Love on Chesapeake Bay (BWWM)

Epilogue

3 years later...

Kayla sat up in Jack's bed, looking through flashcards while Jack laid beside her in his plaid pajama pants, reading this month's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

He glanced over at her, smiling at the way her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. It was the night before Kayla was to sit for step two of her USMLE exam and she was trying to get some last minute studying in, despite Jack's advice to just relax and get a good night's sleep. Kayla was more than prepared - after going over thousands of hypothetical case scenarios, Jack had full confidence that she would pass with flying colors.

"You feeling ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'm going to be," she sighed, setting her cards on the nightstand.

"Have you started thinking about where you want to do your surgical residency?"

"Well I have to pass first."

"You're going to kill it," Jack said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You ever think about choosing Hopkins?"

"Of course I've thought about it. But if I did there's a possibility that I'd be one of your interns..."

"I'd love to have you. You're the best - we could really use a sharp mind like yours."

"I am not the best. Besides, don't you think that might be a conflict of interest?" She smirked, pulling the journal out of his hand and climbing on top of him.

"What conflict of interest?" Jack teased, pulling her in to kiss her passionately.

Kayla felt him growing beneath her and she knew what he wanted. She lifted her shirt above her head while grinding slowly against him. Jack unclasped her bra. "I love you, Kayla," he whispered against her lips before trailing kisses down her neck. "I love you too, Jack," she smiled, letting her head fall back.

Suddenly the door flung wide open. "Where are you Jack-Jack?" sung the high-pitched voice of a woman. "Oh God, oopsie," she gasped at the sight of the two in bed.

"Fuck, Leah!" Jack shouted. Kayla jumped off of him and grabbed the sheets to cover herself.

"I'll just be in the kitchen," the woman said, backing out of the room.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know she was in town," Jack apologized, getting out of bed.

"You go ahead, I'm going to get dressed," Kayla said.

Though she'd spoken to Jack's family over the phone she had yet to meet any of them in person, and she was feeling nervous and embarrassed at the first impression she'd just made. She scanned the room looking for something decent to wear. Her scrubs were bundled in the corner and she typically wore Jack's T-shirts when she stayed over at his place. Well this was a predicament...

Jack sat down at the counter, watching Leah rummage through his fridge, helping herself to an apple.

"Make yourself at home," Jack said, sarcastically.

"Don't mind if I do. I hope you don't mind me crashing here for a few days because well, I'll be crashing here for a few days," Leah said, taking a bite of the apple. "First order of business, you need to stock your fridge. I mean really, Jack... do you even eat?"

"What are you doing here Leah?" Jack asked, jokes aside.

"I know you didn't think you were going to propose without me meeting your future fiancée first," she smiled sweetly. "Sorry by the way, about interrupting your uh... happy fun time."

"Shh," Jack hushed her. "She's in the other room."

"Mom and I discussed it. We thought it was only right that I come."

"Of course you did. And of course neither of you thought to run it by me."

"Can I see the ring?" Leah grinned, leaning over the counter.

Jack rolled his eyes at her. He went over to the bookshelf and pulled out a ring box from behind a copy of Brave New World. He walked back to Leah and handed it to her.

"Wow," she said, gazing at the ring in awe. "You really outdid yourself, Jack-Jack."

"You think she'll like it?" Jack asked.

At that moment the bedroom door swung open. Leah snapped the ring box shut as Kayla walked out in Jack's oversized Harvard t-shirt and basketball shorts that she had to hold up to keep at her waist.

"Hi, Leah, nice to see you," she smiled.

"Hey, Kayla," Leah said, holding the box in her hand behind her back. "How've you been?"