General Fiction posted January 3, 2017 |
The story continues.
Paradise. Part 3.
by Heather Knight
THE STORY SO FAR: After her husband is killed in a car crash, Heather decides to start afresh with her children.
Two days after the funeral, I went back to work. I needed to get out of the house and do normal stuff.
I promised the children I would be back home for dinner and I would cook something we all liked.
'You can't cook,' Emma said, laughing.
'I bet you'll be late,' Josh Jr added. He was not laughing. Whenever he talked to me, it was to say something mean. He was angry at the world, but mainly angry at me.
Iris just rolled her eyes and didn't say anything.
I drove the kids to school and then continued on my own to the hospital. It was around eight thirty and the traffic was heavy. I turned on the CD player and a song started playing. It was The Corrs, one of Josh's favorite bands. He must have been listening to it the last time he used the small car. I thought I had been doing well, but just a little thing like that and I was crying so hard I couldn't see the road.
When I finally got to work, Minnie was behind the reception desk, a desperate look on her face.
'You're late,' she said, glaring at me accusingly.
Apparently, all the other doctors were busy and a lady had just been brought in with stab wounds to the abdomen.
I changed into my scrubs and went in to examine her. The moment I saw her, I was about to throw up.
'You didn't tell me she was pregnant!' I said to Minnie.
'Sorry, I'm so stressed today that I forgot.'
Three hours later, we were able to sit down to drink some tea. I told Minnie what I was planning and her initial reaction wasn't as supportive as I was expecting.
'What are you, nuts?'
'No, I think it'll be best for all of us.'
'Have you told the kids?'
'No, and I want it to be a secret for the time being.'
'But... you're happy here.'
'I was. New York reminds me of him constantly. And ER medicine is not for me anymore. You saw me with that lady before. I'm not as strong as I used to be.'
'So when will you tell them?'
'As soon as I've found a job and a house.'
That very evening, after a not very successful dinner, I locked myself in my room and joined several online job agencies. Writing my resume again felt strange.
When I finished, I closed my laptop and went to check on the kids.
'Time to go to bed, Josh.'
'Five minutes,' he said hiding behind his Kindle.
Iris was listening to music. I gave her a kiss and told her to go to sleep soon.
'Yes, Mum. Just one more song.'
Then I went to Emma's room. She had fallen asleep on the carpet while playing with her Sylvanian families. I picked her up and carried her to her bed.
'I love you, Mummy,' she said and went back to sleep. I stood there for a while, looking at her lovely little face and thinking of how unfair life was. Emma was only five and had already lost her dad.
Finding a job as a general practitioner was easier than I had thought. Three days later, I got a call on my mobile from a doctor who was looking for a partner. Apparently he had too much work and, in his own words, he was getting on in years.
We agreed to speak on the phone when the children were at school. The conversation was a success. Dr Westmore and I liked each other instantly.
'So how soon would you be able to move here?'
Here was Willowville, Ohio.
'Soon. How about two weeks? That way I'll have time to tell the children and take care of a few things.'
'You haven't told your kids yet?'
'No. And I'm not looking forward to it.'
As soon as I hung up, I started looking for a house online. I felt daring and adventurous. I'd never done anything so daft in my entire life.
A couple of days later, I had found a house I thought would be perfect for us. It was twice as big as our New York home and a lot cheaper. The garden was beautiful and full of trees and flowers. I might even buy the children the dog they had always wanted.
Now, only the last step of the process was left. I had to speak to the children.
So after dinner on the day I made an offer on the house, I said, 'We need to talk.'
Three pairs of eyes fixed themselves on me all at once.
'I've decided we are going to move.'
'Move? What do you mean move?' Iris asked.
'I've bought a house in Ohio. We're moving in two weeks.'
'But all my friends live in New York, Mum! I can't leave.'
Emma just stared at me as if I had suddenly grown horns.
