Mom Left the Hospital, I Left My Girlfriend

Mom is hospitalized for 20 days with a serious illness. My girlfriend, Nicole Davis, works as a doctor at the same hospital. Still, she doesn't visit Mom at all. On the first day, Nicole takes time off to help her childhood friend, Kevin Shaw, move. On the second, Kevin starts interning at the hospital, so Nicole spends the entire day showing him the ropes and taking care of every little thing for him. The third day passes, then the fourth. Mom's room is on the 13th floor, while Nicole works on the 17th. They're only four floors apart, which means a ten-second elevator ride or a two-minute walk down the stairs. Still, 20 days pass without Nicole ever making it down those four floors. On the day Mom is discharged, I take her to the train station alone. While we're on the way, I finally receive a text from Nicole. "Kevin's dog is getting vaccinated today. I need to take it to the vet first." This time, I finally break my silence. "Okay, got it. Be safe." Then, I smile and add, "And one more thing. We're done." Chapter 1 I put my phone away and hugged Mom one last time. "Have a safe trip, Mom." I rested my head against her shoulder, so thin from her illness that I could feel the bones beneath her clothes, and my eyes began to burn. "Once I finish the paperwork for my resignation, I'll take the train home tomorrow. I'll stay with you from now on. I'm not leaving again." Mom paused. "What about Nicole? Aren't you two getting married?" Nicole Davis was my girlfriend, and one of the best internal medicine doctors at Aldora Medical Centre. We had been together for five years. I'd moved across most of Corvia for her and started over in Aldora so we could build a life together. But when Mom was hospitalized for 20 days and needed surgery for stomach cancer, Nicole never came to see her once. Mom had checked herself into a hospital in Aldora without telling me. When my aunt finally called me on the first day, I was out of town on a business trip. I had no choice but to call Nicole and ask her to look after Mom for a little while. I told her I'd head straight to the hospital the moment my meeting ended and take over from there. She was silent for several seconds after answering. Then, her voice came through the phone, cold and detached. "Kevin's moving today. I already took the day off to help him, so I can't make it to the hospital." With that, she ended the call. By the time I finally got away and rushed to the hospital, Mom had spent five hours sitting alone in the lobby because she couldn't figure out where she was supposed to check in. Her test results came back the next day. It was Stage 3 stomach cancer. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. Instead, I hid in the stairwell and cried where no one could see me. When I felt like I couldn't hold myself together anymore, I called Nicole and asked if she could sit with me for a while. She didn't even hesitate when she turned me down. "It's Kevin's first day as an intern at the hospital. I can't leave." Maybe she realized how bad that sounded, because she followed it with a few stiff words of reassurance. "Stage 3 stomach cancer has a 50% remission rate. A lot of patients live for another two to five years after they're diagnosed. Try not to worry so much." I froze. My lips trembled, but for a long time, I couldn't get a single word out. A lot of patients? But I only had one mom. We requested surgery on the third day, but it wasn't until the tenth that Mom was finally given a date. Every day we spent waiting felt unbearable. I begged Nicole more than a dozen times to see if there was anything she could do to get Mom in sooner. She refused every time. According to her, the fact that Mom was related to her made it even more important that she kept things strictly professional. Then, that same night, I went to the cafeteria to pick up dinner and overheard two nurses from Nicole's department talking in the elevator. "I swear, I have no idea what Dr. Davis sees in that new intern. He recognized one of the patients during rounds as someone he went to elementary school with, and she actually insisted on pushing back the stomach cancer surgery on the 13th floor until Wednesday. "Everyone here knows Dr. Casey operates on Wednesdays. He's getting older, and his hands aren't exactly steady anymore…" The memory cut off when a tear fell onto Mom's clothes. Her arms stiffened around me for a moment before relaxing again. Then, she stroked my hair with her rough, warm hand, deliberately keeping her voice light. "Don't cry, Mike." She gently wiped away my tears. "Things are going to get better." She was right. Mom had only ever had me. From now on, she was all I had, too. Chapter 2 Without Nicole in our lives, things would only get better for both of us. It was already 2:00 pm when I walked out of the train station. I'd broken up with Nicole over text an hour earlier. Five hours had passed since she'd promised to come with me to see Mom off. I was just about to hail a cab when Nicole called. "I just got back from the vet and saw your breakup text. What are you upset about this time?" she asked. This time. In Nicole's mind, I was always the one making a big deal out of nothing. Then again, that was how things had gone for years. I would stand there with red-rimmed eyes, waiting for some kind of explanation, only to be met with her indifference until I finally swallowed my hurt and gave in. Now, I shook my head and said nothing. "Michael Quinn, are you just not going to answer me now?" Nicole demanded, her tone laced with fury. "Where are you? What are you doing?" "The train station," I said. Nicole went quiet. It seemed she had finally remembered that she'd promised me three separate times today that she would see Mom before she left. "You... Tell Mrs. Quinn to wait for me. I'm on my way." She hung up before