Page 24 of A Doctor's Promise
“Decaf latte, please. I’d better not have any more caffeine my nerves are jittery enough as it is.”
“Decaf latte it is, any cake? I can recommend the carrot cake, it’s so light.”
“Okay then, yes please.” Edie’s face beamed with happiness.
Finn left a very happy Archie with Edie and went to buy the drinks and cake.
“Who’s your date, Doctor Cooper?” the girl behind the counter asked him as he placed his order. She nodded out the window at Edie who was ruffling Archie’s ears. “I don’t think I’ve everseenyou here with anyone else before, let alone buying them a drink.”
The girl had a cheeky smile on her face and Finn didn’t have the heart to be annoyed at her nosiness. He swiped his card on the reader and took the tray with the cakes.
“She is a work colleague, thank you very much,” he joked back. “Please can you bring our drinks when they’re ready?”
The girl laughed and nodded.
“Sure thing, Doctor Cooper,” she winked as she handed him his receipt.
If the local cafes were curious about his love life, Finn wondered how long he could get away with not talking to Edie about it. He quite liked the idea that people could imagine her dating him.
“That looks as good as you promised,” Edie said as he put the tray down on the table and sat down next to her.
The table could seat four; both himself and Edie faced out towards the misty waves with their white tops and deep blue depths. The sandy beach was filling up more as the day went on.
“Edie,” Finn started, he wanted to talk to her before Mary and Anna’s imminent arrival. “Please can you spare me some time this evening? I really wanted to talk to you about what had been happening withus.”
Edie bit her bottom lip and Finn felt a deep desire to do the same.
“I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to do that with you already, Finn, and I promise I will do soon. But right now, I need to concentrate on the day ahead. If I still have any energy left at the end of it then maybe we can talk. But please, let me do it at my own pace.”
Finn felt a bit taken aback by Edie’s words. He hadn’t realised how much he was hounding her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. The young girl from the café brought out their drinks, and a silent moment passed between Finn and Edie as she placed them on the table. Finn silently admonished his behaviour.
“Yes, of course,” he said, thinking how awful it would have been if someone had been trying to get his life story out of him when he wasn’t ready. “I’m sorry. Take all the time you need, I’m not going anywhere, and I am here for you, as a friend, when you’re ready. If you’re ever ready.”
He saw the weight lift from Edie as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Her shoulders relaxed and her face looked younger, if that was even possible.
“Thank you, Finn. I’m sorry I’m so vague.” She took his hands in hers and Finn felt his stomach drop.
“No apologies from you necessary,” he managed to say, despite his tongue being tied with longing.
“I hope we’re not interrupting something here?” Mary’s dulcet voice rang out from the beach below.
Both Finn and Edie sprang apart from each other and looked over the railings to see the mother and daughter looking up at them.
“Edie,” Anna cried in joy and skipped up the steps to hug the woman who seconds ago Finn had wished he could wrap his own arms around.
Edie laughed and scooped the young girl up in her arms, tickling her and making her squeal with delight. Mary’s flight up the stairs was much slower. Finn, jumped out of his seat and ran to offer her a helping arm. He thought she looked paler than he had seen her before. Throwing a questioning look at Edie, who nodded, Finn took Mary inside the cafe to get some privacy from her young daughter.
“Mary,” Finn asked when they were safely inside the small building. “Is everything okay?”
Mary coughed a little, she held out her free hand to an empty chair and leant her weight on that.
“Yes,” she said, her breathing shallow. “Some mornings are easier than others, that’s all. Anna was so excited about today, I couldn’t cancel on her.”
Just speaking those words seemed to take the last scrap of energy Mary had left. Finn pulled the chair she was leaning against out from under the table and Mary collapsed into it.
“Let me get you a drink, water? Coffee?” Finn said, worried about Mary.
“Tea, please,” she replied, a weak smile on her face.
