Page 86 of Doctor Second Chance

Elle kneels to his level. "We sure are, buddy. How about you go get your swim trunks on?"

As Opie races upstairs, I turn to Elle. "I've got some extra suits if you need one. They might be a bit big, but..."

She smirks. "Always prepared, aren't you, Dr. Duncan? But I've got one in my bag. I'll change in the guest bathroom."

While they're changing, I quickly slip into my swim trunks and grab some towels. As soon as I walk outside, excited Opie cannonballs into the pool, showing off his big splash.

Elle emerges from the house, and I feel my breath catch. She looks stunning in her swimsuit, and I have to remind myself to act cool in front of Opie.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Elle shouts, running past me and diving gracefully into the water.

I laugh and follow suit, creating a big splash as I jump in. The cool water feels incredible after the heat of the day. We spend the next hour playing games, having splash contests, and watching Opie show off his improving swimming skills.

After a moment, I get out to check my phone. I’m not on call, but since it is a surgery day, I need to be reachable in case they need me.

When I see a call from Nancy Black, my heart sinks. Nancy is Ari’s mom.

I step away from the pool so that I can handle any bad news out of view of Opie. My heart races as I press send. Taking a deep breath, I glance back at Elle and Opie, splashing in the water and catching Elle’s eye. I point the phone to indicate I have to make a call, and she gives me a thumbs up.

"Hello, Nancy," I say when she answers, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Shep, thank you for calling back," she responds. Her tone doesn't sound as devastated as I expected, which gives me a glimmer of hope.

"Is everything okay? How's Ari?" I ask, bracing myself for the worst.

To my surprise, Nancy's voice brightens slightly. "There's no change, but that's not why I called. Tom and I were wondering if we could take Opie to Disney World this coming weekend? We'd leave on Wednesday and come back Sunday."

Relief washes over me. "Of course," I say without hesitation. "Opie would love that. It'll be good for him to spend time with you both."

"Thank you, Shep," Nancy says, her voice thick with emotion. "We... we wanted to ask you something else."

"Go ahead," I encourage, sensing her hesitation.

"No matter what happens with Ari," she begins, her voice wavering, "please let us continue to be a part of Opie's life. We love him so much and couldn't bear to lose him too. He will always be a part of Ari.”

My throat tightens. "Nancy, you have my word. You and Tom will always be Opie's grandparents. That will never change, I promise you."

"Thank you," she whispers. "It means the world to us."

TWENTY-EIGHT

Elle

Wednesday, August 14

BioTechnique Marine Labs

Gainesville, FL

10:51 am

I sigh as I adjust the microscope, peering intently at the algae sample we collected from the Gulf last week. Trying to manipulate the delicate instruments with my still mostly useless left hand is frustrating. I've gotten used to working one-handed, but it definitely slows me down.

"Hey Elle, how's that Nannochloropsis culture looking?" my colleague Jake calls from across the lab.

"Promising," I reply, jotting down some notes awkwardly with my right hand. "The lipid content seems higher than our previous strains. Could be a good candidate for biofuel production."

I lean back, rubbing my neck. It's only Wednesday, and I'm already exhausted. Coming back to work after a month and a half away has been an adjustment. Part of me still wishes I was back in Birmingham with Shep and Opie, even though I love what I do.

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