Chapter 24 Four months
LIANA
Fourteen months, that's how long it has been.
Liam turned one last Tuesday, and the week before that, I'd sat in the kitchen with Chloe, attempting to frost a cake.
At that moment the only thought that rested in my head was the fact that a year ago, I was seated in the hospital bed not knowing what came next.
A lot came next, as it turned out.
Standing before the mirror and adjusting the collar of my pink blazer, I realized a lot has actually changed, I've grown so much too.
I don't know if it was the childbirth or something else, but I did know that my style in outfits changed.
“You're starting to dress like the personality you embody, and honestly I'm loving it!” Chloe's voice rang through my head as I glanced at the standing mirror for the umpteenth time.
It was still quite difficult to recognize the woman in the mirror. She was wearing a pink blazer, fitted trousers and heels that were professional yet very comfortable.
Her hair was done, her nails were polished.
Two years ago, if you had merely shown me the image of this woman, leaving out all of her achievements, and as much as told me I'd be her.
The universe knows I'd have sworn you're telling a lie.
But evidence does not need to make any noise, does it?
I made the decision to live a long time ago and now, I'm deliberately living, growing and thriving so the D’Arden's have nothing to hold against us.
In the last months, Dr. Lane has been nothing short of a mother, although my own blood relatives wouldn't care if I live or died.
She was there, and still is there, willing to walk every step with me, holding my hands too, when the need arises.
Indeed, it isn't the swelling on one's stomach that makes a mother.
Satisfied with how I looked, I picked up my bag from the side stool where it was resting, and walked out of the room, not heading downstairs yet.
But to go check on Liam first.
I met him at the dinning, being fed breakfast by the maid Felicity assigned to him.
“Mama” he stuttered, raising his tiny arms to me.
I took him from her arms, planting kisses all over his face. “Baby”
He giggled, wrapping his arms tightly around me.
“I'll be back early today, alright.” I said, still holding him, as though I was confident he could hear me, and comprehend what I was saying. “We need to do a lot of catching up.”
“Have a nice day ma'am.” His nanny said as I handed him back to her.
“You too.” I replied. “And… Please take care of him.”
She gave me one weird expression then chuckled. “It's what I'm paid to do ma'am,”
“I know.” I laughed, picking up my bag again. “I just thought to reiterate, not a bad idea right?”
“Not at all, ma'am.” She replied, and I nodded, waving at Liam, I walked out of the mansion and into a busy day.
The first patient I had to deal with was seeing me for a pretty sensitive matter, and it's why I asked that she be scheduled to be the first person I meet up with.
At first I battled with the idea of making her the last patient, when my desk is already cleared, so I have the whole time to attend to her.
But again.
Why not attend to her first, before the day's activities wear me out.
I spent approximately two hours on that consultation, it was pretty exhausting that for a moment I almost cleared my schedule for the rest of the day.
She had been to three hospitals before, and each gave her a different result.
Not different in a good way, more like each result was worse than the previous one.
After taking down her symptoms and having a long conversation with her, I sent her to the lab and requested that her results be sent to me directly.
That way I can be sure it's not infiltrated.
When she left, I took a deep breath, wondering why and how three different hospitals had three different test results for the same person.
Did she perhaps get into somebody's black book and the person was trying to teach her a lesson, or was hers one of those special cases?
My phone rang, vibrating against the desk.
“Who could that be?” I mumbled, knowing that I wasn't expecting anyone or anything.
I picked the phone, and checking the caller ID, a smile broke out of my lips.
“Dr. Korran”
I answered the call, remembering that we were supposed to meet and discuss over a cup of coffee and it totally skipped my mind.
“Good Morning sir,”
“Morning Liana.” He replied. “Are you seated already?”
“Yes sir.”
He was silent for a while. “Do you have any patients?”
“I just finished one consultation.” I replied. “Any problem?”
I pictured him shaking his head once, then mumbling a “no”
“Alright then, I'd have requested you come to my office, but I think we'd speak better in your office.” He replied.
“Over the coffee?” I asked, trying to be sure.
“Of course, except you'd prefer the cafeteria.”
His voice echoed, and I realized that I wasn't just hearing it over the phone, but he was already close to my office.
“May I come in?”
My heart beat accelerated, as I straightened. “Of course.”
He walked in, then sat down across from me, before ending the call. “Good Morning Liana,”
“Good Morning Dr. Korran,” I replied, still not used to the first name basis.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “I thought it was Aiden, what's with the Dr. Korran you've been calling me since forever?”
My face reddened in embarrassment and I looked away. “I don't know..”
He shook his head, and another knock sounded against the door.
“Come in.” He said, and I raised an eyebrow, suddenly wondering if the office now belonged to me and him.
A lady whom I recognized to be one of the women working in the cafe across the hospital walked in with a tray.
“Good morning ma'am,” she greeted, and walked in fully. “Dr. Korran, here's the coffee you requested for.”
She dropped it and left, we sat in silence for a while, with me wondering what it was he wanted to talk about, and praying deep down that it wasn't what I was thinking.
He cleared his throat, “Liana, there's something I've always wanted to talk to you about.”
Okay, here goes nothing…