Page 153 of Saving Forever with the Hockey Captain

"I am."

She sets her mug on the coffee table. "Now..." Her smile softens. "Tell me about Jamie."

Not Captain Walker. Just...Jamie. The way she says his name catches me off guard. For a moment I simply stare into my tea. "What do you want to know?"

She shrugs. "Whatever you haven't been telling me."

I smile to myself. "That's a dangerous question."

"I know." She leans back onto the sofa. "So, answer it."

I take a slow breath. "I don't even know where to start."

***

"Start with this." Her voice is gentle. "What makes him different?"

The question surprises me.

"You've had wonderful patients before."

"I know."

"Funny patients."

"I know."

"More stubborn patients."

She laughs. "I definitely know."

"So, she waits. "What makes Jamie different?"

I open my mouth. Nothing comes out. Because I'd never really tried to put it into words before.

Finally, I say, "I think..." I stare at the dancing flames in the fireplace. " it’s that he notices people."

Keisha doesn't interrupt.

"He remembers everyone's name, remembers birthdays, and asks about grandchildren. He somehow knows when someone is having a hard day. I honestly don't know how he keeps track of it all."

The room falls quiet again. Then Keisha asks softly, "And who notices him?"

The question steals the breath from my lungs. I blink. "What?"

"You just described a man who spends his life making sure everyone else feels seen."

She tilts her head. "Who does that for him?"

I don't answer right away, but I already know. "I try to."

The words barely rise above a whisper.

Neither of us speaks for several moments. Finally, she asks, "What happens when your rotation ends?"

"You still have one more clinical placement."

The smile fades from my face. "I leave. They'll assign me somewhere else."