Love, Doctor (Inner Harbor 1)

“I need coffee for this.”

I call after her.

“Is that on the table too?”

“Shut up!” She yells back and I join her to show her how to make coffee in my machine while I set up the camera for Skype.

We sip fresh brewed coffee as we call my parents who answer on the first ring with excitement thinking this is just my thrice a week call with them.

“Milo, my love!” My mother Matilda Lazare looks barely older than a day over fourty and eyes me with curiostiy. My dad Damascus has the hardened look of a soldier only softened by hugging my mother. She sits in his lap as I’ve put a squirming and nervous Piper in mine. It must be a Lazare thing.

“Mother, Dad.” I greet them petting Piper to calm her down.

“Who is this beautiful girl you’ve obviously kept up all night?” Dad says winking. He wasn’t a sharp shooter in the Georgian Army for nothing.

“Please meet Piper.” We exchange hellos and I let my palm slide up under the T-shirt out of view. She pinches my hand. I pinch back. Turn about is fair play, right?

She’s gritting her teeth, jaw tight speaking. “Hello. Milo only kept me up half the night actually.” Piper thinks she’s being cheeky but she hasn’t met my dad.

“Really? Milo, you’re not doing a very good job then.” He says by way of chastising me and making Piper blush. My mother scolds him and I snort kissing her on the head in plain view of the camera. Her cheeks burn bright red and she doesn’t say anything else worth misconstruing.

“Piper has agreed to marry me.” I tuck her close to my side and my mother’s face changes into a wide smile as my dad congratulates us. I’m not one to beat around the bush.

“This is wonderful news! I am so happy for you. Is it soon? Can we come?” A million more questions fly over our heads as I try to explain as best I can.

“We have to do it in a few days due to my Visa issue, but we’ll definitely come for a visit.”

“We can have a ceremony and party here at the house. Your cousins in Toronto and Georgia will be sad to miss it.” Mom explains. She’s probably got their English garden all decked out and notes to call her paper’s staff photographer and editorialist.

“Matty don’t rush them. Our son is grown up, he’ll make good decisons.” Dad chides her but doesn’t mean a word of it. The underliying messages is, get your ass to London and make this up to your mother, which I will when we can and I’m not afraid of being detained at the border on the way back.

“The ceremony will be at the hospital chapel.” I say listening to my dad grunt. My parents would have wanted a big todo but there simply isn’t time. If there was then I wouldn’t be doing this at all and I think they realize that. The thought stings because that also means I would have missed out on Piper.

“It’s really very pretty and we’ll take lots of picture.” Piper tries to mediate sweetly. I reward her by stroking her thigh under the kitchen counter. She kicks my shin and I grit by teeth from the pain of her small foot.

“She’s wonderful Milo. Please visit as soon as you can. I’ll send over my recipe cards and all the things a bride needs.”

“Thank you.” This means Fed-Ex is going to have a field day with deliveries and I’ll be out of cash for tips.

“We love you son.” Dad nods and he knows I’ll call him later to talk more about what’s going on. One perk has been having supportive parents my whole life. This isn’t ideal but we’ll get through it.

“Love you too.” I hang up the call and we both exhale.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Piper tries to hop off my lap but I keep her right where she is because I like it too much.

“Do you think your parents are as easygoing?” I inquire unsure what to expect. Piper’s droll response isn’t one of them.

“We should call them after the wedding.”

“Oh no Piper. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong. I just don’t like lying to them.”

“What exactly are we lying about?”

“I can’t exactly tell them the truth because my dad will be on the first flight home wondering if you knocked me up.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be the end of the world. Lot’s of couples have kids before weddings. I think we’d make pretty babies don’t you.” I joke waiting for her reaction.