Love, Doctor (Inner Harbor 1)

“Piper?” I call out again following the path of destruction including pulled sheets from the bed and laundry on the floor to the balcony doors. She’s sitting outside flipping her phone over and over in her fingers looking out into the backyard.

“Can we talk?” I sit down in the lounge chair across from her. My hands cup the sides of her legs pulling her closer to me.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me about her.” Her face carries a wounded expression and I’m instantly contrite and sorry.

“It’s not that I was hiding her if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Then who is she?”

“Mariska is someone I grew up with as my parents moved around Europe. My mother was an investigative journalist. I lived in a number of places growing up including the Middle East, London, and South Africa. Her father was an ambassador between the UK and South Africa. We went to school together in London. I guess the equivalent of High School.”

“Did you sleep with her?” I didn’t want to answer Piper but I had to so that I could make it clear there wasn’t anything between us.

“We did. A long time ago. It was in between us parting ways for law school and medical school. Separately.”

“So like…” I see the wheels turning and I grab her hand to stop her.

“Piper, please don’t do the math. It was less than a handful of times and it obviously meant more to her than it did to me. I was kind of a selfish asshole back then. I was focused on medical school and I had no desire to be with anyone so I slept with several someones until it got old.” Truth is that I picked ones that bored me so I wouldn’t get attached. Mariska liked to recite case law in bed enough said on that one.

“She’s pretty.”

I wave that off. My wife is sexy as fuck. I didn’t need a Mariska or anyone one else.

“Look, I know you’re feeling hurt. But I swear that was over before it even began. I married you because I like you and I want this to work. I believe we can make this work and I want to try.”

“I do too Milo. I was just so thrown back by everything and her showing up made it all the more real and weird.”

“Yeah, nobody likes opening the door to find an old ex standing there with a basket of expectations.”

“Maybe I overreacted?”

“Well, maybe I under reacted because I didn’t think it would be upsetting for you and I should have realized you would feel some type of way about it.”

“Truce?” She leans in to kiss my cheek.

“Truce.”

“Who called?” She points to my phone I hadn’t realized I am holding onto in a tight grip.

“Homeland security.” I snort.

“What did the visa witch want?”

“Besides sending me back?” I husk.

“Yeah.”

“A meeting this afternoon. Probably the first round of interviews for my permanency hearing.”

“I think I know how we can get you to stay?”

“How is that wife?”

Piper crawls from her chair to mine straddling me. No one can see us on the balcony of the backyard.

“Didn’t you say you wanted kids someday?”

“Of course.”