Wednesday Walks & Wags. Melissa Storm
with a fake smile on her face and a large disposable coffee cup in each hand. She handed one to Bridget, then stood and led her back to one of the private exam rooms—the very same one where they had both met Samantha and Brownie the day before.
“Can we talk about what happened in here yesterday?” she asked, a concerned frown etching fine lines into her forehead.
Bridget wrapped both hands around her latte but found little warmth or comfort. She kept her eyes on her lap rather than raising them to meet her boss’s probing gaze. “What else needs to be said?”
“Are you okay?” She craned her neck in an effort to see Bridget’s hidden face.
I don’t want to talk about it, she wanted to scream. I don’t want a confrontation. Not today. Not ever.
Instead, Bridget forced a smile, nodded, and took a sip of her coffee. “I’m fine,” she insisted, failing to convince even herself.
“Are you, though?” Dr. Kate pressed. “I know it’s been hard since you lost your mom, but yesterday with Samantha and Brownie . . .” She sighed and changed tactics, since Bridget flatly refused to take this emotional path with her. “Can you even afford to pay for that medicine?”
“I’ll find a way,” she mumbled, then clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders. Yes, she’d done something impulsive, but that didn’t make it wrong. Bridget refused to feel bad about showing kindness to a stranger in need. “I’m not going back on my word to her.”
Dr. Kate ran an index finger along the raised lid of her cup and frowned. “I know you wouldn’t do that, but what happens when the next terminally ill pet comes into our office? Are you going to pay for its medicine, too? What about the one after that?”
“I don’t know,” Bridget mumbled. Dr. Kate was right, of course. She couldn’t save them all, no matter how much she wanted to. But did that mean she shouldn’t at least try?
“Is this what you still want, Bridget?” Her words came out soft but unrelenting. She wouldn’t let the subject go, not until Bridget gave her whatever she was looking for.
“Is what?” Bridget asked innocently. She hoped she’d misunderstood. This woman was not just her boss but her mentor, her friend. Had she given up on Bridget now?
Dr. Kate motioned around the office and sighed. “All of this, this job, this life. It tugs at your heart. Sometimes it hurts. That’s the sacrifice you make so that you can help those who aren’t beyond saving.”
“Are you saying I’m not tough enough?” She didn’t want to cry, couldn’t cry.
Dr. Kate sighed again. “Bridget, you have such a big heart, but it’s fragile, too. I don’t want to see this job break you. You’re still young, so really think about what you want out of life. You can still change your mind. Nobody will judge you.”
She sniffed but held her tears at bay. “Is this your way of firing me?”
“No, of course not. It’s just . . .” She stopped and took several long, slow sips of coffee before continuing. “I want what’s best for you. It may still be this, and honestly I hope it is. But you need to be honest with yourself, too. Can you promise me you’ll think about what I’ve said?”
Bridget nodded glumly. What else was there to say?
Dr. Kate placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I mean, really think about it. This is the rest of your life. You deserve to be happy.”
Bridget stood to leave. “Thank you for the coffee,” she said, then added after a slight pause, “and the advice. I’ll think about it.” She could tell that Dr. Kate wanted to hug her, but she drew back. A hug would be admitting weakness, defeat—and Bridget refused to do either.
Her boss took a step away, then nodded as if convincing herself of something rather than Bridget. “Good. Now why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Take a long weekend to relax so you can come back recharged and ready to go on Monday.”
Bridget was too exhausted to argue.
She needed the money from this job more than ever, but she couldn’t very easily handle any more heart-to-hearts with Dr. Kate, either. Where did that leave her? She lived and died with the future, and now suddenly her boss had hinted she might not have one. It was the worst news she could have gotten, because now new parts of her ached, parts that had felt strong and healthy before.
Not anymore.
Her mom had always encouraged her love of animals and her desire to become a veterinarian, and now that her mother was gone, it was more important than ever that Bridget follow through with the dream they’d both shared. Otherwise, how would her mother recognize her from Heaven?
After leaving the clinic, Bridget sat in her car, staring blankly through the windshield as people and animals moved in and out of the building. She didn’t want the day off but also knew she couldn’t argue with Dr. Kate on the point.
She wanted her routine. Craved it.
Some days it was the only thing that kept her going. She needed something or someone to help her get through the day. Her weekly volunteer shift at the shelter wasn’t until tomorrow, and she still had several hours before her nightly run with Wesley. Her father and friends would be at work until at least five that night.
Wait.
Amy didn’t work summers, thanks to her career as a second-grade teacher. And being the caretaker of their little friend group, Amy would jump at the chance to help Bridget through this latest setback. Bridget wanted to do it all herself, to throw herself into something that would keep her busy until Dr. Kate forgot her concerns and let her get back to work.... But today she needed a friend. She’d never get through the rest of it alone.
Can I come over? Bridget texted without getting into any of the details. Amy didn’t need to know them, and Bridget didn’t want to give them. She wished the conversation with Dr. Kate had never happened in the first place.
Thankfully, Amy’s response was almost instantaneous: Yeah, of course! See you soon!
There. Even if her job might not be a constant anymore, at least she knew her friendships were. She, Amy, Nichole, and Hazel had cried together, bled together, survived together.
This bump in the road didn’t have to send her veering off course—and it wouldn’t.
Chapter 11
The scent of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven greeted Bridget before Amy could fully open the door to welcome her inside. Funny how her friend’s house felt more like home than her own apartment.
“Just another few minutes on the cookies,” Amy promised as Bridget bent down to say hello to the animal welcome committee. Darwin wagged his tail slowly and let out that special howl that could only come from a beagle. Amy’s cat, Belle, approached slowly and then rubbed her side against Bridget’s leg while shaking her tail like a wiggling worm.
Bridget turned awkwardly toward her friend while continuing to lavish pets on the animals. “I only texted like twenty minutes ago. How could you possibly have cookies ready?”
Amy waved off the question with a laugh. “You know me. Baked goods are life.”
When Bridget raised herself back to full height, her friend’s expression became more tender. “And I know you. Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
Bridget held her breath as she thought about how much she wanted to reveal, finally settling on, “Rough day at work.”
Amy wrapped her in a hug and swayed them both side to side. “Those are the worst.” It looked as if she might ask for more details, but the oven timer saved Bridget from having to find out for sure.
“How’s the new place?” Amy asked while using a metal spatula to move half a dozen gooey cookies onto a pair of tea plates. She handed one