I could respond. Later, as I stood there watching the train carrying Mom disappear down the tracks, Nicole called again. "Michael, Kevin's dog is throwing up again. I need to get over there. Tell Mrs. Quinn I'm sorry. I'll go home with you next time and pay her a visit. I'll apologize to her in person then. I promise." I hummed in acknowledgment. Strangely enough, I wasn't disappointed. For the past six months, "next time" had become Nicole's favorite phrase. Next time, she wouldn't miss our date. Next time, she'd remember our anniversary. Even when I asked her to meet my family, the answer was always the same. "I'll make it next time." She knew I'd always forgiven her before. That was why hurting me had become so easy for her. But there wouldn't be a next time anymore. I was done with her, and I was going home. Leaving was much easier than I'd imagined. I ended my lease, packed my belongings, and resigned from my job, all in a single afternoon. And throughout the entire ordeal, Nicole never showed up. That night, my department threw me a farewell party. Lily Adams, the youngest intern there, hadn't even had a drink before her eyes turned red. "Michael, you better keep in touch after you leave. I'm really going to miss you." Even the coworker who had always been my biggest rival handed me a flash drive. "I've been collecting industry resources on my own for a while. Take them. They might come in handy." Then, my boss, whom we all jokingly called our corporate overlord, quietly handed me a bank card. She knew about Mom's condition, and her voice was unusually subdued. "There's 500,000 dollars on here. Everyone pitched in. Make sure Mrs. Quinn gets the best treatment you can find." I managed a quiet hum in acknowledgment, then stood and raised my glass. The tears came before I could stop them, dripping straight into my drink. All I could think about were the 20 days Nicole had failed to show up. Nicole and I had been together for five years. Mom's hospital room was on the 13th floor, while Nicole worked on the 17th. All it took was ten seconds in an elevator, or two minutes on the stairs. Yet, somehow, 20 days hadn't been enough for Nicole to make that trip. I'd only worked at my company for two years, and most of my coworkers and I weren't even particularly close. Still, the moment they found out I was quitting to go home and take care of Mom, they pooled together 500,000 dollars for her treatment. Meanwhile, Nicole hadn't even bought Mom a ten-dollar towel. My eyes stung again, but then I thought about the train ticket I'd already bought. Any lingering doubt I had about leaving disappeared. After a few rounds of drinks, I got up to pay the bill when Lily suddenly tugged on my sleeve. "Michael, look over there. Isn't that Dr. Davis?" I followed her gaze, and sure enough, it was Nicole. She was wearing a long purple dress, and beside her stood Kevin Shaw with a puppy in his arms. Nicole reached up and gently fixed his hair. Chapter 3 Nicole was also carrying a takeout bag in one hand. From the packaging, I recognized the restaurant's specialty—fish and chips. Several of her coworkers from the hospital were with them. Nicole had germaphobia, and she'd always claimed she couldn't stand anything that smelled remotely like fish. Earlier that year, Mom came to visit and brought southern fried fish from back home because she knew it was my favorite. The fish had been cut into small pieces and coated in flour, so it didn't smell fishy at all. Still, Nicole had lost her temper. Right in front of Mom, she'd thrown the entire thing into the trash and warned me, "If I ever see fish in this house again, we're done." Mom hadn't said a word. That night, she made up an excuse about needing to get home to take care of her vegetable patch and secretly bought herself a train ticket. On her way back, she even texted me. "Mike, did I make things difficult for you two?" The memory of how uncomfortable and out of place she'd looked that day made my chest ache. I closed my eyes briefly, then turned away. "No. You must've mistaken someone else for her." But in the next second, Nicole turned her head. Her eyes landed directly on me. After staring for a moment, she came over. "Why aren't you home? Did Mrs. Quinn already leave?" Mom had spent 20 days in the hospital, and this was the first time Nicole had bothered to ask about her. "Yeah. She's gone." I nodded without looking at her. "I wasn't trying to ditch you this afternoon. The vet was slammed, and I couldn't get away," she explained. I waved a server over and asked for the check. "I get it." "I took some time off," she said. "Once Kevin's dog is completely better, I'll go home with you." I stood and signaled to my coworkers that it was time to leave. "Don't bother." Nicole faltered. She looked at everyone at the table, and irritation crept into her voice. "Wait. Is this some kind of work dinner? Why didn't you tell me?" I froze. What was she mad about? Mom had spent 20 days in the hospital, and Nicole had been too busy with Kevin to visit even once. She had promised to see Mom off when she was discharged, only to disappear again because of Kevin. Even her supposed hatred of fish, something that had made Mom feel guilty for months, had apparently vanished when Kevin was involved. Yet, I hadn't invited Nicole to one dinner with my coworkers, and somehow she was the one who felt slighted. I slipped the bank card into my bag without looking at her. "I figured you were busy." Then, I glanced at Kevin, whose expression had already darkened. Flashing him a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes, I said, "Besides, Kevin's waiting for you." Nicole looked startled. She instinctively turned toward him and met his wounded expression. For a split second, she looked uncomfortable. "Kevin's parents are traveling overseas, so there's no one around to look