“Hmm.” Lisa ran her hands through her long hair and twirled it into a messy bun. “I think there was another member of the team in that situation. Let me call Darla.”
Lisa tapped the face of her phone, then put it to her ear. “Darla. Yeah. Can you tell me how you set up the Somalia trip for that resident with student loans?”
As Lisa listened, Emma’s stomach jittered with something that felt a lot like fear, but she chose to believe it was excitement.
“Really,” Lisa said. “That’s so cool. Yeah, Emma Reeves. Right, emergency medicine. Her residency ends in two weeks. Okay, I’ll tell her. Thanks.”
Lisa disconnected and smiled at Emma. “I think you’re going to like the sound of this.”
Emma gripped the edge of the chair. “Okay.”
“Darla said that since your residency hasn’t ended yet, if you sign on, they could consider this an extension, which means payment of your student loans could either be deferred for another year or you could go with the income-based repayment method so your loans would be manageable while you’re on the trip. Personally, I don’t think it matters one way or the other. Interest continues to accrue, regardless. And if you get as much from the house renovation as you think you will, the interest on the loans really won’t amount to anything significant.”
Emma’s air left her lungs on a slow exhale. “That’s…amazing.”
“And just to put your mind at ease, whether there is conflict in the area or not, Darla contracts with a security company to supply bodyguards for the team. You’re escorted to and from the hospital, which could simply be another tent in the refugee camp, and locked up tight at night in a residence, be it a private home or a local hotel. Having the beefy guys with M4s within reach twenty-four seven will probably take some getting used to.”
“No doubt.” Emma had never been more unsure of whether she wanted to take this leap or not. “How long is the trip?”
Lisa stood. “A year.”
Emma’s mouth dropped open. “A year?”
“It’s a real commitment, but given your desire to work overseas and your financial situation, it makes a lot of sense. It’s really the safest, most conservative way to feel out the humanitarian angle of medicine.”
God, this was happening so fast. “When does she need an answer?”
“The team flies out next week.”
Emma’s face must have registered her shock, because Lisa laughed. “Welcome to the world of volunteering overseas. Nothing is ever set in concrete.”
“It’s just… This is as close to exactly what I wanted as I can get without going rogue. It almost sounds too good to be true.”
“Ask and the universe answers.” Lisa stood and patted Emma’s shoulder on her way toward the door. “Darla’s going to send you an email with all the details.”
Emma covered Lisa’s hand. “Thank you so much.”
She made her way to her car, feeling overwhelmed. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for, but she was suddenly worried about ten different things she’d never considered. And she felt stupid that it had taken getting this offer to realize that. She was also disappointed in herself for being taken off guard. She prized herself on her ability to pivot on a dime in the ER during her shifts. Could manage multiple traumas at a time. Yet when her dream was offered on a silver platter, she fumbled.
Halfway to her car, Emma’s cell rang, and she saw Dylan’s name on the display. She stopped walking and stared at his name as a waterfall of happiness poured through her. This second chance with Dylan was truly a gift. One year really wasn’t a long time to wait to get her debt paid off and gain the experience she needed to work with Doctors Without Borders on a more permanent basis, all while seeing where time with Dylan took them.
But she, of all people, knew exactly how fragile life was, how quickly it could be extinguished. Which made those two years feel like forever. What if something happened in those years to kept her from going overseas? Dylan had already done everything he’d wanted to do, but Emma hadn’t. And now she felt pulled between two dreams.
She took a deep breath and answered. “Hey.”
“Hey.” The deep, warm timbre of his voice lifted her stomach. “Are you still getting off work at five?”
“Yes, leaving now, why?”
“I’m getting the family together for dinner tonight. How does seven sound?”
The family? Dinner? “What’s going on?”
“I have good news to share, and I wanted to celebrate with the most important people in my life. You’re at the very tippy top of that list. Pleas
e say you’ll come.”
What the hell else could she say? “Of course. What news?”