Chapter 1
The moment I saw Harvey Wilkinson again after five years, my mind went completely blank.
He had come to Oshurg Hospital with his girlfriend for a premarital health checkup.
And I was standing in line at the registration counter, locked in a petty shouting match with a middle-aged man.
I was accusing him of cutting the line.
He was yelling back that I was young and had no respect for elders.
The man couldn't have been more than fifty-something, still looking sharp and well.
People around us began whispering and pointing, as if I were the one in the wrong.
But I wasn't in the mood to back down today, and I wasn't going to let it go.
The more we argued, the more I probably looked like an irrational, shrill woman.
I was just about to raise my voice and demand to see a supervisor.
Then I looked up and saw Harvey in the distance.
He had changed a lot since I last saw him.
Gone was the sunshine-boy arrogance; now he was all tailored suits and refined detachment, cool and composed.
The girl beside him had soft, wavy hair and flawless skin, beautiful and sweet-faced.
She held onto his arm and shyly asked the hospital receptionist, "Hi... which department handles premarital checkups?"
The nurse, who happened to be walking toward me, paused and answered, "Gynecology for the bride-to-be, urology for the groom."
The girl blushed and thanked her softly.
Then the nurse continued over to me and finally convinced the man to move to the back of the line.
He grumbled something I didn't quite catch, but I wasn't listening.
My hands were cold, and my mind was frozen.
I didn't even realize I was staring at Harvey.
He noticed me, too.
Our eyes met, but his expression was distant, indifferent.
It was like he barely remembered who I was.
The girl caught on and tilted her head, asking, "Someone you know?"
Harvey broke the gaze and lowered his eyes, his voice softening just a touch.
"A classmate from school... not someone I knew well."
She nodded and glanced at me again, a little more curious this time.
That was when I snapped back to reality and quickly turned my face away in embarrassment.
Harvey gently squeezed her hand and said, "It's already noon. Let's eat first and come back later."
My cheeks burned, like someone had shoved me onto a blazing stage.
Luckily, the crowd was noisy and chaotic enough that I could hide in it.
I felt stiff until Lance Sosa, dressed in a white coat, appeared beside me.
He placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Bring your dad with me. There's no way you're getting a morning appointment now."
Then, noticing we weren't alone, he pulled me aside and whispered, "I'll figure something out for you."
I snapped out of my daze, nodding and thanking him repeatedly.
My dad was sitting in the waiting area nearby, his face gaunt and pale.
When I walked over and called him, he looked up like a child who had done something wrong.
Trying to keep it light, I teased, "No luck with the morning slots, but Dr. Sosa's letting us sneak through the back door."
He stood up awkwardly and licked his dry lips.
"Sariah... maybe I should cut down on the dialysis sessions."
"Too many of them just make me feel worse."