her key. Her mother never left the door unlocked, especially since they’d grown up in a less desirable location in the city. Although her mother’s house wasn’t in a bad part of town anymore; Vivian had taken care of that when she’d gone to Germany by buying this place. Still, it was no reason to leave her door unlocked.
The door being unlocked had Vivian on alert. Especially as there was no answer to her query when she first walked in. Her mother was definitely home as Vivian had the car now. Her mother’s license had been revoked the day the diagnosis came down.
It didn’t stop her mother from walking, though.
“Mama?” Vivian called out again, a little more urgent this time. She walked toward the kitchen and memories of that horrible day when she was a young girl came rushing back...the moment she’d found her mother in a pool of blood. Painful nightmarish memories that she hadn’t thought about in a long time.
Her mother’s suicide attempt after her father left was the stuff of nightmares for Vivian.
It was something they didn’t talk about. That year, the year her mother checked out, haunted her for so long and in this moment, calling out to her mother, it was overpowering.
“Mama?”
Her mother rushed out of the kitchen, a tea towel in one hand, a dish in the other. She looked surprised. “Vivian? When did you get back?”
“Just now.” She sent up a silent prayer of relief.
Her mother embraced her. “If I had known you were coming for a visit...”
Vivian’s heart sank and she could see that faraway gaze in her mother’s eyes. Her mother wasn’t lucid. “Mama, I came home a week ago.”
“What?”
“I moved back a week ago. Don’t you remember?”
Her mother’s eyes sparked and then there was recognition and the fog lifted. “Right. Oh, right. I remember.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, yes I do.” Her mother shook her head and laughed softly, obviously embarrassed and flustered. “How was your day at work? Back to your old stomping ground.”
A nightmare.
Only she didn’t say that out loud. She didn’t want to upset her mother. Her mother knew about Reece and Vivian didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about her return.
“Good. It was good. How was your day?”
Her mother sighed. “I thought it was good... I’m sorry to let you down. I swear I thought I was doing good.”
“You’re not letting me down and you are doing good. You just had a blip.” Vivian ran her hand through her hair, trying to brush away the stress that was building. “How often do these blips happen, though?”
“I haven’t had one since you arrived. At least I don’t think so.”
Vivian sighed again as her mother headed back into the kitchen. She’d been with her mother since she’d come home, but this was her first day away from her and she’d had a setback. Thankfully, nothing had happened, but perhaps she should look into having a nurse or a personal support worker here when she wasn’t here. Just to help her mother with the blips. Although her mother wouldn’t go for it.
“Don’t go to all that trouble for me. I can take care of myself for now. You’re here to work, not fuss over me.”
Her mother came back and they settled in the cozy living room that was filled with overstuffed furniture, fake floral arrangements and pictures of her from her childhood. All the things that made her mother happy. Or so her mother said when she’d decorated the home. Either way, it was cozy and brought a smile to Vivian’s face.
“So was Dr. Brigham excited to see you again?” her mother asked, excited.
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Her mother smiled. “You suppose so? Well, I’m sure he was happy to see one of his students, one of his best students, back again.”
“I’m not the only former student at the hospital.”
“Oh?”
Vivian stopped herself because the last time she’d talked to her mother about Reece she’d told Vivian to break it off and never look back. Her mother had always stated Vivian had to be her own person. To put her career first and a man second.
“Don’t give up on your dreams, Vivian. Not for Reece. I don’t care if he’s a good man or if you love him. You have to go to Germany. It’s your dream. Go or you’ll regret it.”
Her mother had never approved of Reece. She’d thought he was a distraction and she’d been right. He was.
“Just some old friends. Old faces.”
Liar.
Her mother smiled again. “Well, that’s good.”
Vivian nodded. “Yes. It’s a big change from Germany, though. When I worked for Dr. Mannheim it was in a clinic. A private clinic. I’m not used to being back on rounds again.”
“I’m sure you’ll get used to it. Isn’t it good to be home?”
“It’s good to be home with you, Mama.” Vivian glanced up into her mother’s warm eyes. She did love being with her mother. She’d missed her while she was in Germany, but it had been hard growing up in Nashville. Even if they were far away from the kids who teased her, she would still wake up crying for a mother who wasn’t there. Her mother had to work day and night to keep a roof over her head.
Nashville reminded her that love wasn’t enough. Love made life harder. Everyone she loved left and she’d done her share of hurt too. Reece’s behavior today was proof of that.
Even her mother was leaving. The disease was stealing her away, piece by piece. So young. Life was robbing her mother again.
“You okay, Vivian? Was it a rough day?” Her mother squeezed her knee. The blip was minor, but it was there.
“No, Mama. It wasn’t a rough day.”
“Good. You’ll have to tell me all about it.” Her mother got up and left, heading back into the kitchen.
Hiring a nurse, or at least a companion, would be top priority tomorrow. She’d call her mother’s friend Florence to come sit with her tomorrow while she worked her shift at the hospital. It was too short notice to find a nurse now and Vivian wanted to interview people for the position.
Vivian would have taken the day off, but she’d only just started back at Cumberland Mills. She couldn’t take the time off work. Especially not when she’d been assigned a high-profile case and was trying to vie for Dr. Brigham’s position. If she took time off, it would not look good to those making the decision.
Reece had made it clear that he didn’t think she had a chance at Dr. Brigham’s job. Well, she’d prove him wrong like she’d always done.
There was a ping and she checked her phone. It was one of Reece’s residents.
Gary Trainer was stable and talking. He’d also been cleared by cardio. The resident asked if she wanted to come by and set up the testing.
Vivian groaned. She did, but she also didn’t want to leave her mother. If she told her about the text her mother would tell her to go.
Reece can handle it. Call him.
As much as it pained her to let go of the control, she owed it to her mother. She couldn’t abandon her tonight. Vivian looked up Reece’s number in the hospital directory and sent him a text. She didn’t tell him much. She just mentioned that she was tied up for an appointment. No one needed to know her private life.
That was her business.
Fine, Reece texted back.
No