Hospital Appointment

Amelia stirred in bed, groaning as a repetitive sound tore through her sleep. Her hand flew across the nightstand, searching blindly for the alarm clock.

“Stupid thing,” she mumbled, pressing every button she could feel. But no matter what she touched, the buzzing didn’t stop.

Her eyes cracked open. That wasn’t her alarm. It was her phone.

She sat up, squinting at the screen. Kris Fox. And under his name, a flood of messages lit up the screen one after another.

Kris: We need to talk.

Kris: Stop ignoring me, Amelia.

Kris: Three days? Really?

Kris: You know I’ll keep texting until you answer.

“Good grief,” Amelia whispered, tossing the phone onto the bed like it was on fire.

Mel shifted under the blankets beside her, rubbing her eyes. “Don’t tell me it’s him again.”

“Who else would it be by this time of the morning?” Amelia sighed. “The man has no shame. It's been three fucking days, Mel. Three days of this.”

Mel sat up, her hair sticking out in every direction, and gave Amelia a dramatic look. “You know what we should do? March down to the courthouse and get a restraining order. ‘Your Honor, this billionaire won’t stop blowing up my phone!’ I’m sure it’ll make the evening news.”

Despite herself, Amelia chuckled. “Don’t make jokes like that. It’s not funny.”

“Oh, it’s hilarious,” Mel said, flopping back down on the pillow. “The mighty Kris Fox reduced to a desperate ex, begging for your attention. I love it.”

Amelia grabbed a pillow and hit her lightly. “You’re impossible.”

The buzzing stopped, and for a moment, peace returned. Amelia smiled and let herself fall back against the bed. “Finally. Some peace.”

But then—buzz, buzz.

Amelia groaned. “You have got to be kidding me!”

She reached for the phone, prepared to pick up and scold Kris, but she froze. It wasn’t him this time. It was a reminder.

Reminder: Mikey’s monthly check-up at the hospital, 9:00 a.m.

Her eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Mel asked sleepily.

“Mikey’s appointment. We can’t miss this one, we've missed five in a row already” Amelia shoved the blankets off and stumbled toward the bathroom, speaking to herself “Come on, Amelia, pull it together.”

*******

An hour later…

Amelia held Mikey’s hand as they walked into the hospital. Parents chatted in small groups while children ran around with balloons and pamphlets in hand. Colorful posters hung from the walls, announcing Children’s Health Awareness Day.

Amelia’s stomach sank. “Oh, no…is that today?”

At the reception desk, the nurse smiled politely. “Ma’am, please take a seat. The children are in the play area. Parents will be addressed shortly for the event.”

“But my son has a check-up appointment,” Amelia said, her voice tight. “We can’t wait that long. I’ll be late for work.”

The nurse chuckled. “Uhm, I think you can relax ma'am… It’s Sunday afterall.”

Amelia blinked. “Sunday?”

“Yes.”

Heat rushed to Amelia’s cheeks. She muttered, “Of course. I knew that.” Taking Mikey’s hand again, she whispered, “Go on, sweetheart. Play with the other kids. Mommy will be right here okay?”

Mikey nodded and skipped off toward the play area, where toys and Legos were scattered across the floor.

Amelia found a seat among the other parents, folding her arms as she tried to look patient. The talk dragged on, nearly an hour of speeches about nutrition, vaccinations, and awareness campaigns. Her mind drifted constantly to Mikey. I hope he’s okay back there.

Meanwhile, in the play area, Mikey stacked Legos into a wobbly tower. Another boy sat across from him, Mikey couldn't see his face clearly, so he moved closer, wanting to borrow a Lego piece.

“Hey, can I borrow a—” Mikey said cheerfully, shocked when the boy turned around.

“Mikey? What are you doing here?”

“Leo? I could ask you the same thing…wait if you're here, does that mean your dad is—”

“Yeah. My dad’s here too.” Leo pointed toward the main hall. “He’s the one sponsoring this whole thing.”

“Oh no" Mikey whispered under his breath, his mom was going to run into Kris!

Back in the hall, Amelia rubbed her temples. She glanced at the brochure in her lap and froze when she saw the sponsor’s name printed in bold letters: Fox Enterprises.

Her stomach twisted. “Oh no. No, no, no…”

She closed her eyes, whispering, “Please, God, not him. Who knows, maybe it's just a representative from the company coming to speak” she tried to comfort her thoughts.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her hand. It was another text from Kris. She stared at the screen, torn between replying and throwing the phone across the room.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the doctor at the front announced. “We now welcome our guest speaker, the sponsor of this event…Mr. Kris Fox.”

Amelia’s breath caught. She looked up, and there he was. Kris, tall and confident, walking across the stage in his tailored suit. His presence filled the room like.

Her first instinct was to duck. She yanked her hat down low, slouched in her chair, and prayed he wouldn’t see her.

“Good morning, everyone,” Kris began, his voice smooth and commanding. “Thank you for being here. As we all know, children are the future, and it’s our responsibility to protect them.”

Despite hiding, Amelia found her eyes drawn to him. His words were strong, thoughtful, passionate even. Her body relaxed itself as she began to listen and feel something in her heart.

But then she shook her head fiercely. Don’t you dare, Amelia. Not after what he pulled.

After Kris finished, the doctor stepped forward again. “Thank you, Mr. Fox. We’ll now take one question from the audience. Just one please”

Hands shot up instantly. Amelia sank lower in her seat, determined to stay invisible.

“You,” the doctor said, pointing directly at her.

Her stomach dropped. “Me?”

“Yes, you. Please stand.”

Huh? Amelia thought, she had been trying to do the exact opposite of being seen

At that exact moment, the fan above whirred and sent a gust of wind down on her. Her hat flew straight off her head and onto the floor.

Every pair of eyes turned toward her. But the only gaze that mattered was Kris’s.

He saw her.

Slowly, he started smiling.

Amelia’s cheeks burned, but she refused to let him see that side of her. She stood tall. “I don’t have any questions.”

Kris’s voice cut through the silence. “Oh don't be shy, speak up.”

Her head snapped toward him. “Excuse me?”

He leaned forward against the podium, pretending not to know her. “This is your chance to ask whatever you want to. Don't waste this opportunity. What’s your name?”

Her jaw tightened. He was trying to play a game here.

Fine, Amelia thought, two can play at it.

“My name is Amelia,” she said clearly, locking eyes with him.

“Well, Amelia,” Kris said, “I’ll ask again, do you have a question?”

She hesitated for a heartbeat, then lifted her chin. “Yes Mr Fox. I do.”

The microphone was passed into her trembling hands. For a long moment, she and Kris stared at each other.

Her voice was calm, as she finally spoke. “How do you expect people to trust you when you keep so many secrets?”

The room went silent. All eyes turned to Kris, but his smirk didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened.

“Interesting question miss Amelia,” he said smoothly. “Let’s talk about that.”

This wasn't just any Q&A, it was a confrontation.