Heartburn: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World) by Tarrah Anders (100 best novels of all time TXT) 📕

time, and the time that I do have, doesn’t really mesh with what you want to do. I work a lot and that won’t change anytime soon. I feel that someone else would be a better match for you. Someone who can give you a lot more time to hang out.”

“It could be us, if you went strictly to teaching, you know.”

“That’s not why I got into medicine. I’m na ED, emergency medicine is where my heart is. I divide my time up between the two and there’s not going to be any sacrificing either one.”

“So, you’re going to sacrifice us for your job? What happens when you don’t have the job anymore?”

“I can’t see the future, but I can tell that you want more than what I can give to you. I’m sorry, but I think that we should just go our separate ways.”

She says nothing as she looks at her hands.

I stand up and wipe my hands down my jeans.

“I should hit the road, I’m sorry Karin, really, I am.” I tell her, hoping that will lessen the blow a bit. “But I wish you good luck, in whatever you do.”

I walk down the porch, and she stands up.

“Hey Rogan?” She calls while I turn around.

“Yeah?” I shove my hands in my front pockets.

“Does this have anything to do with your ex coming back into town?” She asks, placing her hands on her hips.

I wish that I could tell her that Kindra hasn’t gotten into my mind at all, maybe I don’t even want to admit it to myself. Although I’ve held a lot of disdain for her over the years, knowing new bits of information has softened my thoughts.

12

Kindra

“This is the first step to starting new. I want to warn you that I didn’t tell your father that you were joining us for dinner. So, there may be some tension.” My mother tells me as I sit down at our table in the middle of the restaurant.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask, taking the napkin and placing it on my lap.

“I didn’t want him to give me an excuse to stay at the office late,” she replies. “He would find any way to get out of a dinner like this. He’s set in his ways and doesn’t like confrontation anymore.”

“He can very much leave as soon as he sees me,” I say quietly.

“He’s here.” My mom stands up as I stay seated.

I turn my head and watch as my father approaches. He smiles as he sees my mother and its heart-warming, until he gets closer and sees me. His smile transforms into a straight line and I offer him an uneasy smile with a pathetic wave.

My mom pats my shoulder and then leans into my father to kiss him on the cheek.

“Hello dear,” she greets him.

“This is a surprise; you didn’t tell me that we were going to have a dinner companion. Kindra, how nice to see you again.” He nods, then takes his seat across from me.

“I wanted to surprise you.” My mother takes her seat as the buffer in between us.

A server stands at the side of the table and asks us for our drink order. Once he leaves, an uncomfortable silence falls on the three of us.

“Well, it’s nice to see you again, dad.”

“Likewise.” He replies.

“Isn’t it nice that Kindra is back home?” My mom says looking between us.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m back home. I think that the city became a home as well. I’m back in town.”

“Until you mess things up again,” dad says under his breath as my mother swats his arm.

“That part of my life is in the past, I’m a different person now.” I say, leaning forward and keeping my tone even.

“The past always comes back to haunt us, it’s just a matter of time.” He says.

“Honey, please tone yourself down,” my mother says. “A lot of time as gone by, don’t you think people change? That people get a second chance, especially your kin?”

“Why? Where has she been for the past ten years? What’s the point, a tiger cannot get rid of his stripes,”

“It’s zebra,” I say as he pierces me with a look at my correction of him.

“Both of you, let’s have an adult conversation. Can we just get to know our daughter again?”

My dad says nothing and picks up his menu.

“I’ll take that as an agree to disagree.” I mumble.

“I’ve had a long day at the office, my NP called out sick and my technician kept on making mistakes. I just want to eat, can we do that?”

“Of course.” My mother says quietly.

“I thought that you would have expanded your nursing staff, you always complained about lack of staffing,” I say.

“We lost someone to the hospital recently,” he replies, staring at his menu.

“Oh, Nurse Johns? She did mention she came from a private practice.” I say, nodding.

“You know her?” He places his menu down and finally looks at me.

“Yeah, I work at the hospital. I’m a nurse in the emergency room. Nurse Johns did a rotation with us the other night when we were dealing with traumas.”

He looks at me a little longer than before but says nothing.

“Kindra put herself through school and made it to where she is today on her own. Can you believe that?” My mother butts in.

“That’s easy to do, I basically did that myself,” my dad says not lifting his head from looking at the menu.

I ignore him and smile awkwardly at my mom.

Dinner doesn’t change my dad’s mood any, he continues with the small comments and gives me no time of day. Conversation with him was pointless, but my mom did what she could to get him involved.

At the end of the night, we all stand outside the restaurant.

“I’m glad we could be at the same table again.” My mom says, wrapping her arm through Dad's facing me.

He’s stoic, but he reaches his hand across to me.

I look at it, he wants me to shake his hand.