scared to death! And knowing that you hadn’t planned on doing what you did today and just had to throw it together—mighty impressive, Nick. Mighty impressive. I find myself being drawn toward you, and that just doesn’t happen to me.”
“Look, Shel, I, I …” Nick was at a loss for words. She decided to
rescue him.
“When you lost your brother, I lost Kristen. When they wheeled me out of that hospital, I looked back to the room I had just left and I knew Kristen was in there. I saw the lights flashing, the chaos— after all these years and all I’ve seen in my work, that one image still haunts me. I was young but knew what had happened. I carried the anger of a trapped animal for years, all the while knowing if I could break free from this memory of Kristen’s death, maybe I could still make a difference for other Kristens. So I made a pledge that I would avenge her death, and I thought being a doctor would do that.”
She sipped her wine, then dabbed her lips, staring back into
Nick’s eyes.
“But it didn’t. I can’t get retribution for her death. Who do I go after? God? I just wanted to make a difference. I just didn’t want Kristen’s life and her struggles to be forgotten. I know it may sound weird to you or others that even though I only knew her a short time, there was a connection between us. It’s hard for me to explain. But it’s there. Like you. I’ve only known you for a month and it seems so much longer. There was a reason for Kristen and me to be together in 1972. In the grand scheme of things, I believe we all have a purpose. There’s a reason you’re here.” She paused again. “And there is a reason I am not sitting right next to you,” she added quietly, finally looking away.
Nick rose from his chair and sat next to Shelly. “When was the last time you allowed anyone to get close to you, other than Doc Wall?”
“A long time ago.”
“Look, Shel, you’ve been doing your part to be everything for those kids and there is nothing wrong with that. But I am here to fight with you. Maybe it’s time you let that guard down and realize I’ve seen the struggles you’ve dealt with. And like you, I don’t back down from a fight. I can tell you one thing—you’re the real thing. Your beauty is not only on the outside, but on the inside. You were