She found her husband in the cafeteria near the coffee vending machine, waiting for his cup to fill. He saw her coming and offered the cup to her. Elena was more than happy to take it.
“How’s she doing?” Bobby asked.
“Should be fine,” Elena said, still frustrated at the doctor’s arrogant response to Lacey’s condition.
Bobby pressed the buttons for another cup of coffee for himself. “She’s lucky someone called 911 when they did. Are you gonna be home tonight?”
She shook her head and gave a familiar guess again look at Bobby. “Maribel’s decided it’s time for the flu, so I’m working a double.”
She thought of Rafael and Michael and wished she could check on them before going to bed tonight. Elena didn’t know what they’d do without the assistance of her mother, who ended up spending more time with her sons than she did.
“Again?” Bobby asked.
“Hey, you’re the one always saying we need extra money.”
The gray was starting to show on her husband’s hair even though he was only in his mid-thirties. She wondered if it was simply due to age or whether it was stress. Elena knew from other EMTs that the job easily led to burnout. That or worse.
“No,” Bobby said. “I’m the one saying we should spend less so we don’t need the extra money.”
“Good luck.”
She took a sip of her coffee and knew the clock was ticking for her to get back to her shift and her patients. There was always a sense of urgency for her at the hospital, and somehow that dark and restless cloud had managed to hover over all other aspects of her life as well. Parenting, marriage, her emotional well-being, the tiny spiritual life she tried to have. Everything felt urgent and Elena felt in control of none of it.
“How’s Prince Charming?”
Elena smiled. “Oh, he’s his wonderful self.”
They often spoke about Dr. Farell since both of them knew him and his inflated ego.
“He with you all night?”
She tightened her lips and nodded with glaring eyes. She took another sip of coffee and then gave it back to her husband.
“I gotta run.”
“I’ll see you later,” Bobby said.
She gave him a peck on the cheek and then headed back to the ER.
Things could be worse. She could be here alone trying to figure out what to do with her life. Or she could be working here while her husband traveled the country or spent his hours in some office building somewhere. Even though their paths might not even cross during the day—Bobby’s days as a paramedic were always different—they still lived in the same universe. Small moments like this, even though they might be short and trivial, were still something. Just like the passing moments she had with her nine-year-old and seven-year-old sons.
Elena was trying to force herself to appreciate the small things in life simply because the big things always seemed to pass her by. Men like Dr. Farell lived in a world full of grandiosity. Elena and Bobby were swimming with the unimpressive. And that was okay because at least they had each other to swim alongside.
Even that’s started to change lately.
She swallowed the thought as quickly as she had the coffee. As she walked in the hallways, she passed a nurse guiding a woman with a young girl. She went to pick up a clipboard, curious to see what their story was. The mother and daughter looked like they could use some help. And Heaven forbid Prince Charming offer them any. Hopefully the ladies would be spared from that doctor and his smile and false charm.
Hopefully Elena would be, too, for the rest of the night.