One Hope {A Lachlan Fanfic}

Twenty Two

Lachlan opens the door and a cute couple, probably in their early fifties, stand there. "Hi mom, dad!" Lachlan says, hugging both of them.

"Hi dear." A feminine voice says.

"I'd like to introduce you guys to Caitlin, my friend that's been living with me for a few weeks." Lachlan says, gesturing to me.

I slightly blush as his mother, slightly smaller than me with mid length blonde hair and slight wrinkles on her face, looks at me. After a moment of taking me in, she smiles, and all the stress I've been holding slightly releases.

"Why hello dear." She says, coming near me for a hug. I hug her back and smile. Once we separate, I look to Lachlan's father, who is taller than Lachlan and also with blonde hair. His piercing blue eyes stare right into my soul, making shivers run down my back.

Guess Lachlan got his looks from his father, but his kindness from his mother.

"Please, ignore him. He can get a little... Weird at times." Mrs. Power says, making me slightly smile. I notice Mr. Power roll his eyes, but he doesn't say anything.

Lachlan, noticing my slight discomfort, speaks up. "Hey, dad. You want any help with the bags?"

"Sure." His deep voice responds, and the two walk out.

"Here, I'll help you, Mrs. Power." I turn back to her.

"Don't call me that, call me mom." She smiles.

"Alright." I slightly blush. "Mom." I grab her small carry on and take it up the stairs, leaving it just outside their bedroom door.

"Did you make dinner?" Lachlan's mother; I mean mom asks. I slightly smile to myself, but then my eyes become distant as I remember my own mother.

"Yes, I did." I respond, shaking away the memory and walking into the kitchen.

"It looks absolutely delicious." She says, causing me to smile again.

"Thank you."

In answer she smiles at me. "Lachlan's told me such good things about you."

"R-really?" I blush.

"Of course. And I can see that he wasn't exaggerating one bit." She sincerely says.

Just then, father and son walk into the room and I decide to prepare dinner. I grab four plates and put portions of the cheese rice broccoli chicken casserole on each plate. It's one of my favorite dishes.

Each of them grab their own and I grab mine as well, sitting next to Lachlan and across from his mother.
~
"Well, that was delicious, dear. Thank you." Lachlan's mother smiles at me.

"Yeah, thanks Cait." Lachlan adds.

"It was pretty good." His dad agrees, making me smile.

"Thank you." I reply, standing up and putting my plate in the sink, the others following suit. I smile, noticing that there aren't any leftovers.

Well, Lachlan normally eats a lot.

We all part our separate ways, and I walk up to my bedroom, sitting on my bed and taking everything in. I sigh, deciding to go on my laptop. I bring it back over to my bed and rest my back against my headboard, searching for places in our city.

Someone knocks on my door, and I set my laptop aside. "Come in."

Lachlan walks in, sitting next to me on my bed. "Hiya."

"Hey." I casually respond, grabbing my laptop again.

"Whatcha doing?" He asks, peering over my shoulder.

"Looking at places." I reply. After a few minutes of scrolling through, my eyes catch on one.

"Ooh! I like that one!" Lachlan points to the exact one I'm looking at.

"Really? Me too!" I respond, clicking on it. "It's a decently priced, regular sized apartment."

"We should check it out." Lachlan says, and I nod. Then, a thought suddenly reaches me.

How will I be able to pay for all this?

I internally groan, knowing that I will have to find a job soon.
~
Lachlan leaves a few hours later, and I look at the nearest hospitals' website. They pay decently for doctors and the hospitality is supposed to be nice. I smile, deciding to check it out in the morning.
~

I wake up at 10 and make a bowl of cereal, getting changed into jeans and a purple blouse with black strings. I put my hair into a high ponytail and curl it, then put on some eyeliner and Chapstick, pop some gum in my mouth, and take Lachlan's car into the city. I look at my resume quickly, hoping it will be enough.

"Hello, I'd like to apply for a job here?" I ask the lady at the front desk.

She looks up, raises her brow and nods. "I'll notify the boss."

I nod and sit down on a nearby bench. A few minutes later, the lady waves to me, and I return to her. "Room 143, on your left." She says.

"Thank you." I reply, holding my resume tightly to my chest and walking to the room. I take a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in." A deep masculine voice says, and I open the door.

"Good morning, sir." I say to the black haired man before me.

"Good morning to you too. Please, take a seat." He says, motioning to a seat across from him. I sit down and place my resume before him. He picks it up and looks through it, nodding to himself. I gulp as he closes it and looks at me. "I see you're experienced."

"A little. I just got out of college two months ago, sir." I reply.

"That's good. We could always use somebody like you. However, you would not be able to go straight to a doctor. You would have to work as a paramedic for at least two years." He says, and I nod. "So, what is your purpose in life?" He asks, and I internally giggle at the deep question.

"To help as many people as I can, sir."

"Good answer." He responds, slightly smiling. "About how long have you been practicing doctoring?"

"At least seven years, sir."

"Alright. I think that's good." He says, and my eyebrows slightly widen in surprise. "I can see the fire and passion in your eyes. You've got the job." He says, and I smile.

"Thank you, sir."

"I will send you your schedule, along with your uniform and partners name, in exactly two days. I expect you to start working in six."

"Yes sir; and thank you for this opportunity." I respond, shaking his hand and walking out the door. I smile to myself, hugging my resume and walking back to the car.  I decide to go to Starbucks, grabbing a frappé, and sit down at a nearby table while reading a book.

"Aiming to be a doctor?" A voice asks, causing me to look up. It's a man who looks to be in his late twenties, early thirties, with brown hair and green eyes.

"Yep." I respond, putting the book down.

"Mind if I take a seat?" He asks.

"No, not at all." I respond, smiling.

He sits down across from me. "I'm Jacob Carls, but you can just call me Jake."

"Caitlin." I reply. "Are you interested in becoming a doctor?" I ask.

"Not really. I'm actually an ambulance driver, and I'd rather it stayed that way. I like to be the first one on the scene to offer immediate assistance." He responds.

"Oh, really?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"I'm aiming to be one of the best doctors around!" I reply, smiling. "And I'll be starting with being a paramedic."

He smiles. "Well, I hope to see you around."

"Same to you." I reply, waving as he stands up and walks away.

What a nice guy.