Hey guys-- my first thread messed up, so I'm praying that this one doesn't follow in it's footsteps. *Crosses fingers* Please comment!! =) -Bri
Skylar
Prologue
“God Allison, you can take one night off to see me.” Nick’s tone sounded annoyed and I knew it was because of me, but I couldn’t blame him. This was the third date I’d had to cancel; the third time he’d been in town without me seeing him.
I twisted a lock of hair around my hand, the blonde contrasting with the tan I had developed during my week at the beach during spring break, while stepping out of the way as Julie passed, carrying a lethargic beagle that she had finished drawing blood from. “I’m sorry.” I tried to sound honest, but I could tell by the confused look she shot me that I had let a note of anger creep in.
“Well we’ll just try next time won’t we?” I bit my lip. Wow, he sounded angry. I felt awful, as I realized how much I missed my boyfriend. Trust me, dating Nick Jonas sounds glamorous, but never getting to see him stinks. We’d developed sort of a system: I’d call him during my lunch hour, the one time he usually had free, and we’d catch each other up on our lives. But of course, nothing’s perfect and our relationship seemed like it was doomed to crash and burn. We were supposed to meet up that night, to plan our three-year-anniversary, but I hadn’t been able to wiggle out of being on call.
“I’m really sorry Nick. I wanted to come.” Closing my eyes, I tried to picture him: Curly brown hair, dark brown eyes that made most girls melt(me included), his slender 6’ 2” frame, the smell that was simply…Nick.
“Allie.” My name cut through my thoughts as I realized he was trying to get my attention.
“Yeah.” Julie glanced up at my sharp tone, a worried look on her face. Her lab coat was spattered with a dark stain and she cursed quietly, tugging it off and scrubbing at it, the action distracting her from our conversation.
Nick sighed. “Look, since you’re on call tonight, I’ll just see if we have some free time tomorrow.”
An impulse came over me- the mental dare exhilarating me. “Just…come on over tonight Nick. I’ll pick on dinner on my way home from the university” –I was in my junior year at North Carolina State University Vet School and although Nick always supported me, my numerous classes made it hard to see him when he was in town and even harder to fly out to wherever they happened to be.
“See you tonight.” The sudden silence in my ear made me jump and glare at the cell phone I held that was flashing “lost call”. Of course.
I entered my apartment, finding Nick there, curled up on the couch, reading “To Kill A Mockingbird”, the TV on in the background. “Hey.”
He glanced up from the book, eyes lighting up as he saw me. “Allie!” He was across the room before I could even muster a greeting, setting the take-out bags on the counter before pulling me into his arms. “How was school today?” He was torturing me, being so close as every nerve on my body stood on end.
“Getting better.” He kissed me quickly and then let go, turning to the Chinese on the counter. As he tore into the bags I scoffed and pulled out plates and forks, handing a serving spoon to my boyfriend before he could dig in with his bare hands. “I’ve been replaced by food.”
Nick shook his head vigorously, his mouth full of chicken. “Nope.” He announced before swallowing. “Sesame chicken doesn’t kiss as well as you do.”
I laughed and smacked his arm with my fork before digging in to the plate in front of me. “How long are you here for?”
“Just until tomorrow.” The conversation continued, evolving into debates over music and books; discussions of my studies and a play-by-play of their most recent tour.
The night ended all too quickly for the both of us and Nick was pulling on his jacket as I cleaned up from our supper. “I don’t want you to go.” I complained from where I was washing dishes.
“I know.” Nick agreed, drying off the last plate and putting it up for me. As he turned to face me, his eyes ran over my clothes and he smirked. “You’re still in your work clothes.”
I glanced down, blushing as I realized he was right, my lab coat sporting several stains and my khakis showing all too clearly where several cats had tried to sink their claws into my leg. “You like?” I spun in place, his gaze on me. I thought nothing of it until he looked at me. His eyes blazed with a sudden emotion that I struggled to name and he stepped forward, pulling me to face him, his callused hands on my shoulders.
