“Are you sure?” Joshua asked, the concern in his voice palpable.
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s been great being back here.” She brushed off his concerns before diverting the conversation. “What about you? How have you been? I don’t get to speak with you often, and I worry about you.”
“I’m fine, Grandma. Don’t worry too much. I don’t want that to affect your health. I’m taking care of myself,” he reassured her.
“You know I will always worry about you, sweetie. Even if you weren’t always in constant danger because of your job, I’d still worry about you. That’s what grandmas do,” Beverly said.
There was a short pause before he replied, “I know.”
She smiled sadly, knowing he understood her reasons for worrying so much.
“So we didn’t get to talk much the last time I saw you. Have you met anyone yet? You know I’m not getting any younger. I would love to have some more grandchildren to dote on.”
His chuckle rang through the receiver, warming her heart at the lightheartedness of it. It brought a smile to her own lips.
“I’m not currently dating anyone, Grandma, but I promise after this deployment, I’ll start looking and get you those grandbabies to keep you occupied,” he spoke affectionately.
“I’d love that,” Beverly breathed out with hope. “Maybe I could start looking for you. There should be a lot of wonderful young ladies here in Oak Harbor,” she offered.
“No. That’s fine, Grandma,” he refused. “I want to do this the old-fashioned way.”
“Okay. If you say so,” she acquiesced even though, in her mind, she was already actively making plans on how to find a nice young lady for him. She loved her grandson very much because he was all she had, and she, too, was all he had. After his mother and father, her son, died in a car accident when he was just twelve, she and Troy, as the only known relatives, had been his parents. While grieving for their only son, they still ensured that they filled Joshua with the love and care he needed at that time. There had been some trying moments, but in the end, he had turned out great, and she was very proud of him.
“I wish I could see your face right now,” she spoke longingly.
Joshua chuckled again. “But you can. All you need is a phone or laptop that can make video calls.”
“You know I am not…what do they say? Technologically savvy to get into those things,” she reasoned.
“Grandma, it’s simple. You don’t have to be a pro at it. You just need to know how to answer the call and turn your camera on, and you’re all set. People much older than you are doing it.”
“Oh. So now you’re calling me old? Is that it?” She feigned offense.
“Never. You’ll always be young to me,” Joshua promised. “My beautiful, sweet sixteen Grandma.”
Beverly felt her cheeks warm over, and her lips lifted into a smile.
“I gotta go, but I love you, Grandma.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Keep safe.”
“I will,” he answered before disconnecting the call.
Beverly sighed and made her way back to the kitchen and her breakfast. When she was finished, she cleaned up and did some light dusting. An hour before her appointment, she got her purse and made her way to the front door and down the porch steps before lifting herself into the driver’s seat of her old pickup truck.
As she drove out of her housing scheme on SE Glencoe Street, she made her way onto SE Ely Street and SE Pioneer Way. Taking time to admire the scenery, she reminisced about spending her holidays here with her grandparents until her late teens. Those had been some fun times, especially getting the opportunity to go boating with her grandfather in Deception Pass to the southern waters of Puget Sound. She was treated to a 360-degree view of the natural, untouched beauty of all the landforms along the northwestern coast of Washington. She was especially mesmerized by the mountain ranges, some demonstrating the greenness of their flora and some completely painted white by the snow lying heavily on them.
Even though much of the green areas that she remembered running around and through as a child had disappeared to make room for the development of the town, she still had those views to rely on, as well as the state park’s untouched beauty, flourishing with various species of plants and animals. She was sure this was what kept the tourists coming back to the island. It was also why she had chosen to settle here after Troy's death.
A deep frown moved over her face when she drove into the mini-shopping complex and realized there wasn’t a spot to park by the doctor’s office. Eventually, she found a spot by the bank across from the doctor’s office and parked her car. She highlighted from the vehicle and made her way over to her appointment.
A small brunette woman behind a reception desk looked up as she stepped through the door. Bev noted quite a few people were already seated off to the side. She smiled politely at those who looked in her direction before turning her attention back to the receptionist and approaching her.
“Good morning. Welcome to Right Care Medical. I’m Jessica. How may I help you?” the woman greeted with a broad, friendly smile.
Bev returned her greeting with a smile of her own. “Good morning. My name is Beverly Barton. I have an appointment.”
“Let me see here.” The woman picked up a tablet and dragged her index finger across the screen. She typed something on the device and then scrolled. “Yes. Mrs. Barton. You should be seeing Dr. Panton,” she confirmed before her face took on an apologetic look. “Unfortunately, one of our doctors could not make it in, and Dr. Panton has been seeing a few of those patients who would have made appointments for that doctor, so she is overrun with patients. Your wait time will be a bit later than the scheduled one. Is that okay?”
