Page 11 of Doctor One Night

I want you to know that despite my absence, I never stopped loving you. I hope, in some small way, that matters.

Love,

Dad

Sorry? He’s sorry?

Fuck you, you bastard.

A surge of anger rises in me, hot and fierce. Sorry doesn’t make up for the years he left us struggling, for the way he abandoned my mother, for the way he made me believe I was never enough or worth sticking around for.

And yet, despite the anger, there’s something else, too. Something softer, more complicated, pushes through me. A part of me that’s always wondered about him, that’s always wanted to know why he left, why he never tried to be a father to me pushes me outside of my comfort zone.

I read those words over and over, my mind spinning. I don’t know what to do, what to think. Meeting him? After all these years? I can’t even begin to process what that would be like. Would that be disrespecting my mother? He never had the time or desire to meet either of us when he wasn't dying or when she was?—

The letter trembles in my hands as I set it back down on the counter, my emotions a tangled mess of anger and confusion and unwanted longing.

I push that thought away. I’ve spent my whole life without him. I don’t need him now. I’ve made it this far without him.

I leave the letter on the counter, staring at it as if it might suddenly provide answers, or vanish altogether.

Whatever happens next, I know one thing for sure: this letter, this man who suddenly wants to be a part of my life, has just stirred up a past I thought disappeared along with him.

Monday, May 6

7:18 am

My phone rings just as I’m taking a bite of toast, the shrill sound cutting through the quiet of my kitchen. I glance at the screen and see Carly’s name flash across it. She’s the only person that would call me this early. I swipe to answer, holding the phone away from my mouth.

“Mmmph?” I manage to get out, still chewing.

“Frankie Renna, are you seriously answering the phone with your mouth full?” Carly’s voice is teasing, but there’s a hint of disappointment in it, too. “What have I told you about that, missy?”

I swallow quickly, trying not to laugh. “If you’re going to call me at this ungodly hour, then you deserve what you get. What’s up?”

“Just finished my night shift, and I was thinking about stopping by on my way home to say hi if you're up. You know, make sure you’re still alive and all that.”

I smile at her sarcasm. “Sure, you know I love the company. Odd hours and all.”

“Great, because I’m pulling in now,” she says, and I can almost hear the smirk in her voice.

I laugh, shaking my head at her audacity. “You’re impossible.”

“That’s why you love me,” Carly chirps, and a moment later, I hear a knock at the door.

I open it to find her standing there in her scrubs, looking as bright and cheerful as someone who hasn’t just worked a twelve-hour shift. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, and there’s a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

“Morning, sunshine,” she says, breezing past me into the kitchen. “Got any coffee?”

“Always,” I reply, grabbing a mug and pouring her a cup. “How was your shift?”

Carly takes a sip of coffee and sighs contentedly. “Shift was uneventful. Your coffee is the worst. You need to do better.”

“Take it up with the manager.”

“Noted. I’ll file a complaint. So, what’s going on in the world of Dr. Frankie Renna?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I just got an email confirming I'll be working on a study with the insufferable Hunter Parrish.”

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