An Engagement For Two

“I know it’s early,” Mikki allowed sympathetically. She was an early riser, but she knew a lot of people weren’t. “But it’s the only vacant time I have until the following day—”

“No, that’s fine, really,” Maizie assured her. “I was just making sure I heard you correctly.” She knew Jeff’s restaurant didn’t open until eleven so, technically, he was free at that time in the morning. And from what Theresa had told her about the young man, even if he wasn’t free, he would still make the appointment. “I’ll have to call and make sure that he can bring her,” she said, just so Mikki wouldn’t suspect anything. “Is it all right if I call you back?”

“Of course it’s all right,” Mikki responded. “By the way, my office is in the medical building across the street from Bedford Memorial.”

“I know,” Maizie replied. “Just like Nikki’s.”

“Right.” Mikki realized that of course Nikki’s mother would be aware of that. Only her own mother had no idea where she practiced and what hospital she was associated with, Mikki thought ruefully. “Except that Nikki’s office on the fifth floor. I’m on the third. Suite 310.”

Maizie had already done her homework, but to keep from arousing Mikki’s suspicions, she repeated, “Suite 310. Got it,” Maizie said. “I really appreciate this, Mikki. Or should I say Dr. McKenna?”

“For you I’ll always be Mikki,” Mikki told the older woman.

“Yes,” Maizie said warmly, “you will.” And with all her heart, she sincerely hoped that this match, like the others so far, would work out. Very few young women deserved to be happy as much as Mikki did. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Mikki.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Mrs. Sommers,” Mikki told her with genuine sincerity. “I’m a doctor. This is what I do.”

“You mean fit patients in at the last minute and come in to see them at hours that are way too early?” Maizie asked, amused. That wasn’t a doctor, Maizie thought. That was a saint.

“Perfect description of my life,” Mikki told her friend’s mother with a laugh.

Memories from bygone days when her daughter and Mikki were just starting out on their journey came flooding back to Maizie. She found herself growing nostalgic.

“We really need to get together at your earliest convenience, dear.”

“You’re not feeling well, either?” Mikki asked, concerned.

“Oh, no, I’m fine,” Maizie said quickly, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. “I just meant that I would love seeing you again. It’s been a while, you know.”

“Yes,” Mikki agreed. “It has.” And unlike her conversation with her mother a short while ago, Mikki found herself really wanting to get together with the woman on the other end of the call.

“Please call me the first moment you find time in that busy life of yours,” Maizie encouraged.

“I’ll be sure to do that. In the meantime, see if your friend can come in tomorrow morning. If he can’t, call me back and I’ll see what other arrangements I can make.”

“I will,” Maizie promised. “You were always one of the good ones, Mikki,” she added.

“Funny, that was always what I thought about you, too,” Mikki said before terminating the call.

The next second, her cell phone beeped again. “Dr. McKenna,” she answered.

“I know who you are, dear.” She closed her eyes. It was her mother again. “Have you had time to come to your senses about attending the party yet?”

“My senses are fine, Mother. And the answer is still no. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a patient to see,” she added quickly. “So goodbye again, Mother. Have fun at your party.”

With that, she ended a call from her mother for a second time and hurried off to her office in order to officially begin her day.

Chapter Three (#ud9ad6dfc-c045-5e53-bf8c-312562824536)

“I know you mean well, Jeffrey, but I don’t want to go to see any doctor,” Sophia Sabatino protested early the next morning.

The petite woman with salt-and-pepper hair was clearly in distress as she did her best to get her son to change his mind about “dragging” her off to some unknown doctor’s office.

Like his two siblings, Jeff loved his mother dearly, and he usually gave in to the diminutive martinet, but not this time. He had made up his mind. This was too important. His mother needed to see a doctor, and he was taking her to see one before it was too late.

“Sorry, Mom,” he told her. “I’m overriding you on this one.”

She looked at him in exasperation. “You’re taking advantage of the fact that I’m too weak to put up a good fight,” Sophia complained.

“Mom,” he said patiently, “try to understand. It’s because you’re feeling so weak that I’m taking you to the doctor.” Handing his mother her purse, he tried to get her ready to go with him.

Sophia defiantly dropped her purse to the floor. “I’m not going to see some quack and taking off all my clothes,” she declared. Lifting her small chin, she crossed her arms before her chest.

“This isn’t a quack—” Jeff began. This time, as he picked up the purse, he decided it was useless to return it to his mother. She’d only drop it again, so he slung the straps over his own shoulder.

“They’re all quacks,” Sophia informed him. “Your father, God rest his soul, thought all doctors walked on water, and look where it got him,” she pointed out. “Dead,” she declared when Jeff didn’t answer her.

With determination, Jeff took hold of his five-foot-one mother’s elbow and guided her out the front door. His goal was to get her to his car, which was parked in the driveway, as close to the front door as possible.

“They’re not all like that, Mother,” he said patiently. Bringing her to the passenger side, he held the door open for her. When she remained standing where she was, he very gently “helped” usher her into the seat. She remained sitting there like a statue, so he wound up having to strap her in before closing the passenger door.

Rounding the front of his car, he got in on the driver’s side as quickly as possible. Weak as she appeared to be, he wouldn’t put it past his mother to bolt from the car.

As he buckled up, then started the engine, his mother picked up the conversation as if there had been no long pause.

“Of course they’re all like that,” she insisted. “It’s all right, Jeffrey. Don’t trouble yourself about me. I’ve had a long, full life. I’m ready to go meet your father.”

“Well, you’re just going to have to postpone that meeting, Mom,” he told her firmly. “Tina, Robert and I aren’t ready for you to lie down and die just yet.”

“That is not your decision to make, Jeffrey,” Sophia sniffed.

“It’s not yours, either,” he countered. “Lying down and dying isn’t your style, Mom. You’ve still got years of nagging left to do.”

Sophia opened her mouth to protest his disrespectful attitude, but instead of words, she uttered a surprised gasp as a hot wave of pain washed right over her.

Torn between thinking his mother was resorting to even more theatrics and believing that she really was in acute pain, Jeff drove faster.

“Hang on, Mom,” he told her in the most calming voice he could summon. “It’s going to be all right. My old boss’s best friend’s daughter recommended this doctor,” he said, hoping that would give his mother some confidence.

Sophia’s breathing was labored, but she still managed to ask sarcastically, “Couldn’t find one on Doctors Are Us?”

It was more of a gasp than a question, and Jeff had to listen intently to make out what she was saying. He didn’t want her dismissing the doctor he was bringing her to before she even met her. “Mom, I’m serious. This is serious—”

“I know.” Pressing her hand against her abdomen, Sophia closed her eyes. “Which is why I just want to be left alone to die in peace, not have some wet-behind-the-ears would-be doctor try to earn back his entire medical school tuition by treating me and pretending he knows what he’d doing.”

“Mom—” Jeff’s voice grew sterner despite his concern about her condition “—you’re beginning to make no sense.” His mother grabbed his arm. Her long, thin fingers felt surprisingly strong as she clutched at him. “Mom?” Concerned, he spared her a glance as he made a right at the corner. The hospital and the adjacent medical building were just up ahead.

Jeff didn’t have to look closely to see the perspiration not just on his mother’s brow, but on the rest of her face, as well. She had to be reacting to the pain she was experiencing, because it wasn’t that warm a morning.