off days, my body tries its hardest to catch up with the lack of proper nutrition during my shifts. I feel like I’m constantly shoving food in my mouth to keep the hunger at bay. Seeing as I’ve barely been home since before Thanksgiving, there’s probably nothing in the fridge, so I decide to head down to the grocery store beneath our building to grab a sandwich.

When I turn to find my keys, I notice Claire leaning against the back of the sofa, staring at me with a curious expression. “Got something you wanna ask me?”

Her lips twitch into a knowing smirk as I draw my eyes over her body. She’s still wrapped in that massive comforter, her cheeks flushed from the cold air of the balcony. She looks fucking perfect.

“Come to Texas with me.”

Claire arches an eyebrow at me. “Is that a question? Or a demand?”

“It’s an offer,” I state simply, though I hope like hell she’ll take it.

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