Page 69 of Infinite
“Clara and I have been friends for a very long time, and her husband, Mac, was actually the best man at my wedding. When she mentioned that you were here, I was curious. She wouldn’t divulge anything other than you’d suffered greatly and it brought you down here.”
“I had a very traumatic miscarriage where I had to have a full hysterectomy. I wasn’t sure I could ever enter a lab again or do something that I know I could never have myself.”
His eyes fill with sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you’re here now.”
“I am.”
“Why don’t we go meet the staff?”
“That sounds great.”
Dr. Danton or as he wants me to call him, Greyson, shows me around. The more I view the clinic, the more at ease I feel. It has a homey feel instead of the posh New York vibe I’m used to. They’re not trying to impress the elite rich socialites. They’re helping the more every-day people in the area.
Not that one is better than the other . . . it’s just different. And I need different.
We get to an office, and he knocks. A pretty woman with brunette hair and warm brown eyes smiles when she sees us. I instantly like her. I don’t know why or what it is, but the second I see her, I get a sense of ease. “Dr. Danton, I didn’t expect to see you.” Her Spanish accent sounds on the last word.
“Carolina, this is Ashton, she’s going to be helping in the lab as our new embryologist and then hopefully on a more permanent basis if we win her over.”
Her smile is as bright as the sun. “Wonderful, you’re doing us a great service, my caseload decreased when we stopped taking on new patients about a month ago, and while I’ve enjoyed the small reprieve, it’ll be nice to have a full day again.”
“I’m really happy to be here.”
“She is Clara and Mac Madison’s former embryologist. She’s here for Wendy and Byron’s case for the most part, but there’s a chance of more if it is mutually agreed upon.”
Carolina claps her hand. “That’s wonderful! They are such a great couple,andyou come from one of my favorite labs. I love Clara, she’s a fantastic doctor who cares a great deal about her patients.”
“Yes, she’s fantastic, and I admire her very much. Carolina, I was wondering if maybe you had a few minutes to talk with me?”
“Of course. Greyson, do you mind if I steal her for a bit?”
Greyson shakes his head. “Not at all. I’ll be in my office when you’re done if you could stop in and sign some paperwork?”
“No problem at all.”
With that, he takes his leave, and I suddenly feel very nervous. Carolina brings me inside the room, motioning for me to sit. “Tell me, what can I help you with?”
The sheer volume of help I need would probably scare her off, but I’ve run out of rope to hang on to. So, here I am, taking the chance on asking for help. If Carolina isn’t comfortable talking to me, maybe she will know someone else who will be.
That statement alone terrifies me, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in this much misery.
“I was trying to see what it is that instantly made me like you,” I say as I fidget with my hands. “But I think it’s that you remind me of someone I love very much. She’s been my best friend since I was in high school, and it’s probably why I’m able to sit in this room right now.”
Carolina shifts forward. “Your best friend . . . is she here?”
“No, Catherine moved to California with her husband. I was there a few days ago, and she’s why I’m here.”
“Here in my office or here in Virginia Beach?”
“Both.”
“I see.” Her voice is soft with a bit of curiosity layered in it.
“Almost three months ago, I suffered a miscarriage that caused me to hemorrhage so much that I needed a hysterectomy. I was almost four months pregnant, and I . . . well, being a mother was the only thing I ever truly wanted in my life. I was actually going to have Clara do fertility treatments and then I slept with my ex, whom I love very much, and got pregnant with what I believed was a miracle.” The tears start to form, and I struggle to speak. “It was . . . I was...the dream was . . .”
“Ripped away from you,” Carolina finishes.
I nod. “I haven’t been okay since then.”
