Page 8 of Waiting Game

But I still dreaded the whole event, which I was sure was going to be elaborate and stuffed with people from my past. As much as I would continue to deny it to Pete, and probably myself too, Ren did have a lot to do with why I avoided that city.

But I had already planned on continuing to avoid him while I was there.

I got a coffee from the cafeteria on the way into the hospital, scrolling mindlessly through my phone as I walked through the wards.

“Good morning, Ree,” Evelyn smiled from behind the reception desk.

“Hey,” I said, “how long have you been here?”

Evelyn looked up at the clock, her eyes looking tired, “nine hours. Only one to go,” she smiled again.

“Lucky you,” Tilly rolled her eyes as she came out of the back office, “I have five left.”

“I’m only here for a half shift today,” I sipped at my coffee, hoping to keep my holiday plans as secret as possible.

“So you’re not coming to boxing tonight?” she pouted.

“I told you last week that I wouldn’t be,” I laughed, “you’ll survive on your own.”

I had dragged Tilly along for one session and she fell in love with the sport, but she still wasn’t confident enough to go by herself.

For me, I didn’t mind training alone.

It was a small connection to my past self, as well as a healthy output for my less than cheery emotions. I grew up boxing with my brothers, and even if I couldn’t be around them, it was a small thing that I could continue to feel as if they were still a part of my life.

Also, my paranoia enjoyed the feeling of being prepared for anything or anyone that might come my way.

“Fine,” she sighed.

“Well, are you excited for your trip?” Evelyn changed the subject, “It’ll be nice to see your family again.”

“I guess so,” I shrugged.

“Your mother must miss you,” she smiled up at me.

Evelyn was the mother figure in our ward with children of her own, so of course she would think that. But she didn’t know my mother.

Vera was a whole different beast, without a maternal bone in her body.

I was sure that it was less likely that she missed me, and more likely that she was excited to have a go at me once again. But I didn’t know how to explain that to Evelyn, who probably wouldn’t even be able to fathom not doting on and loving your children completely.

She even acted this way with Tilly and I, taking us under her wing.

Tilly and I were both quite young, compared to the other nurses on our ward.

I had been working at the hospital for a few years, but Tilly was fresh out of Uni. We became fast friends, which was new for me.

There was something about her, a kindness maybe, that coaxed me into being more open and trusting. She was the only one who I had told anything about my past. I had fed her bits and pieces of information that she was slowly putting together. Though, she still didn’t know the whole story and I didn’t think she ever would.

Still, she even knew more than Pete.

The whole reason that I moved to the opposite side of the country was in a hopeful wish that no one would recognise me by only my last name. But the people who existed in that side of society, always knew.

I didn’t realise the full extent of the influence my family had until I moved.

In Melbourne, everyone knew who we were, and most of the east coast did as well. Over here was my best bet. In all the years I had lived here now, I had only been asked twice about my name.

“Anyway,” I changed the subject, “I’ll do some rounds. Anyone new?”

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