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NYLA

The salty scent of the ocean breeze wafted through the air, ruffling my hair as I locked the door to the new home I’d lived in for the past seven months. Even though seven months wasn’t that long, the quaint town of Oak Island already felt like home. I came here to seek a fresh start; it was the best decision I’d ever made.

“Good morning, Dr. Clark!” a voice shouted across the street.

A smile lit up my face and a blast of warmth spread through my chest. Turning around, I waved at my elderly neighbor and walked down the front porch steps to my red Jeep Wrangler.

“Good morning, George,” I hollered back.

He and his wife had lived in their little white house across the street all fifty-eight years of their marriage. George picked up his newspaper off the ground, and I could tell by the wince on his face that it hurt to straighten his stance. But still, he smiled at me and waved.

“Heading to the office?”

I nodded. “Yep. I’m starting to think you might need to visit me. That back of yours is giving you some problems, right?”

George waved the newspaper dismissively in the air. “Young lady, when you get as old as me, there isn’t a day when you don’t feel aches or pains. It’s a sign that I’ve lived my life to the fullest.”

That made me laugh. “I’ll have to remember that.” I waved again. “Have a good day, George. Tell Rose I said hello and that the lemon cookies she made me the other day are all gone.”

George chuckled. “She’ll be happy to hear it.”

He slowly walked to the door, and I ensured he got inside before climbing into my Jeep. While on my way to work, a pang of sadness washed over me as I thought about George and Rose moving up in age. I haven’t known them long, but I knew we were all on borrowed time, especially them. None of my grandparents were alive; I lost my last grandfather four years ago to congestive heart failure; he was eighty-two. Sadly, the other three grandparents I had all passed away in their sixties or early seventies, leaving an unbearable void in my family tree. My mom also lost two of her younger sisters to cancer. That was one of the reasons why I decided to go to medical school. I wanted to learn more about how our bodies work and how to heal people. Granted, I didn’t have the knowledge to cure cancer, but if I could help a person’s health in any way, that was good enough for me.

When I arrived at the office, it was precisely seven forty-five. One of the nurses who worked for me, Autumn Collins, pulled in right behind me in her silver Honda Accord. She parked beside me and when she looked over, she had the biggest grin on her face.

I grabbed my purse and hopped out of my car. “Why are you so happy this morning?” I asked, joining her so we could walk into the clinic together.

She had on her Carolina blue scrubs just like me, but hers matched her eyes perfectly. My blue eyes were a shade darker, and I’d always been told it was rare for someone with red hair to have the color of eyes I did. Autumn shouldered her purse and quickly wrapped her long, bright blonde hair into a messy bun on top of her head as we walked. She made it look so effortless. Whenever I tried to do the same thing with my hair, it always looked like a rat’s nest.

“I’m happy,” she said, grinning at me, “because it’s Friday and the weather is going to be perfect this weekend.”

I unlocked the back door and waved a hand for her to go in. “Do you have plans with anyone special?” I asked her.

She snorted and glanced at me over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t exactly call it that,” she replied, stopping by the lab and flipping on the light. “He’s just an old friend from high school. When he heard I moved back here, he called.”

“Ah, I see,” I said, smirking as I walked past her to my office. She stopped at my door, leaning her shoulder against the frame. I turned on my light and set my purse on my desk. “It must be nice coming back here after years of being away and still having friends.”

Autumn smiled. “It is, but it’s been great making new ones, too. I’m thrilled you hired me.”

“Me too,” I replied in all honesty.

Autumn was twenty-eight years old, which was four years younger than me. She’d graduated from UNC Charlotte with a nursing degree and stayed there for a few years with some of her fellow nursing friends. But in the end, she missed home and wanted to move back to Oak Island. I couldn’t blame her. If I’d known how amazing Oak Island was before, I would’ve left Boston in a heartbeat.

Luckily, I had my best friend and partner at Seaside Family Practice, Dr. Everleigh McLean, to thank for that. It was because of her I was able to begin anew. Everleigh’s father retired and she offered to take over the practice.

When she offered me a partnership, I didn’t hesitate to answer yes. Never in a million years did I imagine having my own practice. I’d been an ER doctor at Massachusetts General for years. My life was a chaotic mess, always on the go. Now I could breathe and enjoy life at a slower pace; it was heaven.

The bell to the front door jingled and I could hear Gina’s voice as she sang her favorite Celine Dion song.

Autumn snickered and shook her head. “That woman is something else. Don’t get me wrong, I love Celine Dion, but she comes in like that every morning.”

Gina’s singing grew louder until she appeared behind Autumn, her smile bright as she patted Autumn on the shoulder and looked in on me. She wore a set of light purple scrubs that encased her petite frame and contrasted with her short black hair. Her glasses were perched atop her nose, the bright purple frames complementing her outfit. Gina was fifty-eight years old and was looking for a job after being let go from the library. Everleigh’s mother used to handle the practice’s front desk until she retired along with Everleigh’s father, leaving the position open.

“Good morning,” she said cheerily. “Looks like a busy day; we’ve got a lot of possible sinus infections here due to all the pollen.” She glanced over at Autumn. “Should I call Janie in to help?”

Autumn shook her head. “No need. We’ll be fine.”