Back To You

Cant Wait Forever

Over the next few days, I felt like I was starting to pick up where I'd left off before heading off to the military. Life in Charming was slowly becoming familiar again, and I owed it to everyone that was still around when I came back. The club, Gemma, Renae, and Polo had all played their part in making my transition back smoother than I expected, as they all welcomed me warmly, and treated me as if no time had passed between us. Knowing that I still had them  was what helped me get through the awkwardness of returning to a town that felt both the same and different at the same time.

Despite the sense of comfort they had given me, there was still one person that I hadn't run into yet... Eli. That was one reunion that I was dreading, because I wasn't sure how either of us would react, given the way things were left between us. I was still holding onto the anger from our last encounter in the courthouse, so I didn't know if it would all spill over when we crossed paths again... and I knew we would eventually. As small as Charming is.

But I couldn't focus on that today. Not on the day of my interview at St. Thomas, where I was currently. I was a ball of nerves as I sat across from Margaret Murphy, the hospital's administrator, watching her flip through my resume. She was an older, sweet lady, with short red hair. She was sharp though... all business, as she was quick to point out my military service.

"I see here that you're currently enlisted in the Army reserves. You've served two years as a field medic, as well as a frontline soldier in the afghan war." She tapped the page, and looked up at me with a smile. "That's impressive, Ms. Roosevelt! You've seen more action than most of our staff combined, and I think we could really use someone with your experience here at St. Thomas. Especially in the E.R."

"Thank you! E.R sounds perfect for me, as I tend to work well under pressure." I told her, and she nodded.

"Oh, believe me, I don't doubt that for a second." She paused, looking down at my resume again before looking back up at me. "We'd like to offer you the position. It's a part time position so you'll be working day shift from 8am to 6pm, four days in a row, three days off. That way you'll have plenty of flexibility to work around your military obligations. Does that work for you?" She asked, and I nodded eagerly, as my heart leaped at the fact that I got the job.

"That works out perfectly!"

"Great! The position starts this coming Monday. I'll be emailing you your onboarding information, and paperwork that you'll need to complete and send in, in a timely manner." I nodded as a smile spread across her face. "Welcome to St. Thomas." She added, standing up and extending her hand. I stood up, thanked her, and shook her hand firmly, before leaving the office feeling optimistic.

Once I got home, I changed out of my professional interview outfit, and into a pink cropped windbreaker, black leggings, and my New Balance 9060s... and decided to go for a little jog. The weather was perfect for it, cool enough to be comfortable, but with just enough sun peeking through the clouds to warm me up. After about thirty minutes, I found myself at the park, slowing down when I realized my shoelace had come untied.

I got down to tie it, when the rhythmic sound of a basketball bouncing caught my attention. I looked up, and that's when I saw someone dribbling alone at the basketball court. I squinted for a moment and that's when I realized who it was... Tyree. He wasn't really playing, just shooting the ball lazily. I finished tying my shoe and stood up making my way over to the court. I reached him just as he made a bucket, and I started clapping.

"You're pretty good at this!" I called out, and his head snapped up at the sound of my voice. I watched as his face lit up, and in his excitement, he fumbled with the basketball.

"Crazy to think you could've been in the NBA by now if you hadn't dropped out to become a cop!" I teased as he let the ball bounce away, and rushed over to me.