Page 19 of Burned By the Broken Doctor

As we pull into Ethan's daycare, the weight of his words settles on me. The thought of enduring weeks of matchmaking tactics, both subtle and overt, sends a groan escaping my lips.

Pushing open the door, I'm greeted by the joyous shrieks of a small tornado—Ethan, all smiles and boundless energy. He launches himself at me, wrapping his arms around my legs in a fierce hug.

Scooping him up, I bury my face in his mop of unruly brown hair. The familiar scent of crayons and sunshine instantly transports me back to countless afternoons spent playing in his room in New York.

For a moment, everything else—the hospital drama, my parents' strained relationship, the awkwardness with Emma—fades away. In Ethan's arms, I find a simple, pure joy that transcended the complexities of adult life.

Damon clears his throat, snapping me back to reality. “Alright, lovebirds,” he says with a playful smirk. “We need to get this little guy home before he explodes with excitement.”

Ethan, oblivious to our teasing, giggles and snuggles closer. As we pile into the truck, I catch a glimpse of Emma walking toward us, a familiar scowl etched on her face. My stomach clenches.

Despite the warmth that surrounded me with Ethan, the thought of facing Emma fills me with a dread I can't quite shake. One word from her, one sarcastic comment, and I can feel the familiar anger bubbling up within me.

How, I wonder, staring out the window as the scenery blurs by, am I supposed to navigate wedding planning with someone who seems to specialize in pushing my buttons? It's a question that hangs heavy in the air, a question with no easy answer.

Pushing those worries aside, I focus on Damon and Ethan instead. His tiny voice chattering excitedly about his day at daycare. We answer his questions about dinosaurs and the new slide they built on the playground, the tension with Emma momentarily forgotten.

6

EMMA

The chirp of a robin is the only sound as I descend into the kitchen.

I have my earbuds plugged in, so I flit around the kitchen, checking ingredients and humming along to the soft tunes playing from my phone. I find nothing that’s useful for a worthwhile breakfast in either the fridge and pantry.

The whole house is still asleep. I’d heard Damon and June making love long into the night. I really need to tell them to move into the master bedroom because the wall between our rooms is too thin.

They’d all wake up hungry, and today I feel a sense of responsibility toward them. I grab the keys hanging by the door and toss on a jacket. I can head to the grocery store and get back before they wake up.

Minutes later, Damon’s truck rumbles to life, and I drive it into town, enjoying the fresh spring air of Harmony Creek. There’s something about the crispness of the mountain air that I’ve missed. It’s invigorating. I park in front of FreshOne Grocery and step out, taking a deep breath before grabbing a small cart and heading inside.

The store is small but charming, with a great selection of fresh produce. I start in the fruit section, picking up oranges and apples. As I make my way toward the meat section, my mind flashes back to the argument with Liam in the chocolate aisle the other day. I shake my head, trying to push the memory away. I won’t let him darken my mood this morning.

Just as I’m reaching for a pack of ground beef, I spot Maria McIntosh standing near the entrance with two other women, all of them staring at me. Maria was a classmate back in school and now works as the town librarian. We’ve never gotten along. She always seemed to have it in for me, maybe because our parents often used me as the golden example. Maria has always been consistent, from her days as the school’s library prefect to now.

There’s no escape route. I plaster on a fake smile and roll my cart toward them. “Hi, Maria,” I say, hoping to keep this interaction short.

The two women flanking Maria are Avery and Rachel. We’d been in the same class as well, and these three were nicknamed ‘the Musketeers’ or ‘the Minions’ depending on if you liked them or not. They’ve not seem to have changed a lot.

Rachel has a perpetually surprised expression while Avery is sporting a bored frown. Maria’s face is passive as I roll onto them.

“Avery, isn't that Emma?” the surprised one chirps, her voice dripping with forced recognition.

“Oh, my goodness, it is!” Avery exclaims, her bored facade momentarily cracking. “Emma Miller, you’ve aged so much I almost can’t recognize you!”

I didn’t bother dignifying that with a direct response. “How’re you girls?”

“We’re good as you can see.” Rachel chimes.

Maria lets out a condescending chuckle. “It's been, what, ten years since we last saw you, Emma?”

“Five, Maria. I left town five years ago.”

“Oh!” Maria’s eyes sweep over me, lingering on my empty ring finger. “But we still have a lot to catch up on, don’t we Emma?” She flashes a wide, insincere smile. Her friends, Avery and Rachel, join in, pulling me into a corner. I know what they’re planning to do. They’re going to pepper me with questions about my life, and I need to hold it together right here or rumors about me will be out and flying around before I get home.

I take a deep breath and ready myself.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen you,” Avery mumbles, her tone sugary sweet.

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