It was something Megan before the accident would have done, not this bolder, sassier version of her. This version I expected to find waiting for me when I got home, an angry scowl on her face, foot tapping in time to her overworked heartbeat, ready to tear into me.
Instead, she was gone. Not just gone for the night, but she hadn’t made dinner, not that I expected her to, but she usually did. Even angry, Megan loved to feed people.
Which meant she was even more mad than I knew what to do with. When eleven thirty rolled round and then midnight, I knew flowers and Thai food wouldn’t fix it this time.
Sometime just before one in the morning, I went to bed knowing I had a lot to make up for if I wanted to keep my relationship and my wife, which I did. I would start by showing up at her appointment, and maybe taking her out for a lunch date.
Megan was still asleep when I left for the hospital the next day, and I left her like that, hoping that she’d be happier to see me when I showed up for her appointment with Dr. Reynolds.
“Hey Casey, I need your hands.” Drew Wright was the resident cardio surgeon and Suzie’s little brother, and he stood in my office with his hands on his hips and a dark look on his face.
I was already on my feet, hoping he only needed a consult. “I’ve got time, what’s up?”
Drew shook his head. “Incoming MVA. Teenagers, both thrown from the vehicle. One is in need of Ortho, but the other will need both of us in the OR.”
Shit. This was my job, putting people back together when no one else could. Megan would have to wait. “All right, let’s go.”
Drew frowned. “You got something better to do than save a couple of kids?”
“No,” I sighed. “Of course I don’t, it’s just that I was hoping to show up for Megan’s appointment.”
“Megan is smart and strong, she can handle Reynolds on her own. Besides, I heard her memory was coming back?”
“It is,” I admitted. “But I’ve been screwing up with her left, right and center.” That was an understatement, but I didn’t want to get into it, not now when we were heading to the OR.
“You’ll make it all better, Casey. You always do.”
I nodded because I wanted to believe this was just like any other fight we’d had over the years, but deep down, I knew it was different. Dwelling on it now, when I couldn’t do anything about it, would only make me feel worse, especially if thoughts of her distracted me from surgery. Operating on parts of the brain was always a delicate procedure that required intense concentration, and I couldn’t let any problems at home take away from what this kid needed from me.
Six hours later, the kid was out of surgery and doing well. He would hurt like hell for a long while, but maybe it would serve as a reminder to wear the fucking seatbelt.
“Thanks for the assist, Casey.”
“Anytime.” After a quick chat with the parents, walking them through the surgery and the recovery, I finally made my way to my office. My empty office. Megan’s appointment was hours ago, but still, part of me hoped she’d be waiting in my office with a smile.
There was no smile, but there was a small container on the center of my desk with a note on top of it. “It’s grapefruit and caramel meringue pie. Just try it and love it. XOXO.”
It sounded terrible, but this was one of Megan’s creations and trying it was the least I could do. I took one bite and a few minutes later, the entire thing was gone because it was seriously that good.
I had to see her, to talk to her.
The note threw me off because it didn’t have an angry tone, and that only made me feel worse. It was well past the end of my shift, so I grabbed my jacket and left to go in search of my wife.
She wasn’t at home, which meant there was only one other place she would be.
Sweet Treats.
That’s where I found her, shaking her curvy little ass to some hip hop song while she stirred something inside a bowl that was almost as big as her. “Megs.”
“Oh! Shit!” She whirled around, a tight grip on the bowl this time. “Casey. What are you doing here?”
My smiled dimmed at her words, her tone filled with exasperation as if my presence stole her enjoyment. “I came to tell you that the pie was amazing. It sounded weird, gross even, but holy shit it was good. Really good.”
Finally, a smile spread from one cheek to the other. “Yeah? You mean that?”
“I do.”
She still looked skeptical. “You’re not just saying that because you think I’m still mad?”