Morning Merlot

I had found this vintage, silk wrap dress at a secondhand store in Bloomington while I was visiting my sister at IU a few years ago but had never worn it. The silk was thin but not cheap. It draped, wrapped, and tapered at all the right places as if it had been custom made to fit me. The deep emerald jewel tone looked perfect on my tan skin, thanks to an impromptu girl’s weekend in Miami Beach. My hair, down for the first time in a long time, lay in long waves down my back. Even my winged eyeliner was flawless. I couldn’t help but smile at myself in the mirror and hope he was as pleased with what he saw as I was. He had sent me flowers to work today…okay to my house, but I was working. The card said “Wear something nice. See you at 7:30 p.m. ~K” Naturally, I watched 50 Shades of Grey while I was getting ready.

I was in the closet trying to decide between the nude or gold heels when I heard the text notification. I froze instantly. He had cancelled a date before, and I had given him another chance. If he cancels on me after I shaved EVERYTHING, got my nails done, and did my hair, he’s getting blocked. I walked to my bed with one heel on and one off and instantly felt better because it was my sister! She must be calling so she can see my outfit. I immediately facetimed her without even reading her text, so I was really confused when her husband picked up.

“Jeremy? Where is Bri?” I asked.

“Ally, Bri had an accident. We are at NW hospital. She’s in surgery.”

“I’m on my way.” I said as I grabbed my keys, purse, and coat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was signing into the guest station when I realized it was after 7:00 p.m.

“IDIOT!” I said louder than I meant to.

“Excuse me?” the receptionist chirpped.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Me, not you.”

She just rolled her eyes and walked into a room behind her that had what appeared to be endless filing cabinets.

I was running down the hallway in Ugg boots and this vintage Marilyn Monroe-esque dress making that “swish-swish” sound that all puffer jackets make. As I got to the elevator, I am tussling with my coat trying to get my phone out of my pocket, and I didn’t notice the other person in the elevator. I was hoping to make this up to K because I was canceling so late. I decided to facetime him instead of text.

I pulled up my front facing camera.

“GOD!” I said out loud, not meaning to.

“Whatever” I mumbled as I hit FaceTime on his contact. “Please don’t hate me” I whispered out loud.

As I’m holding my phone at the perfect angle while also trying to get any kind of lighting in this dim elevator, I hear the other person’s phone begin to make the proverbial Facetime ring sound all of us Apple lovers know. I was thinking in my head what a coincidence it was when Kellan answered. Thank You Jesus I screamed in my head! He was smiling that slow, smirky, good ol' midwestern boy smile.

“I’m so sor—” I began and realized I could hear my voice echoing. I turned to look at the person I was in the elevator with and a familiar face looked back at me with that same slow, smirky, good ol' midwestern boy smile.

“OH MY GOD!!!” I yelled dramatically and long tossed my phone at him. How had he known my sister was here? Why was he in this elevator? Was he stalking me? Damn it! I really liked this one.

“Did you come to meet me here?” he asked looking confused.

“Meet you? We said meet at the restaurant. Why would I meet you at a hospital?” I whizzed the questions at him like grenades.

“I’m guessing you didn’t see my text then? He asked cautiously.

“What?” I asked as I bent down to retrieve my phone off the ground. “My sister was in a car accident. Why are you here though?” I asked squinting my eyes a little.

He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me, so I opened his message.

“ Ally. We had an emergency at work. I will be about 30 minutes late to dinner. A bottle of Merlot will be waiting for you when you arrive, and I will be there shortly. Please forgive me. I will make it up to you.”

I pretended it took longer to read the message than it actually did. I was feeling so awkward and had no idea what to say.

“Did someone at your work get hurt?” I asked quietly without looking at him.

“You could say that. Where did you say your sister was?” he asked.

“They said trauma unit. That’s all I know.” My voice cracking.

“I’ll take you. Come with me.” He grabbed my hand just as the elevator doors opened and he led me down three long hallways, past radiology equipment sitting in hallways, waiting areas with solemn families, to a waiting area titled “Trauma Lounge Area”.

“How do you know this hospital so well?” I asked giving him the side eye. He was about to answer when a really pretty nurse with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes exclaims “Dr. Ross!!! I’ve never seen you out of your scrubs! What are you doing over here in trauma in your street clothes?”

Doctor????? He’s a doctor??? He had nothing but fishing pics on his profile. I watched as he stood taller and his voice was more predictable. He excused her and told her he would see her next week.

“Wait here for a second” he said, before he disappeared.

