She ate in silence, her mind busy plotting ways to help her best friend, paying no attention at all to Celeste’s troubles.
Celeste, on the other hand, barely touched her food.
She’d assumed that with Professor Penn speaking up for her, Jamison would show some respect, let her stay at the hospital, maybe just transfer her to another
department.
She never expected him to be so resolute, refusing to budge even for Professor Penn’s sake.
The more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. Tears welled up, and she could only lower her head so no one would see.
Professor Penn noticed and asked gently, “Celeste, why aren’t you eating? You work so hard, never have regular meals–and today, for once, we can sit and have a quiet dinner together. Eat a little more, won’t you?”
Celeste didn’t dare look up, worried her tear–streaked face would make her look even more pitiful. She just nodded, pushing plain rice around her plate.
Watching her student like this, Professor Penn’s heart ached. She braced herself and turned to Jamison again, “Jamison, is there really no room for compromise
here?”
Jamison understood Professor Penn’s predicament. After a moment’s thought, he laid it out plainly, “Ms. Penn, I’m asking her to leave the hospital for her own good. Only by cutting ties–by not seeing me anymore–can she start to move on.”
The words hung heavily in the air. Even Ivy, focused on her meal, couldn’t help but
frown.
To say something like that right in front of Celeste–well, it was harsh.
But maybe a clean break was better than dragging things out. At least this way, Celeste wouldn’t keep clinging to false hope, wasting her best years.
Professor Penn hadn’t expected Jamison to be so blunt. For a moment, she was at
a loss for words.
They all fell silent, eating in an uneasy quiet.
It wasn’t long before Jamison’s phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID–it was the hospital. A knot of worry tightened in his chest.
Sure enough, after he answered, his face changed. He stood abruptly. “Mr. Wilson, Ms. Penn, I have to get back. There’s a patient in critical condition after surgery–severe rejection, they’re trying to stabilize him.”
“Go, go! Saving lives comes first!” Dr. Wilson urged him on.
Jamison turned to Ivy, but before he could speak, she said, “I’ll come with you.”
Truth was, she barely knew anyone else here, and staying would just be awkward.
He nodded, relieved she wouldn’t be left alone, and waited for her to get up.
“Ms. Penn, we’ll head out. Dinner’s on me tonight, and next time, I’ll bring Ivy over to visit you at home.”
With that, Jamison and Ivy hurried out.
Once they left the private room, Ivy nudged him. “Go on, hurry. I’ll settle the bill.”
Jamison looked back, concern in his voice, “You barely ate at lunch–are you sure you’ll be alright?”
She waved him off. “I’m not a child, I won’t starve. Go! They need you.”
Still, she felt a pang, knowing he’d skipped lunch and now had to rush straight back to work.
“Alright. I’ll call when things calm down. Don’t go back to campus tonight–I’ll take you in the morning.”
“Okay.”
She watched him stride away, then made her way downstairs at a more leisurely pace, paid at the front desk, and finally left.
Back in the private room, only the Wilsons and Celeste remained.
With Jamison and Ivy gone, Professor Penn actually felt more at ease.
She looked at Celeste, hesitating for a moment before speaking, her voice full of guilt. “Celeste, if I hadn’t introduced you to Jamison back then, none of this would’ve happened…”
“Don’t blame yourself, Ms. Penn,” Celeste said quietly. “I liked Jamison long before you set us up. You meant well, and I’m grateful. I just… wasn’t good enough for him.” For all her confidence in life, when it came to love, Celeste couldn’t help
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feeling small.