after him. That's the only reason I brought him out to dinner. Don't overthink it." I nodded. "Trust me, I'm not." Then, I picked up my bag and looked at my coworkers. "You guys ready? Let's go." They immediately understood. Without acknowledging Nicole, they gathered around me and left with me. Even after we'd walked quite a distance, I could still feel her staring after us, confused. When I got home, I started packing. The matching outfits Nicole and I had bought together went straight into the trash as I tore up the couples' photos we'd taken at Christmas. Then, I pulled up every message we'd exchanged over the years and deleted all of them. I was almost finished when Nicole came home. I'd spent 20 days at the hospital with Mom, and Nicole hadn't come home once during that entire time. Now that I was about to leave, she finally showed up. She visibly froze when she spotted the torn pictures in the trash. Without even taking off her coat, she hurried into the bedroom. "Why did you rip up all our pictures?" she demanded. I didn't bother turning around. "They felt dated. I don't like them anymore." Nicole stared at me, clearly taken aback. She looked ready to say something, but then her gaze dropped to my open suitcase and her expression eased. "That's fine. We can take new ones. The vet said Kevin's dog still needs another checkup, though, so I won't have time to go anywhere with you for a while. I brought you something to eat. Have it before it gets cold." She placed a takeout container on the table. For a moment, I genuinely wondered whether I'd heard her right. Chapter 4 We'd been together for five years, and this was the first time Nicole had ever thought to bring me something to eat. Then, I opened the container and saw the stale fish and chips inside. Of course. Kevin probably hadn't finished it, and Nicole didn't want the food to go to waste. I was simply the most convenient person to dump his leftovers on. I looked at her without a word. "Oh, there's something else," she said. "Would you mind switching apartments with Kevin? His building doesn't allow dogs, and his landlord told him he has to move out right away. Finding another place would be a pain, and yours is the best option I could think of." There was an unusual hesitance in her expression as she spoke. A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I realized that even her leftovers came with a price. "Sure." I nodded calmly. I was going home anyway and had no intention of renewing the lease, so if Kevin wanted the apartment, he could have it. In fact, he could have Nicole along with it. "A-Are you really okay with that?" she asked. My immediate answer had clearly caught her off guard. Nicole stole several glances at me before she seemed unable to resist explaining herself. "Kevin's like a little brother to me. You're going to be family anyway, so helping him out shouldn't be a big deal." Then, she added, "And put off your trip tomorrow. Come home with me and meet my parents instead. You've wanted to get married for years, haven't you? We've been together for five years, so I think it's time." The longer she spoke, the more her expression softened. When she stepped closer as if to hug me, however, I raised a hand and stopped her. I wanted to tell her face-to-face that we were over. After all, this would probably be my last chance. But before I could say anything, her phone rang. It was Kevin. Nicole glanced at the screen and declined the call, only for him to call again a few seconds later. This time, Nicole hesitated and looked at me. "Answer it," I said as I met her eyes. "It might actually be important." Kevin's voice came through the phone, thick with tears. He said he'd fallen and needed her help. After hanging up, Nicole looked at me, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. "Um… Kevin had a little accident. He's home alone, so I might need to go over there." For once, she sounded as though she was asking for my approval rather than simply informing me of her decision. I swallowed the breakup speech that was already on the tip of my tongue, forced a smile, and nodded. "It's fine. Go." When she heard me, relief immediately crossed her face. She immediately got to her feet. Before leaving, she turned back to remind me, "Don't forget we're going to my parents' tomorrow. Make sure you're ready." A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In the end, she still hadn't given me the chance to break up with her in person. … The next morning, I finished packing and went straight to the train station. I followed the same route Mom had taken the day before and headed home. Just as I reached the gate, a message from Nicole popped up on my phone. "Sorry. Kevin sprained his ankle, and he asked me to take him home first. Just get a cab to my parents' place on your own, okay?" I'd already expected something like this. I sent her a curt response, scanned my ticket, and boarded the train. Meanwhile, Nicole put down her phone distractedly and drove to the location Kevin had sent her. When she pulled up outside the hotel, Kevin was already there with her parents, grinning from ear to ear. "Nicole, I ran into your mom and dad. Come on, let's grab a meal together." Kevin had one arm linked through Melinda's and reached out with the other to take Nicole's arm. She froze for a second, then immediately pulled away. "Michael and I are supposed to be meeting my parents today. What are you doing here?" She quickly pulled out her phone, then turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, Michael will be here any minute. He's my boyfriend, so don't let Kevin talk you into—" Her words suddenly died in her throat. The screen showed the replies I'd sent earlier. "You never bothered to meet my mom, so I don't see why I need to meet your parents. Oh, and Nicole, I quit my job. I'm going home, so let's break up."