Student Nurse Lessons Ch. 9

At some level Andy realized what a blessing a demanding exam schedule could be. And was, in his case; he became of necessity totally absorbed in the rigors of study, examination, study, more examination. For her part, the weekend’s female companionship and partying done, Sam was just as grateful for the demands of her classes and work with patients. No one noticed that she seemed more eager to learn the new techniques taught that week, to greet new patients, to immerse herself in their care. She was as glad of her end of day fatigue as Andy was of his intense cramming for his exams.

Wednesday arrived and without each knowing it, both felt a nervousness, the first uncertainty that either had ever felt about speaking with the other. Who could know which felt the other’s absence the worst? Who could know which of the two felt the greatest need? Perhaps it was Sam, who initiated the call late Wednesday afternoon, calculating that Andy would probably not be studying shortly before dinner. And, as with many things between sister and brother, she guessed right.

“Hey,” he answered, “how are you doing?”

“Tired. It’s a pretty intensive week; new patients, new course, new instructors.”

“Well, I don’t have any new patients,” he joked, “but it’s intense for me, too.”

And, each somehow sensing that they didn’t really need to speak of “the decision”, as they had come call it, they chatted amiably, each feeling their fatigue, the stress of their week melting and draining away from them, and each understood that it was this, the simply act of a conversation with the other, that was key to this. Somehow, deep down, each sensed that the other was very close to a decision but that this was not the time to speak of it.

“How are Mom and Dad? What are they up to?” Sam asked.

“Oh, you know, same old same old. I’m cooking a few meals and Mom seems really happy with that. I asked her once ‘what’s your favourite meal?’ and she said ‘anything someone else cooks’” and they both laughed at that. Then there was a pause on the line, neither speaking for a few seconds, each surprised at how content they were to listen just to each other’s quiet breathing into the phone. Finally Andy said “they’re heading to the cottage this weekend.”

“Oh.” More silence, pregnant with understanding, freighted with meaning as each felt a slight shiver pass through their body. “Oh,” she repeated, “ok. Ok,” repeated, almost to herself. “Ok, pick me up on Friday, then?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be done my exams then. Maybe we can celebrate,” and couldn’t know that his sister at the other end of the line instantly blushed at the thought and Andy, suddenly realizing the subtext of his casual remark, quickly added “the end of exams, I mean. Dinner will be on me, ok? Just like our, you now, our first date?”

“Excellent. I can’t wait, Drew,” and with that they ended the call.

Friday came and with it the tremendous relief Andy felt with the completion of his school year, with the eager anticipation of beginning his landscaping work the next week, the freedom of working outdoors, away from classrooms. Sam was almost as relieved by the end of her week and knew she needed this evening out with her brother and happily prepared herself for it.

Andy’s truck pulled up at her residence and his eyes widened as she almost danced toward his truck. Resplendent in a light, flowered sundress that he’d never seen, makeup carefully and lightly applied, so skillfully as to almost not realize its effect, her eyes somehow brighter and more lovely than he’d ever seen them, he silently congratulated himself on having…by his standards, anyway…actually dressed up a little himself. A quick hug as she entered the truck, a quick kiss, a heartfelt compliment from him on her loveliness, her immediate blush, and they were off.

“Where are we going?” she asked almost immediately.

“It’s a surprise,” as he wended their way through their town’s streets, piloting the truck to the older part of town where buildings and restaurants had been judged heritage and restored. Arriving at one restaurant he quickly parked and, before Sam could stir, jumped out and opened her door for her, taking her hand as she stepped down.

“My goodness,” she laughed, her fingers feigning a fan, her manor now that of a shy southern belle, “what a gentleman!” He took her hand and led her into the small Italian restaurant that he had chosen.

“We can have pizza if you want,” he began, “but they’ve got some amazing things on their menu.”

And so it went. Choosing a quiet corner table they sat and, as soon as the maitre d’ left them Sam shifted her seat and plate from across the table from Andy to kitty corner, sitting on his immediate left. It was beginning to dawn on them both that a decision had been made, and it was about much more than restaurant seating arrangements.

Choosing appetizers that they’d never tried before, enjoying a carafe of the house red, hungrily digging into their pasta, they laughed, teased, revelled in each other’s company, the vacuum, the void each had felt over the past weeks quickly disappearing. At one point as they casually chatted Andy’s hand, almost unconsciously, fell to her thigh, felt the soft fabric of her dress, felt the warmth of her flesh, heard her slight pleasant gasp, knew the wordless message that their gaze now spoke. Anyone other patron, noticing their sudden quiet silence, could not have mistaken the love that was emanating from them. With his light, possessory touch ended, with their breathing near normal, brother and sister returned to their dinners, their talk, their laughter now a bit quieter.

Dinner finished, they returned to the truck, Andy’s gallantry continuing as he helped his sister up to the seat. Sam easily slid across the bench seat and found the seat belt, another unspoken message to her brother as he drove them home. As he drove, their chat seemed to reflect their unspoken intent, the possibility of their night. They spoke of his exams, her week’s work, their parents’ departure for the cottage. As they drove, Sam replicated Andy’s gesture during dinner, her left hand resting lightly on his right thigh. As a stop light he glanced down at it, smiled, and leaned over to a quick kiss from her.

Each felt a growing intensity with their arrival home. Each felt a shyness suddenly descending on them. As they entered the home Sam took her brother’s hand and silently led him through the house and out into the patio at the back of their house. As the evening darkened and the warm air became heavy with their garden flowers’ scent they sat together on a garden swing. “Wine?” asked Andy quietly.

“No thanks,” his sister replied, still feeling the warm glow of their dinner’s wine.

They sat together, gently rocking in the swing, for ten minutes, each hesitant, each shy, each thinking only of the next words either would speak. Finally, feeling the pressure of the silence and gathering his courage, Andy broke it with “you’ve decided, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” came her quiet, almost whispered reply.

“And?”

“Not fair; you first, Drew.”

“Ok.” He kissed her neck lightly and said “yes. Absolutely yes.”

She laughed quietly, relieved, her laughter triggering Andy’s tremendous relief, as she then said “Yes.”

They kissed, embraced, and sat as closely possible, each trying to absorb the profundity of what they had just said, of what they had just, together, decided. Again Andy broke the silence with “how long have you known? When did you decide?”

“You know, Drew, I don’t think it was really a question of consciously deciding. I think that, somehow, part of me decided a long time ago; well, at least a couple of weeks ago when we…well…when we were on the couch. I think I didn’t know at the time, that’s all. I think that the past several weeks have simply been a process of my mind discovering what I had already decided, what I had already known. Does that make any sense to you?”

“Yes, I think so,” and after a moment’s pause, “I think it’s been the same with me, Sam, the very same. I just think that I didn’t understand what I was thinking, what I knew as well as you have. And I’m so glad it’s what you want. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything, anything, as much as I want this.”

“I’ve thought some more about this, Drew. People who love each other have good times and bad, don’t they?