Shattered (Shattered #1) (21 page)

After dressing in a navy pants suit, she made
her way to the kitchen to begin making breakfast for her and Katie. She could
hear Katie grumbling in her room and called, “Put a move on it,” as she passed
her door.
 

Katie slowly pulled herself out of bed and
made her way over to her closet. It wasn’t like getting dressed would take very
long now since her mom had decided to put her in catholic school. She had a
uniform, which she hated, to wear everyday. The blue and green plaid skirt did
nothing for her fair skin. The white blouse was plain and stiff. She had a navy
sweater she could wear when the weather was cooler, but for now she was
fighting with her knee socks.

“Who ever heard of wearing knee socks in the
summer time?” she grumbled to herself. She pulled her blonde hair back into a
ponytail, brushed on some pale pink lip-gloss, and headed out to the kitchen.

As she stalked over to the breakfast bar, she
threw her backpack onto the barstool beside her. Melanie placed a plate of
toast and eggs in front of her, instructing, “Eat up, you’ll need the energy.”

Katie pushed her food around with her fork
while Melanie grabbed a juice out of the fridge. “I’m not hungry mom. Why do I
have to dress like this? I hate this!” she pulled at her skirt and shifted in
her chair.

“St. Vincent’s is the best school in the
city. It’s where your dad and I went to school. You’ll get a great education
and get into a good college.”

“What if I don’t want to go to college?” she
whined.

“I’m not talking about this again,” Melanie scolded.
“You’re going to school, you’re going to behave, and you’re going to stop this
incessant whining!”

“Fine, I’ll go, but I don’t have to like it,”
Katie stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth, grabbed her backpack, stormed out
the door, and headed for the L-train.

Melanie leaned her head on her hand and
sighed, “Why is this so hard? Katie has everything she could want...except a
dad in her life.” Melanie knew that Sean’s absence had made life harder for
both of them. She was trying, she really was, but Katie was growing up and
pushing the boundaries. She knew that she needed to keep a lid on the teen
angst or she wouldn’t survive adolescence.

After finishing her own breakfast, she
grabbed her keys and headed to the hospital.
 
On her drive, her mind began to drift back to that awful day. It seemed
that whenever she was alone and had time for her brain to slow down, the
memories came flooding back. Like in the shower, she couldn’t help but almost
zone out as her memories engulfed her.

September 11, 2001

“I gotta go babe, I’m gonna miss my flight,”
Sean leaned in to give her one last kiss. He was on his way to DC for a medical
conference.

“Just one more,” she laughed as she pulled on
his tie.

“I gotta tell Katie bye too,” he chuckled. “I
don’t want her mad at me while I’m gone.”

As he leaned in to kiss her again she
deepened it. “Melanie, I gotta go, really now. I don’t want to have to race to
the airport.”

“Fine, I wish we could go with you,” she
sighed.

“Me too, but I know you have that big surgery
today.” He smiled as he turned his back to her and walked towards Katie’s room.

After telling her goodbye he gave a final
wave and left the apartment. If Melanie had known that that was the last time
she would see him alive, she would have never let him go.

August 2012

She leaned her head against the steering
wheel and let a few tears fall before pulling herself together and getting out
of the car. She was here to start over. New job, new apartment, and new life
she told herself. She had friends that she hadn’t seen in years and old
schoolmates who would become colleagues in a matter of minutes.
 

She walked into the hospital and grabbed an
elevator to the tenth floor. Once arriving, she found the Chief of Surgery, Dr.
Green, who introduced her to the staff. Her small corner office had a beautiful
view of the city. Dr. Green told her that he kept her schedule clear for the
day, so she could settle in and learn her way around. The other doctors were
very welcoming and Melanie knew she had made the right choice by coming here.
After thanking Dr. Green, she closed the door to her office and began setting
things up to her liking.

The room contained a large desk in one
corner, which she moved to face the window, and several file cabinets that she
placed along one wall.
 
A futon that
she’d had delivered from her old office in New York she placed along another
wall.
 
Boxes began to litter the floor as
she began unpacking.
 
She was busy
placing pictures on the walls and her desk when she heard a soft knock on the
door.

“William!” she exclaimed as she rushed
forward and offered him a hug.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he
laughed.

“Yep, I’m here, at least for now,” she
smiled.

William had grown up around the corner from
Melanie and gone to school with her and Sean. They’d graduated college together
with the hopes of one day working together. When Melanie had married Sean and
announced that she was moving to New York, William and she had parted ways.
They’d kept in touch over the years, but she hadn’t seen him in forever.

“Want to grab a cup of coffee in a little
while?” he asked.

“Sure, I’ll meet you in say, an hour? I just
want to finish unpacking first,” she gestured with her hand at the mess that
surrounded her.

“Alright, an hour. I’ll come by here and meet
you. It’s so nice to see you here again,” he smiled as he closed her office
door and walked away.

Melanie sat down on the futon and moved a box
over in front of her. She pulled out several photos of Katie and smiled at
them. The last photo in the box brought a choked sob though. It was a picture
of Sean holding Katie only moments after her birth. He was smiling down at the
tiny infant.

September 11, 2001

Melanie was frantically running around the
emergency room at Long Island Memorial as nurses and rescue workers shouted orders.
Two planes had struck the World Trade Center towers, and victims were being
rushed in in droves. She was trying to understand what had happened, listen to
the news on TV, and concentrate on treating people as best as she could. Katie
was at daycare at the moment, so she didn’t need to fret about her, but Sean.
Sean was on a plane.
Oh god, what if Sean was on one of the planes.
Her
breathing became erratic and her knees felt weak. Just as she was making her
way to the bathroom, her cell phone started ringing.

