Читать книгу The Baby Doctors - Janice Macdonald - Страница 10

CHAPTER SIX

“NOT HAVING KIDS MYSELF,” Sarah said as she sprinkled cheese onto the eggs Elizabeth had scrambled, “I’m probably not the best person to ask. But since you did, I remember at fourteen, I preferred my father to my mother. He was just less…I don’t know, judgmental. Actually, Rose and I have always had a sort of prickly relationship.”

“With Lucy,” Elizabeth’s voice trembled, “she knows she takes after me, but she looks at me these days and it kills her to think she might end up like me.”

“Or she could just be a typical fourteen-year-old girl,” Sarah said. “And it’s just a stage you have to live through.” She glanced around the kitchen, wondering about silverware. Somehow, without realizing it, they’d changed places and now Elizabeth, seated on stool by the stove, was watching as Sarah finished cooking the breakfast.

“How did this happen?” Elizabeth blew her nose. “You’re the customer. Oh, well, no charge.” She managed a watery smile. “You must think I’m some kind of nutcase. We haven’t seen each for years and you’re here five minutes and I fall apart.”

“I tend to have that effect on people,” Sarah said. In fact, she’d barely recognized Elizabeth and might not have if Elizabeth hadn’t said her name first. A glimmer of the old Elizabeth lingered in the husky screen-siren voice and the creamy complexion, but the flashing dimples and almond eyes were lost in soft folds of flesh. The lithe cheerleader shape was now pillowy breasts and hips sausaged into black stretch pants. She divided the food between the two plates Elizabeth had set on the chrome serving shelf. “I’m working on it though.”

“Let’s eat back here.” Elizabeth pulled her stool up to the counter and sat down again. “I can see if anyone comes in.”

Sarah dug her fork into the eggs. “Not bad. If I do say so myself.”

“Remember home ec?” Elizabeth asked. “One time we were supposed to be making… what was it, some kind of cake together. And you drove me crazy because everything had to be carefully measured.” She set down her fork. “You insisted on running a knife over the top of a cupful of flour to make sure it was exactly one cup.”

Sarah smiled. “I remember that. You drove me crazy. You kept adding things that weren’t in the recipe.”

“But Matt liked my cake best,” Elizabeth said.

“Yep.” Sarah nodded, remembering. “Matthew liked everything best about you.” Suddenly embarrassed at what she’d said and at the power still remaining in those memories, she made a production of getting more coffee for both of them. At the moment, Matthew didn’t feel like a safe subject.

“Have you been working here long?” she asked.

“Six weeks.”

“Must be interesting meeting new people…lots of tourists, huh?”

“It’s a job,” Elizabeth said. “Nothing like what you or Matt do.”

“At the moment, it’s more than I do,” Sarah said. “I thought I’d come back here and—” She stopped herself. “Compassionate Medical Systems seems to have taken over. I gave Matthew a hard time about it. I accused him of selling out.”

Elizabeth shook her head.

“I know, I feel bad.”

“No, I don’t mean that. It’s just…the two of you. He’s been agonizing about whether or not to join.”

“He has?”

“God, yes. I tell him he needs to come down from his ivory tower once in a while, pay a visit to us real people. Everyone knows it would be the best thing that ever happened to Port Hamilton. I mean, how long has that hospital been there? It’s a dump. They’d tear that down, build something modern. And right now, the way Matt is always on call, they’d get more doctors and they’d all be making more money, which, for sure, would be good for everyone. Matt needs to throw his support to CMC, Sarah. If he doesn’t, he’s going to kill himself.”

Her appetite gone, Sarah pushed her plate away. “Now I really feel bad.”

“Don’t.” Elizabeth looked at her for a minute. “It’s funny, some people just kind of tiptoe through life, never putting their feet down too hard and then there’s…”

“Me,” Sarah said. “Sarah the trampler.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Elizabeth folded her arms. “Can I give you a piece of advice? I mean, it seems weird advising you, but—”

“Why would that be weird?”

“Well, it’s always…you know, Sarah’s so smart. Elizabeth’s pretty, but Sarah’s smart. But okay, here’s the thing. So you said something that maybe you shouldn’t have and maybe it bothered Matt. Well, so what? He’s a big boy, he’ll get over it. That’s the way life is. I make you mad. You make me mad. The world keeps turning, right? Quit beating yourself up. Go see him, say hi and act like nothing ever happened.”

Sarah considered. If nothing else it might help mend the personal rift. Plus there was always the chance that after thinking things over, he’d have a change of heart about her proposal. Maybe she’d give him a day or two though. Sarah finally nodded. “I might do that.”

“Good.” Elizabeth smiled. “You know what? I feel a whole lot better just talking to you.”

“That makes two of us,” Sarah said.

“Hey, Sarah.” Elizabeth’s smile grew less uncertain. “I should have said something before. I meant to, but I’m bad at this. Listen, I’m really sorry about your husband. That must have been tough.”

“Yeah.” Sarah looked beyond Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Well, I guess I should get going.”

AS HE WALKED through the mall, Lucy on one side, his former mother-in-law, Pearl, on the other, Matthew was thinking about Sarah. His plan had been to call her, suggest another Frugals trip, this time without drifting into the murky waters of professional ethics. That it still irked him to be accused of selling out was, he realized, because he shared her opinion.

“Elizabeth’s drinking,” Pearl said. “I worry about her.”

“She told me she was going to counseling,” Matthew said.