“But just last night you were talking about retiring!” I exclaim. Then I feel guilty. I can’t be the reason he doesn’t.
“Yes. And I still will…but you can rent the place from me and take on my clients who don’t require the care of a psychiatrist, and you’ll have the practice you’ve always dreamed of.” He smiles. “You won’t offend me if you say no. But I don’t have any children to take it over and I know you love it here and I want to give you an opportunity to stay.” He pats my hand, and I am so touched.
“If I say no, what will you do with it?” I ask, genuinely curious. Knowing his plans will help me decide what to do.
“Well, I own the building, so I suppose I’d just sell it,” he says, leaning back in his chair and loosely crossing his arms. “I have to fix up the office space to sell it regardless, but if you want it, when you’re ready to start your own practice, you can buy or lease it from me.” He smiles and his eyes are so kind. I trust him.
“Wow, Dr. Stevens, that’s…that’s just so nice.” I wipe a stray tear that has fallen from my eyes.
“You don’t have to give me an answer now… Can you let me know by the Fourth of July?” He asks.
I nod my head vigorously. “Yes. Definitely yes. I promise to think about it.” I stand up and walk over to hug him, taking him by surprise. I came to this appointment feeling so lost, with the fear that I’d have to leave Cape May and start over somewhere new again. I have been worried about my career options for weeks, and I don’t have to anymore. Now I have two possibilities for moving forward and I can’t help but feel hopeful for the future, with or without Liam.
* * *
When I get home,I find Ellie cooking lunch for Lucy. Lucy is happy in the highchair watching a toddler show, and Ellie seems happier than I have ever seen her as she hums along and sashays around the kitchen.
“I’m back!” I call, coming through the front door.
“Oh good! You can have some lunch with me.” She grins over her shoulder as she reaches for some plates. “How are you doing, dear?”
I walk to the fridge and get myself a cold water bottle and then plop into a kitchen chair. “It’s beautiful out there today,” I say, breathlessly.
“And how was your appointment?” Ellie asks, setting a turkey sandwich in front of me.
“Thank you,” I smile, picking it up and taking a bite. “It was good, I think. Dr. Stevens offered me a place to come and work with him.”
“Ah,” Ellie nods as if she already knew. “He told me he was going to do that.” She reaches for my hand. “I want you to know, you can stay here as long as you like.”
I meet her eyes and cover her hand with my own. “Thank you. I told him I need to think about it. I love it here but…Liam.” I sigh. I find it difficult to finish the sentence and the emotion must be written all over my face.
“Oh…yes. I understand. You will figure it out. Things always work out in the end.” She nods and scoots her chair up to the table to eat her sandwich.
“I don’t know,” I say quietly.
“You two looked pretty cozy last night,” she teases. “Maybe there’s hope.”
I laugh and nudge her with my foot. “We looked cozy? I’d say you and Dr. Stevens looked pretty cozy yourselves,” I tease.
Ellie’s expression changes from coy to pure happiness, smiling so broadly her eyes crinkle. “You know what? We are. Robert has been my friend for years and that’s all it’s ever been. But lately, I don’t know. We’re both alone, and I think we’re seeing that it is possible to have two great loves in your life. One in your youth and then maybe if you’re lucky, you find it again.”
“Oh, Ellie! I love this for you,” I say, grabbing her hand and squeezing. “I hope I find love again one day too.”
“You will, Sophie. Who could not love you?” She looks at me with such sincerity that I almost believe her but then doubt creeps back in.
“Well, I could think of a few people,” I say wryly.
“The problem with Liam isn’t that he doesn’t love you. The poor boy doesn’t know how to love himself. He’s an eighteen-year-old kid stuck in a forty-year-old’s body.” Ellie looks wistful. “I’m sure you have figured out by now that Liam has never gotten over losing Cara.”
I blow out a breath. “Well, unfortunately, two broken people probably don’t belong together,” I say, moving to clear my plate and pick up Lucy.
“Or… they could heal each other,” Ellie says.
I don’t know what to say to that, so I change the subject. “I’ve got Lucy for a little bit if you want a break. I thought maybe we could take a walk downtown.”
Ellie shoos me away with a smile. I get Lucy in the stroller and start a slow-paced walk under the shade of the trees across the street. I started this morning not knowing what was next for me, and I am going to end the day with a few different possibilities.
I try to imagine taking Liam out of the equation entirely. Where would I want to be? I still think that Cape May is the place for me. Then again, maybe I should go home. My family is there—Dad, Carol, Simon, Laura, and the twins. I miss them so much. My friends are there too, albeit, I haven’t heard from them much. Maybe they feel stuck in the middle of my divorce. Claire immediately took my side, but I don’t think the others knew what to do. Still, the idea of going home is comforting, even though I run the risk of running into James and Brittany. I would have a new job, one that would challenge me in different ways. Not my own business, but professional development just the same.