“Hello,” her voice trembled.

“Melanie?” his voice was strangled.

“Sean?” she sobbed.

“Melanie, I love you!” he choked out. “My
plane’s been taken over. I love you!!!” his voice was barely over a whisper.

“Sean, I love you too!” she cried.

“I’m not gonna make it,” he sobbed. “I love
you so much! Tell Katie I love her!” he begged.

She could tell he was struggling not to panic
as he spoke.

“Don’t leave me!” she cried. “Sean, you can’t
leave me!!!”

“Melanie, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed.

Just then the line went dead. Melanie slumped
to the floor in the hall crying uncontrollably. She had pulled her knees to her
chest and buried her face in her hands. “Sean,” she cried. “How am I supposed
to do this without you?”

August 2012

She huffed and pulled herself off the futon,
wiping the tears from her eyes and placing the picture on her desk. Looking
down at it in its place of reverence, she whispered, “I miss you Sean. I wish
you could see her now. She’s turning into a beautiful young woman.”

Just then William leaned in. “You ready for
that coffee?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “Coffee is just what I
need.”

As the two walked out of her office, she
turned the lights off and shut the door. They turned toward the elevators to
head downstairs.

“There’s a little espresso shop on the corner
that has way better coffee than the cafeteria does,” he motioned towards the
door.

“Sounds great,” she laughed as they walked
out together.

When they rounded the corner, she looked up
and smiled pointing at the sign, “Cool Beans? I can’t believe you remember
this.”

“I remember everything. We were once best
friends, remember?” he smiled as he held the door open.

“Yes, but it’s been like fifteen years,” she
grinned.

“Well since you left school, they’ve opened
up a chain,” he motioned around as they walked up to the counter.

They moved to get in line to place their
orders just as a short brunette came up tying her apron. “What can I get you?”
she smiled at them.

Before Melanie could open her mouth, William
rambled off, “Caramel latte, no foam, and a small house blend with cream and
sugar.”

Melanie looked over at him and dropped her
mouth open.

“What?” he smirked. “It’s not like you ever
ordered anything else. I mean at least in the ten plus years you went out for
coffee with me anyway.”

“You’re right,” she smiled “I’m just
surprised that you remembered after all this time.”

“I’m reliable like that,” he chuckled as he
handed her the latte and made his way over to an empty table.

“So, how are you settling in?” he reached
across the table and clasped her hand.

“Ok, I guess,” she huffed. “Katie isn’t happy
about being here, and she’s making sure that I know it constantly. We’re
finally settled in to a nice brownstone about ten minutes from here, so that’s
a plus. Mom, Elizabeth, and Megan are glad to have me nearby again.” She
glanced out the window with a wistful look in her eyes. “It’ll get better,” she
sighed.

“Yes, it will,” he reassured her. “Give it
time.”

“Well, enough about my sappy life.
 
How are you? Any women in your life right
now?” she cocked her head to the side to smile at him.

“There’s been a few, but no one special,” he
chuckled.

“Well, we’ll have to fix that,” she giggled.

“Are you offering?” his smile got wider as he
watched a dark blush spread over her cheeks.

“William…I…” she sputtered.

“I’m kidding, relax,” he threw his head back
in laughter.
 
“But it is nice to see you
smile.”

 
She
shook her head and pulled her hands down into her lap, knotting them together,
a nervous habit she’d had since she was a child. Just as she began to speak
again, William’s beeper went off. Letting out a sigh, he pulled it from his
belt and looked down at the number.

“I have to go, I’m being paged from
Emergency,” he sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he questioned.

“Yep, bright and early,” she chimed.

The beeper went off again and William shook
his head, grabbed his coat, and began grumbling under his breath as he raced
toward the door. Offering a sideways glance over his shoulder, he waved and
dashed back in the direction of the hospital.

Melanie glanced down at her half finished
latte and began spinning the cup in her hand and smiling to herself.

March 1993

“You really think so?” she laughed as she
pulled the backpack higher onto her shoulder.

“Yes, Mel. He likes you,” William rolled his
eyes at her giddiness. “I’ve seen the way Sean stares as you.”

“But he’s a senior,” she whined. “Why would
he be interested in a sophomore?”

“I don’t know,” William threw his hands in
the air. “Maybe because you’re smart, and pretty, and I don’t know… a girl,” he
chuckled.

“Will you talk to him for me?” she looked at
him wistfully. “Please, I won’t ask you for any more favors for a long time.”

“Mel, fixing you up with “Mr. I’m Perfect” is
not my idea of fun,” he stopped walking and faced her.

“Please William, just ask him if he likes
me,” she stuck her lip out and began to pout.

“Are we really back to middle school right
now? I mean really, why don’t you just pass him a note or something?” He
crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a big huff.

“Please?” she begged again.

Finally he threw his arms in the air and gave
up. “Alright I’ll talk to him, but you owe me big time.”

She grinned as she realized her victory and
jumped up to give him a hug, “Thanks!” she squealed.

August 2012

She smiled at the memory. It was one of many
happy ones she had over the years with William. Things had to get better for
her. Having him back in her life was definitely a move in the right direction.

She finished her latte and tossed the empty
cup in the trash as she walked out the door. Letting the afternoon sun warm her
face, she slowly made her way back to her new office to finish setting up and
getting ready for her new life.