Page 111 of My Best Years

His jaw flexes, like he can’t stomach the thought of me with another man.

“Thank fuck it didn’t work out with anyone else,” he sayslowly, leaning in until his lips brush mine. “Because you’remygirl, Birdie. You’ve always been mine. Just like I’ll always be yours.”

My lips tilt up in a smile before I close the distance. I kiss him like I did when we were eighteen.

I kiss him like he’s never going to leave me again.

But sometimes the choice isn’t our own, even if we want so badly to stay.

TWENTY-NINE

Callum

Alert: Abnormal high heart rate detected. Take some time to relax and breathe.

I look down at my watch, silencing the notification. A hot flush courses down my body as I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. When I open them, I stare up at the fluorescent lights, holding my breath before blowing it out.

Less than a week after calling Dr. Moreno’s office to make an appointment, the receptionist contacted me to tell me she had an opening. So here I am, sitting in a cold and sterile room, waiting to hear about the next steps.

A generic photograph hangs on the wall of a group of friends with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, smiling as if they’re having the best day. It’s the complete opposite of how I feel right now.

Just as Birdie said, Dr. Moreno is a phenomenal physician. She made me feel comfortable the moment she stepped into the room. Dr. Moreno asked me a plethora of questions, listeningintently as I explained all of my symptoms. She never made me feel rushed or dismissed.

The only thing that did unsettle me was the concerned look in her eyes when I went down the laundry list of symptoms I’ve been experiencing. Her brows pinched with unease as she nodded and digested every word.

She looked at me the exact same way Birdie did when I told her my symptoms.

After Dr. Moreno listened to my heart and lungs and performed a physical exam, she stepped out of the room, telling me she would be right back. Now, I’m just waiting for her to return, tapping my sneakers against the linoleum floor and contemplating the worst-case scenario.

My head snaps to the wooden door when I hear two firm knocks from the other side. I wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans and straighten my shoulders.

“Come in,” I bellow.

Dr. Moreno pushes through the door with a friendly smile, shutting it behind her.

“Thank you for your patience,” she says while sitting across from me. “I know you had blood drawn recently, and your lab results were normal, but it has been a few months, correct?”

“Yes,” I confirm

“Have you had anything to eat or drink this morning?”

My face knits together with confusion as I shake my head.

“Uh, no. I had some water when I woke up. But other than that, I came straight here.”

“That’s the good thing about early appointments for us doctors,” she chuckles. “Okay, before I send you to a specialist, I want to do one more round of blood work this morning to ensure we aren’t missing anything. I also want to confirm that nothing has changed from your previous labs. There are numerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can affectyour muscles, such as vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium, amino acids, etcetera. We are going to run an extensive panel to rule out all possibilities. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Yes, of course.”

God, I can only pray that it’s something as simple as a deficiency. That would be the best-case scenario.

“Good,” she smiles softly. “The plan will be to draw your blood today and send it off for testing immediately. It can take one to three days for us to receive the results, but as soon as we do, our office will call you to schedule a follow-up appointment, if needed. Now, if your labs come back normal, I plan to send you straight to a neurologist for further testing. I don’t want to waste any time getting to the bottom of this. However, I am hopeful that your blood work will give us some inkling as to what is going on.”

Neurologist.

That word sounds so serious and clinical.

“Hopefully,” I croak. “I really appreciate your urgency in getting to the bottom of this..”

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