'Have you finally lost it or what?' Josh Jr shouted. He got up and left the room. A moment later I heard the front door slam.
'Well, that went well,' I said to myself.
THE STORY SO FAR: After her husband is killed in a car crash, Heather decides to start afresh with her children.
Two days after the funeral, I went back to work. I needed to get out of the house and do normal stuff.
I promised the children I would be back home for dinner and I would cook something we all liked.
'You can't cook,' Emma said, laughing.
'I bet you'll be late,' Josh Jr added. He was not laughing. Whenever he talked to me, it was to say something mean. He was angry at the world, but mainly angry at me.
Iris just rolled her eyes and didn't say anything.
I drove the kids to school and then continued on my own to the hospital. It was around eight thirty and the traffic was heavy. I turned on the CD player and a song started playing. It was The Corrs, one of Josh's favorite bands. He must have been listening to it the last time he used the small car. I thought I had been doing well, but just a little thing like that and I was crying so hard I couldn't see the road.
When I finally got to work, Minnie was behind the reception desk, a desperate look on her face.
'You're late,' she said, glaring at me accusingly.
Apparently, all the other doctors were busy and a lady had just been brought in with stab wounds to the abdomen.
I changed into my scrubs and went in to examine her. The moment I saw her, I was about to throw up.
'You didn't tell me she was pregnant!' I said to Minnie.
'Sorry, I'm so stressed today that I forgot.'
Three hours later, we were able to sit down to drink some tea. I told Minnie what I was planning and her initial reaction wasn't as supportive as I was expecting.
'What are you, nuts?'
'No, I think it'll be best for all of us.'
'Have you told the kids?'
'No, and I want it to be a secret for the time being.'
'But... you're happy here.'
'I was. New York reminds me of him constantly. And ER medicine is not for me anymore. You saw me with that lady before. I'm not as strong as I used to be.'
'So when will you tell them?'
'As soon as I've found a job and a house.'
That very evening, after a not very successful dinner, I locked myself in my room and joined several online job agencies. Writing my resume again felt strange.
When I finished, I closed my laptop and went to check on the kids.
'Time to go to bed, Josh.'
'Five minutes,' he said hiding behind his Kindle.
Iris was listening to music. I gave her a kiss and told her to go to sleep soon.
'Yes, Mum. Just one more song.'
Then I went to Emma's room. She had fallen asleep on the carpet while playing with her Sylvanian families. I picked her up and carried her to her bed.
'I love you, Mummy,' she said and went back to sleep. I stood there for a while, looking at her lovely little face and thinking of how unfair life was. Emma was only five and had already lost her dad.
Finding a job as a general practitioner was easier than I had thought. Three days later, I got a call on my mobile from a doctor who was looking for a partner. Apparently he had too much work and, in his own words, he was getting on in years.
We agreed to speak on the phone when the children were at school. The conversation was a success. Dr Westmore and I liked each other instantly.
'So how soon would you be able to move here?'
Here was Willowville, Ohio.
'Soon. How about two weeks? That way I'll have time to tell the children and take care of a few things.'
'You haven't told your kids yet?'
'No. And I'm not looking forward to it.'
As soon as I hung up, I started looking for a house online. I felt daring and adventurous. I'd never done anything so daft in my entire life.
A couple of days later, I had found a house I thought would be perfect for us. It was twice as big as our New York home and a lot cheaper. The garden was beautiful and full of trees and flowers. I might even buy the children the dog they had always wanted.
Now, only the last step of the process was left. I had to speak to the children.
So after dinner on the day I made an offer on the house, I said, 'We need to talk.'
Three pairs of eyes fixed themselves on me all at once.
'I've decided we are going to move.'
'Move? What do you mean move?' Iris asked.
'I've bought a house in Ohio. We're moving in two weeks.'
'But all my friends live in New York, Mum! I can't leave.'
Emma just stared at me as if I had suddenly grown horns.
