Page 12 of Knight's Journey

“Are you sure? I can wait until my meal break.” She was allowed rest breaks and one meal break during her shift, but she wasn’t due for any of them.

Charlotte waved her hand as if dismissing her. “Go. Tell them I said hi.”

Not needing to be told again, Bridget pulled her phone from the pocket of her scrubs and half-walked, half-jogged to the stairwell, where she knew she could find privacy. The number to Mathias’ cell was already dialing when she sat on a step leading down to the next floor. He answered on the second ring.

“Hey.”

“Hey. How is everything?”

“Good. I’m watching a movie. Lowe is reading. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” she said. “I wanted to check in while I had a quiet moment. Nervous about starting school tomorrow?”

She could almost see her nephew’s indifferent shrug. “I don’t know. I suppose a little. I think Lowe is. She keeps coming out of her room every few minutes to ask me questions about what she should wear. She’s never cared before.”

She felt her heart squeeze. “I can facetime during my supper break, so if she wants me to see the outfit she picked out, I can. I wish I could be there to help her choose.”

“You’ll be here for breakfast.”

Her twelve-hour shift went from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., so she would be able to make it home in time to make sure the kids ate breakfast and made it out the door on time. Their breakfast would have to consist of easy things like cereal or pop tarts because she had no time to prepare anything. At least not until her five-day break which came after she worked three shifts.

“I know,” she finally told him. “It’s just not the same.”

The phone got silent, and Bridget’s teeth worried her bottom lip as she waited.

“It was the right thing to do. You know that, right?”

She blinked back tears. “What are you talking about?”

“The move. The house. The new school. It’s not easy starting over, but it was the right thing to do.”

“So you don’t regret it? Living with your wild and crazy aunt?” Her attempt at levity fell flat.

“Nope. Do you? Living with your boring niece and nephew?”

“Hey, now, nobody talks about my kids that way.” She sighed. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.”

“Rough shift?”

“Are you kidding? This place is a dream compared to my last job. I’ve already gotten a marriage proposal. It was from a dirty old man, but still.”

Mathias chuckled. “Do I need to kick his ass?”

“Language, Mat,” she admonished. “And no. I can handle him, but I appreciate the offer.”

She heard the slam of a door closing and footsteps pounding on the steps, the noise echoing in the stairwell. “I’ll let you get back to your movie. I need to get back to my patients. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks, Mat. For listening. Love you. Your sister too. Make sure the doors are locked and the alarm is set, okay?”

“It’s taken care of. We love you too. Later.”

She ended the call as the footsteps stopped behind her. Rising to her feet, she twisted to see over her shoulder, an apologetic smile on her face. The man waited on the landing, one hand on the railing. He wore the navy scrubs and white coat of a physician, his stethoscope hanging from around his neck and hiding the name embroidered next to the lapel.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” His smile was charming, reaching his gray eyes to make them sparkle.

“No, no,” she said, pocketing her cell. She stepped on the landing to give him space to descend. “I was finished. I have to get back.”

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