Secrets in the Lobby

The last thing I expected that Tuesday morning was an urgent text from Kenneth Boyd. I hadn’t spoken to him in almost three months, and his sudden presence at the hospital was startling.

As I stepped away from the pediatric waiting area, I could still feel Connor’s angry eyes burning into my back. He hated unfinished conversations, because he always needed the final word to feel like he’d won.

I pressed the silver elevator button and waited for the doors to open. Just before they closed again, I heard Connor call after me across the hallway.

“Still running away from your problems, Kirsten?” he shouted.

I looked back at him through the narrowing gap. “No, Connor. I’m finally walking in the right direction.”