'Have you finally lost it or what?' Josh Jr shouted. He got up and left the room. A moment later I heard the front door slam.
'Well, that went well,' I said to myself.
Two days after the funeral, I went back to work. I needed to get out of the house and do normal stuff.
I promised the children I would be back home for dinner and I would cook something we all liked.
'You can't cook,' Emma said, laughing.
'I bet you'll be late,' Josh Jr added. He was not laughing. Whenever he talked to me, it was to say something mean. He was angry at the world, but mainly angry at me.
Iris just rolled her eyes and didn't say anything.
I drove the kids to school and then continued on my own to the hospital. It was around eight thirty and the traffic was heavy. I turned on the CD player and a song started playing. It was The Corrs, one of Josh's favorite bands. He must have been listening to it the last time he used the small car. I thought I had been doing well, but just a little thing like that and I was crying so hard I couldn't see the road.
When I finally got to work, Minnie was behind the reception desk, a desperate look on her face.
'You're late,' she said, glaring at me accusingly.
Apparently, all the other doctors were busy and a lady had just been brought in with stab wounds to the abdomen.
I changed into my scrubs and went in to examine her. The moment I saw her, I was about to throw up.
'You didn't tell me she was pregnant!' I said to Minnie.
'Sorry, I'm so stressed today that I forgot.'
Three hours later, we were able to sit down to drink some tea. I told Minnie what I was planning and her initial reaction wasn't as supportive as I was expecting.
'What are you, nuts?'
'No, I think it'll be best for all of us.'
'Have you told the kids?'
'No, and I want it to be a secret for the time being.'
'But... you're happy here.'
'I was. New York reminds me of him constantly. And ER medicine is not for me anymore. You saw me with that lady before. I'm not as strong as I used to be.'
'So when will you tell them?'
'As soon as I've found a job and a house.'
That very evening, after a not very successful dinner, I locked myself in my room and joined several online job agencies. Writing my resume again felt strange.
When I finished, I closed my laptop and went to check on the kids.
'Time to go to bed, Josh.'
'Five minutes,' he said hiding behind his Kindle.
Iris was listening to music. I gave her a kiss and told her to go to sleep soon.
'Yes, Mum. Just one more song.'
Then I went to Emma's room. She had fallen asleep on the carpet while playing with her Sylvanian families. I picked her up and carried her to her bed.
'I love you, Mummy,' she said and went back to sleep. I stood there for a while, looking at her lovely little face and thinking of how unfair life was. Emma was only five and had already lost her dad.
Finding a job as a general practitioner was easier than I had thought. Three days later, I got a call on my mobile from a doctor who was looking for a partner. Apparently he had too much work and, in his own words, he was getting on in years.
We agreed to speak on the phone when the children were at school. The conversation was a success. Dr Westmore and I liked each other instantly.
'So how soon would you be able to move here?'
Here was Willowville, Ohio.
'Soon. How about two weeks? That way I'll have time to tell the children and take care of a few things.'
'You haven't told your kids yet?'
'No. And I'm not looking forward to it.'
As soon as I hung up, I started looking for a house online. I felt daring and adventurous. I'd never done anything so daft in my entire life.
A couple of days later, I had found a house I thought would be perfect for us. It was twice as big as our New York home and a lot cheaper. The garden was beautiful and full of trees and flowers. I might even buy the children the dog they had always wanted.
Now, only the last step of the process was left. I had to speak to the children.
So after dinner on the day I made an offer on the house, I said, 'We need to talk.'
Three pairs of eyes fixed themselves on me all at once.
'I've decided we are going to move.'
'Move? What do you mean move?' Iris asked.
'I've bought a house in Ohio. We're moving in two weeks.'
'But all my friends live in New York, Mum! I can't leave.'
Emma just stared at me as if I had suddenly grown horns.
'Have you finally lost it or what?' Josh Jr shouted. He got up and left the room. A moment later I heard the front door slam.
'Well, that went well,' I said to myself.
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