Beating Heart •Luke Kuechly•

Chapter 28.

We were now back in North Carolina.  It was really nice being able to finally meet Luke's family and I really liked them.  Luke was at practice right now while I was at my parents home.  When we got home my mom cried happy tears that Luke found this new surgery for me and gave him a big hug.  It was really sweet.  

"Callie, I'm going to call Dr. Smith.  Do you want to listen?" My mom asked leaning against the door in my doorway.  

"Sure."

I get off my bed along with Bentley, our dog, and follow her downstairs.  Luke and I have been really working on our relationship.  Ever since both of said that we wanted our relationship to work out, we both have been making time for each other and have a date night.  We either go see a movie or to his house so that it's just us.  We also have been wanting time for us because my surgery is soon.  

We wouldn't really have any time for just us anymore because if I know my family like I think I do, then they will want to be by my side through it all.  

My mom's phone is ringing until it's suddenly picked up on the other end.  

"Hello?" A deep voice says.  

"Hi, is this Dr. Smith?" My mom asks.  

"Yes, this is.  Who is this?"

"This is Callie Ryan's mom, Nicole.  I sent you the email last week.  Callie's here too."

"Oh yeah, it's nice to talk to you both.  You know I was able to recognize her right away from the picture."

"Really?" I ask him through the speaker.

"Yeah.  If you have any questions about anything you can ask me."

"I was wondering for the surgery how would you do it?"  I ask.

"That's a great question.  What we would do is we go through your groin and put it in through that way.  The surgery would take around three-six hours.  Now you would probably need the big valve, which is a twenty-nine Sapien Edward's valve from looking at your charts over here."

"Wow, that's unbelievable.  You know her cardiologist that she had when she was little would get annoyed with me because I would keep asking him when he thought she would need the heart surgery.  He would just keep telling me to wait because the medical field is always changing," my mom told him.  

"Well we can't thank you enough Dr. Smith."

"It's my pleasure.  I'm looking forward to seeing you both in January."

"We are also.  Bye Dr. Smith."

"Bye."

"He seems really nice," I tell my mom.

"I think it's because he worked with kids before."

My mom goes into the kitchen and starts making dinner.  I decide to call Luke because I think he just got done with practice and I haven't talked to him in a couple of days.  Walking up to my room I dial his number from my cell phone.  

"Luke? Hey, did you just get done with practice?" I ask through the speaker on the phone.

"Yeah," he pants through the phone.  "I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tonight and maybe stay the night?"

I bite my lip.  I've never spent the night at his before or with any guy.  

"Luke, I don't know about spending the night."

"How about we see how the night goes?" He asks me.  

"Okay," I tell him as I let out a breath.