“What” –my words were cut off as his mouth descended over mine, passion pulsing through the simple touch. He pushed me against the wall, the force shaking the college diploma that hung a few feet away. We were both out of control and we knew it- but neither of us cared, consenting and in a backwards sort of way, agreeing, to what consequences could follow the path we were on. His nimble hands pushed my dark blue lab coat to the floor, his fingers brushing the medical emblem on the front as it landed with a soft ‘thud’ on the carpet beneath our feet. My hands twined in his long curls, my index finger pulling one taut against his cheek as my fingertips lightly brushed the curve of his ear. He moaned lightly into my mouth and all was lost.
“Okay” –Nick sounded mad as I clutched the phone closer- “Not only are you breaking up with me, you’re doing a REALLY bad job.”
I was close to tears, my hand resting on my stomach- the bump from my –our- baby barely visible through my coat, the wind blowing my hair back as I walked across the campus. “I’m really sorry, but the separation…you just have to trust me.”
Five Years Later
“Mommy!” Skylar called, wandering into the back of the clinic, pausing to give a hug to Amy, one of the other vets that worked in the practice alongside me. “Mommy, where are you?”
“Kiddo!” My assistant, Terra, distracted my daughter momentarily as she waved her over to help. “Here.” Terra handed Skylar the kitten she held. “Go see what she weighs.”
“3 and a half pounds!” Skylar called proudly from the baby scale that rested beside the oxygen cage. It was then that I decided to make my presence known as I looked up from the patient history I was reading.
“Skylark!” From my seat in the surgery room, my files spread out in front of me as I documented the day’s efforts, I could only see the light brown hair that crowned my daughter’s head, and her little hand as she reached up and waved.
One of the other vets, Julie, my roommate in college and best friend now ran the practice with me, walked through the surgery room, followed by her assistant, Steven. “Hey Allie.” She swiped one of the folders that I had lying out. “You took my file for the Ledbetter cat.”
I shot her an innocent smile. “Sorry Jules.”
“You’re just glad because it’s one less file to go through.” Julie reached across me to grab a pen, scribbling down a few key notes before she forgot them.
“Aunt Julie!” Skylar held up the kitten Terra had handed her. “Terra says to give her a shot of glucose.”
“How much does she weigh?” Julie motioned for Skylar to set the small form on the table as I cleared a spot for the tiny animal. Skylar held the kitten in place as she slid the fluid into the tiny vein in the kitten’s leg as it yowled, causing Skylar to clap a free hand to her ear, pressing her shoulder against the other one to block out the sound.
Skylar yawned, hugging me tightly after Julie had relieved her of the cat, taking it in the other room to run some tests confirming the suspected hypoglycemia. “I missed you today.” My daughter reassured me.
I pretended to be mad at her. “And you left this morning when I needed your help!”
Skylar fixed me with an annoyed stare, a small smile twitching on her lips, the only signal that she was kidding. “Mommy, you’re the one who told me to go play with Adri.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, knowing she was right. Earlier that morning, one of my friends had invited Skylar to spend the day with her, knowing that since Skylar was homeschooled, her days at the clinic were ones that she would happily miss. Don’t get me wrong, Skylar adored being around all the animals and helping Julie, Amy and me, but 9-hour days for a 5-year-old every week was pushing it.
“I’m going to go help Amy.” Skylar wiggled out of my grasp, setting off to tour the small building in search for something to do.
Later that night, as we were driving home to eat and change before going back, since I was on call, Skylar spoke up from the backseat, her little voice floating up to me. “Mommy, why aren’t you married like Adri?”
We’d had many conversations relating to this subject, but I had refused to answer any direct questions, including her favorite: “who’s my daddy?” I didn’t want to hide anything from my daughter, but some wounds are best left unopened. I hadn’t had any contact with Nick since we had broken up, over five years before and I secretly planned to leave it that way. The Jonas Brothers had done well, their following three albums all going gold, two going platinum, the success sparking several world-wide tours and many awards. They’d performed on TV countless times and had even gone so far as to release several movies—instant box-office hits incase you were wondering.
“Mommy?” I was startled out of my thoughts by my daughter’s curious face looking at me in the rear-view mirror. “Why?”
I took a deep breath, sighing as I pulled into our driveway, turning to look at Skylar once the car was stopped. “I just never found the right person, Sky.” Skylar looked confused for a split second, but shrugged it off. “Come on.” I helped her climb out of the car and we went inside, my mind whirring with memories.
