Where You Are

Moncton

Birgitta

I was sitting in the nursing station one Friday afternoon, trying half-heartedly to catch up on my charting. I hated charting. I felt like I said the same things every day just slightly varied for every baby. Unless they were really sick, then it was even more time-consuming. My mind was drifting as well, back to my trip three weeks ago. It felt like forever since I'd last seen Jesse even though we had video called at least a dozen times since I came home. I knew he had a couple of days off now where I didn't, I was looking forward to calling him once I was done with work for the day.

My phone vibrated on the desk in front of me. Eager for the distraction, I reached for it and opened the new message.

It was from Petra. She'd added me on social media before I'd even returned from England during my visit. We'd chatted a few times, mostly just small talk. But she was putting in an effort to get to know me and I respected that, even liked what little I knew about her.
The first part of the message was a photo. My heart jumped when I realized it was Jesse, sitting in a pub with his friends, I recognized a couple of them in the frame from the rugby match. Jesse didn't look very happy, though. He had a half empty pint of beer and his phone in front of him and seemed to be staring at the glass without really seeing it. There was a written message next.

Petra: We all have bets on how long it's going to take him to ring you. It's absolutely pitiful.

I snorted and tapped out a reply.

Birgitta: Does he know this?

I set the phone down, but it was impossible to focus on charting now that I'd seen Jesse.

I'd shamelessly stared at the photo he'd sent me the night I returned to Moncton for probably hours. He hadn't had a shirt on in the picture, and there were a few more tattoos on his upper arms that I was dying to know about. One was a compass with a set of wings on either side on his right shoulder and the other was a large one of forest with a mountain range in the background on his other shoulder. I wish I knew they were there three weeks ago.

He had nicer muscles on his arms than he did on his legs. It was hard to tell whether or not he was intentionally flexing the for the picture. He had one hand behind his head and the other holding his phone to take the picture. He had a silly half smirk on his face and his bright blue eyes were sparkling. I was getting hot just thinking about the picture.

Petra: No 😆
Petra: I'm giving him ten minutes, tops.
Birgitta: I'm not off work for another hour if that changes things.
Birgitta: And he knows that.
Petra: Hmm... it might.

I smiled to myself and then looked around the unit quickly. Rosa was eating her supper in the break room and Ruby was helping a mother nurse her baby. Management had long since gone home for the day.

And, hell, I missed him, too.

I navigated over to Jesse's contact information and tapped the call icon.

'Hello? Birgitta?' The line only rang once before he answered it.

'Yeah,' I answered. 'I missed you, we're having a quiet moment and I couldn't wait until seven to talk to you.'

'Hang on,' he said. I could hear his friends taunting and teasing him in the background. 'Let me get somewhere quieter.'

'Okay,' I said.

'There, that's better,' he said after a few moments. 'How are you? How's work? How many babies do you have in?'

'Just five, same ones as yesterday,' I told him. 'I may have to let you go if something happens, I just wanted to hear your voice.'