The Doctor's Surprise Family by Layla Valentine

Author:Layla Valentine [Valentine, Layla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

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Icouldn’t get over how smart Oli was.

I guessed I must’ve been smart at his age, but nowhere near that smart. The kid was amazing. He could read like a pro, even the big words, like concentrate on his juice box. He wanted to know why his juice had to concentrate, and all I could think was how’s he so smart? How was he so smart and cool and amazing, and good with his hands, and sweet as pie?

“He must get it from you,” I said, when Oli ran off. “His brains, I mean.”

Claire shook her head, but I could see she was proud. “I see my dad in him sometimes, his artistic side.”

“He’s artistic as well?” My heart swelled with pride. “He should be in one of those programs, those schools, you know? A baby genius academy.”

Claire laughed at that. “All parents think that about their own kids.”

“But Oli’s, like, special. What three-year-old can read concentrate all by himself?”

“I could, for one. Mom’s a great teacher.”

“Still, I don’t know. He’s just so… so…”

Oli came charging back with a Scrabble Junior set. “Mom! Can we play?”

Claire covered a yawn. “Sure. But one game, okay? Mommy’s brain’s fried.”

Oli set out the board and shook up the pieces. We all drew our starter tiles and Oli took his turn. Claire went next, still yawning, and dabbed at her eyes. She was yawning so hard it was making her cry, and I wondered when she’d last had a good sleep. First year was rough on any resident, not just the hours, but the pressure. The stakes. My first surgery, all I did was hold a retractor, and I still nearly puked from the adrenaline crash. I had a full sobbing meltdown in the on-call room, then I spent six hours stitching up pig feet. The only thought in my head was, I wasn’t ready. They’d let me out of med school unfinished. Untrained. Unprepared for the grind of the trauma OR. I nearly caved from the stress, and I was just me. Claire had Oli to think about, his life in her hands. His whole life, as well, every peak, every valley. Not just a few hours in the OR.

“Mom went to sleep,” said Oli. “Mommy? Wake up.”

Claire did a cute half-snore, but didn’t wake up. Oli reached out to poke her, but I caught his hand.

“How about we let her sleep? We can play our game later.”

Oli’s face fell. “Can’t you and me just play? We only just started.”

I glanced over at Claire and tried to think how she’d handle this. At the aquarium, she’d offered him choices, penguins or Playland. A snack or the gift shop.

“Your mom says you’re an artist,” I said, feeling awkward. “Do you want to draw, maybe? Or make paper planes?”

“We can’t make paper planes,” he said. “Miss P says they’re dangerous.”

I wasn’t sure who Miss P was — some teacher, maybe — but she had a point. No paper planes. “So, would you draw me a picture?”

“A picture of what?”

“I don’t know, uh…” I tried to think.

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