Page 11 of My December Darling

Fuck. I think my best friend’s ex-girlfriend iscute? That can be problematic, but then again, he is about to marry her sister, so who is he to judge? Aiden might even be a bit relieved given the couple of worried conversations I’ve overheard him having with Gabriela about Catalina, although I’m not sure the woman standing in front of me would share the same sentiment.

The machine chirps behind her. She grabs the Styrofoam cup, and her eyes close as she takes a sip. Instantly, her nose twitches and her forehead wrinkles with distaste.

“Tastes like shit, doesn’t it?”

“God. That’s awful.” She coughs.

“Stick around long enough and you’ll get used to it.”

“Yeah, no. Not going to happen.” She stares at her cup like it is laced with poison.

Honestly, given the distinct aftertaste, it might very well be.

I toss my empty cup in the trash. “Trust me when I say this is the best machine in the whole place.”

“Really?”

“Yup. I’ve tested them all multiple times.”

“Have you thought to put in a maintenance request?”

“Yeah, but no one has done anything about it, so I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

Her mouth opens, but my phone buzzes with a new message before she has a chance to speak.

“I’ve gotta go,” I say with a hint of reluctance.

“See you around.” She lifts her cup. “And thanks for the shittiest coffee I’ve ever had.”

“I owe you a better one.”

She turns toward the direction of the NICU, but not before I see the small smile tugging at her lips.

Tonight, I didn’t only make Catalina Martinez laugh, but smiletwice, and I’ll be damned because I’m already looking forward to when I can do it again.

5

CATALINA

I’ve successfully been able to avoid my mother and her incessant request for my maid-of-honor speech for the last two days. Thankfully, by the time I crawl out of bed, she is already retiring to her room for the evening, claiming she has a headache after spending the day helping my sister figure out who can bake her a cake at the last minute for her wedding.

While eating a bowl of leftovers my dad saved for me, I check my phone for new messages. I’m not the most outgoing person, but I connected with a few nurses back in college who have refused to let me forget about them. Monica, Nancy, and Winny even created a group chat where we can catch up on everyone’s lives, send the latest celebrity gossip, and share any job openings.

Last year, I got lucky that my agency set me up with a job at Monica’s same hospital, so I flew over there and spent two months working and hanging out with her. I shelled out on a nice little spot close to the beach, and I swear it was one of the best subleases I’ve ever stayed in.

The Work Wives group chat, which was founded and named by Monica back when we were nursing students, is alive and well this evening after I mentioned my agency setting me up with another job opportunity in Los Angeles as soon as my sister gets married.

Nancy

What will it take for you to request a job near me?

Monica

Shall I suggest moving somewhere more appealing?

Nancy

What’s wrong with Arkansas?

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