This didn’t seem like one of the normal waiting rooms. The chairs were nicer. There was a big TV on the wall but only one and there was a real Keurig machine with all the flavored creamers unlike the other waiting areas I’ve been in with just those nasty half and half creamers. Who uses half and half?? Jesus, Ally get it together please. How did you not know he was a doctor? You are really slipping in your old age. Crazy how 29 is old.

“Ally, this is Dr. Brennan, he is over your sister’s surgery. He is going to give you an update.” K said.

“Miss…Ally is it? Your sister was in a head-on collision. She is in surgery to reconstruct several bones in her face and leg. She has some lacerations on her liver and a collapsed lung. We still have several hours of surgery remaining, but we have stopped her bleeding. That is good news. We will update your family if anything changes.” He said and swiftly walked back through the swinging doors, his gown flowing behind him.

I turned to K and asked, “where is the rest of my family?”

“I’ve asked the staff to bring them back here. This is the doctor’s lounge area for trauma. They will be here shortly.” He said as he gathered a blanket and pillow out of a basket.

It had been quiet for what seemed like a while when I couldn’t take it anymore and had to break the silence, “What kind of doctor are you?”

“Oncologist” he said more quietly than I expected.

I didn’t say anything for a long time and then I felt the tears rolling down my cheek when I said “my dad died of cancer when I was 14. His oncologist still calls my mom on his birthday” I said to no one in particular.

“My father died when I was 17. And my mother when I was 23. Both from cancer.” He spoke softly.

We sat there silently for a few minutes, both knowing that we were going through that memory reel that plays when we think about that person. Just then, my mom and my sister’s husband walked into the lounge.

My mom looked like she had been crying non-stop. Her mascara was running all the way to her neck and her hair was stuck to something that looked a lot like snot on the side of her face. But I hugged her hard anyway. Jeremy hugged me and began telling me what the surgeon had already said, but I let him tell me anyway.

“Please, make yourself comfortable. Have anything in the refrigerator. There are pillows and blankets in that closet” he says as he turns and points.

I could see my mom trying to get my attention so she could not-so-nonchalantly ask who he is. I ignored her efforts.

“Ally, I will be back later to check on you guys.” K said as I watched his eyes soften when he looked at me. He turned and left the lounge.

Immediately, my mom was literally breathing on me. “Mom…can you not?” I said annoyed.

“Ally!!! Who is that man?” she was practically twisting herself inside out. My sister had been married for almost 10 years. They met in 7th grade. Fell in love in 10th grade and have been together ever sense. My mother thinks I’m a relationship leaper.

“Mom, I met him on a dating app. I don’t know him very well.” I responded.

“Ally, he has a hospital badge on his belt. Is he a doctor?” she asked excitedly.

“Mom! God. Can you just focus on Bri?” I was pretending to be annoyed.

“Well, he reminds me of your father.” She chuckled.

“You literally don’t know anything about him. He said 5 words around you mom. Have you been drinking?” I whined as I threw myself into one of those oversized, leather recliners.

“Okay Allison Jolie. Whatever you say.” She always called me by my whole name when she was trying to shut me down.

I must have fallen asleep, along with my mom and Jeremy, because it was the sound of Jeremy snoring that woke me up. I sat up slowly in the now darkened room. Wondering what time it was and how long my sister had been in surgery.

“Are you hungry?’ he whispered.

I startled at his voice but knew immediately it was him. I could smell the cedarwood and orange peel in his soap now that I could not smell before. He was sitting right next to me. Was he watching me sleep??

“I should probably eat. What time is it?” I asked as stretched.

“10:30 p.m.” he answered. “Would you like to have a later dinner with me while we wait for the surgeon?” he had turned towards me now and I could see flecks of gold in his brown eyes.

“Yes” I replied a little more meekly than I had intended. There was something about his calmness that calmed me.

He held my hand as he walked me down a hallway to a room marked occupied. It was a cozy room with a couch, a kitchenette, and a table. On the table was a dozen purple roses, two covered plates, and a bottle of merlot. He had ordered two meals from the restaurant we were supposed to go to. He even ordered dessert. We talked. About everything from religion to politics to which Batman was the best. We talked until the surgeon told us my sister’s surgery had been a success and that she was stable and being moved to recovery. When my mother and brother-in-law went home to get some rest, I stayed. We talked so much it took us until 4:30 a.m. to finish the last sips of that bottle of Merlot. My sister got to meet him when she woke up in recovery.

It is now 11:00 a.m. I am home in my bed. I have been up for well over 24 hours now, but I can’t get the taste of that merlot off my lips.