Page 11 of Perfect Imperfections

She crossed to the kitchen. Resigning herself to a delayed shower. If she couldn’t clean herself right away, at least she could put some sustenance in her belly. Nothing too stimulating or the combined smells might make her hurl. Opening a cabinet, she pushed around the boxes of instant noodle soup until she found a package of crackers. Perfect! Mild, salty, filling, and best of all, odorless.

Opening the package, she leaned against the counter, phone tucked between her ear and shoulder. “Tammy gave me the rest of the day off.”

“Good,” her mother said as Ellie shoved a cracker in her mouth. The salty, buttery flavor exploded on her tongue, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything since that apple she grabbed on her way out the door this morning. She really had to get better at eating breakfast. “They should give you an entire week off for your heroics.”

“Mom, I’m not a hero.”

“Yes, you are, dear. All those reporters said so.”

Right, and if it was on the news, her mother took it as law.

“You saved that poor girl from certain death.”

That was a bit dramatic. Sure, Charlotte might have drowned if no one had gotten to her in time, but there were plenty of people there. If Ellie hadn’t dived in, she was sure Cam or one of the other adults present would have. She just happened to be the closest and first person to do so. This wasn’t a big deal.

“You’re discounting your worth again.”

Dr. Mitchell’s words rang in her ear. Reminding her she was quick to judge herself for all the things that went wrong in her life, but slow to accept praise from others about her accomplishments. Something she’d been working on but having trouble accepting.

“I just wanted to help,” she replied, trying her best to acknowledge her part in saving Charlotte.

“And you did, dear. That poor child’s father looked very grateful for your actions. Very grateful and very handsome. Did I hear right that he’s a doctor?”

Yes, the reporters had directed questions to him as Dr. Green, though how they knew he was a doctor on such short notice was beyond her. She didn’t know how journalists got their scoops. The EMTs were interviewed first, so perhaps they disclosed the doctor’s profession? Didn’t matter. She knew where her mother was going with this line of questioning, and she was going to shut it down right now. Before it went any further.

“Yes, Dr. Green expressed his gratitude, as did Charlotte.”

“Charlotte? Is that the child’s name?”

“Yes.”

“She seems like such a sweet thing.”

She had been so sweet. Odd. Ellie had a hard time relating to most people, but there was something about the tiny girl that reached out and grabbed her heart, making a unique connection she couldn’t seem to deny.

“She is and very smart too.”

“I can imagine. Having a doctor for a father, she must be very intelligent.”

Her mom just would not let that go.

“Did he examine you to make sure you weren’t injured in the rescue?”

While she phrased it as a question, Ellie heard the intonation behind the seemingly innocent remark. Deciding not to rise to the bait, she answered honestly. “No, mother. He was there to get his child, who’d just suffered a traumatic experience. I’m sure work was the last thing on his mind.”

“Yes, but you experienced the event, too. Shouldn’t someone have checked on you?”

She sighed, reaching the end of her cracker package, and tossing the empty wrapper into the small trashcan under the kitchen sink. “The EMTs looked me over and declared me fit as a fiddle. I didn’t need another exam from Sullivan.”

“Sullivan? You’re on a first name basis with the man?” her mother preened over the phone, glee practically dripping from the line.

“No, we…I mean, yes, I suppose so. I saved his daughter, after all.”

“You did indeed. And as a mother, I’m grateful you weren’t harmed in your daring heroics.”

She really wished people would stop calling it that.

“I’m sure the child and her father are very grateful, along with his wife?”

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