Page 78 of Highland Stars
“I focus when necessary, it’s the down time that has my mind elsewhere.” I take a sip of my juice and remember asking a patient to take off his shoes when he’d come in for stomach pain. “I’ll do better.”
“Good. When’s the next day you’re on?” Rory tosses his napkin onto his plate.
“I come in Sunday and do the overnight.”
“Ah, so you don’t get to take Makenna to the airport?”
“No, but Isla is going to take her. I’ll just have to tell her goodbye before I leave.”
“Och, pal, that stinks.” He stands and picks up his tray. I do the same. “Just make sure to give her a good smooching before you leave, and she’ll not forget ya.”
I hear raised voices inside my parent’s house as Makenna and I approach the door. Mam wanted to have a meal before Makenna left, and everyone, even Fiona, is inside.
“Wonder what’s going on,” Makenna whispers, as if they could somehow hear her through the door, over their own voices.
“No idea. We aren’t big arguers, but when we do, it usually gets loud.” I squeeze Makenna’s hand and open the door.
They don't notice us walking into the living room, they’re so engrossed in their argument.
“It rattles the walls, Da. That can't be good!” Ailsa says.
“Imagine being in there,” Ma adds.
“I don’t need somebody watching me sleep,” Da says. “I’d probably just lay there awake and it would all be a waste.”
“You should try, Da. Sleep apnea can cause problems if left untreated,” Isla says, the calmest of the bunch.
“You wait till Malcolm gets here, he’ll tell you,” Ailsa says.
I clear my throat, and as if each and every member of my family is controlled by the same marionette, they turn, register who’s at the door, drop their eyes to our joined hands, and rest their gazes on our faces again.
My sisters jump and cheer. Mam has the biggest smile combined with a I-knew-this-would-happen face. Da, and even my brother-in-law, James, look pleased.
“Oh, you guys are so cute!” Ailsa says. Isla, Fiona, and Mamnod.
“I hope at least one of your bairns has Makenna’s beautiful hair,” Mam says.
“And her eyes. I’d love to see a baby with those eyes,” Isla says. My first instinct is to tell them to slow down, but on second thought, I don’t mind hearing that, and if it puts visions of our babies in Makenna’s mind, all the better. I look over at her and find her face cherry red. I squeeze her hand and shrug.
“Now that you are romantically involved, you can’t keep staying in that house together. It’s too tempting, I remember those days.”
“Mam! Gross!” Ailsa complains.
“You can stay here, Makenna. We’d love to have you,” Mam says, ignoring Ailsa.
“Oh. Okay—” Makenna starts.
“That’s not necessary. She has her own room, and we’re adults, not teenagers. We have self-control and fully formed brains.”
“Malcolm, can you honestly tell me you’ve not thought you’d like to take her to bed?”
I glance at Makenna, and she looks like she’d like to crawl in a hole and die.
“I’ll stay here, thank you,” she says, face aflame.
“So, Da needs a sleep study?” I ask, steering us away from theothersubject.
Da looks completely annoyed. “They already made me an appointment.”
