“When is mommy coming home?” Casper taps my leg and stares up at me. I wish I knew. I press my lips together and shake my head. “I don’t know, buddy. She only said there was a big accident, and she was needed at the ER. When she gets done helping everyone, she will come back home. Let’s not worry about it right now. Okay?”His innocent eyes have more questions swirling in them, but he remains silent and slowly nods. I pat his head and force a smile, hiding my concern. “I’m sure mommy is going to be hungry when she gets back. Let’s go see what there is to make for supper.”The concern in his eyes fades and is replaced with a spark of excitement. He flashes me a small grin and dashes towards the kitchen. “I want chicken nuggets.”I shake my head. I don’t believe my question was about what he wants for supper. A loud bang echoes into the kitchen. “Ow!”My heart races, and I bolt forward. “What happened?”I stop right inside the door and bite my lower lip to keep myself f

With a slight frown, I glance to my side at Evan and mutter, “You know I can do this on my own. I don’t need to have someone following me around all the time.”I can’t prove it, but someone has always been right next to me all day today. If it isn’t Evan or Izzy, then another doctor is hovering around me. I’m not a baby, and I’m far too old to need a chaperone. Evan sighs. “You aren’t listening to me to take it easy, so I’m going to make sure. If you think you are special because you are my friend, you are sadly mistaken. If any doctor refuses to ease up after I have requested them to, they get similar treatment. You can ask any of the staff. They will tell you I’m like this with everyone.”I give him a side-eye, but I remain silent as my frustrations build. I’m a doctor. I know what I’m doing and when I need to slow down.With a bright smile, Izzy jumps in line with us. “He is telling you the truth. Some of the staff refer to him as the big father when he gets like this

MarkWith my thoughts stuck on Casper and his sad face, I march into my family’s company and through the lobby. I nod at everyone, but I don’t give the staff my usual greetings. Whispers and murmurs float into the air, but they don’t register to me. My mind is still on my wife and sad child, wondering how I can fix everything. As I step into the elevator, my father steps in with me. “Something wrong, son? I thought you would be bouncing off the walls with happiness, but you have on a long face today.”I look beside me at him and sigh. “Casper is sad for some reason, and he won’t tell us why. Also, Katie doesn’t seem to want to slow down now that she is pregnant. She came home really late the other night from staying at the ER for a big accident. She now has a really bad case of morning sickness. I had to leave her home with medicine. She wasn’t happy with me when I called Evan and told him about it. He told her to not come into work. He would find someone else to cover t

My eyes widen and then narrow on the beautiful blonde woman almost laying across Mark’s desk. Her beige lace bra is showing, along with her large breasts, with her blouse wide open. Before my brain can function, I quickly grab Casper’s shoulders and whip him around so he can’t see the free show. Mark’s mother steps forward. Her tone is much harsher than the last time. “Tiffany, I asked you a question.” She marches forward and pulls the woman off Mark’s desk. “How dare you come into my son’s office and try to seduce him.”The young woman straightens her skirt and quickly buttons up her blouse while she shakes her head. “I don’t need to seduce him, Mrs. Gold. He is my fiancé.” Did I just hear her right? Did she say….My eyebrows shoot up as I lock my gaze on the hussy. Mark’s mother shakes her head. “What are you talking about, Tiffany? You aren’t engaged to my son. I would know if you are.”My stomach sinks and my heart twists. Did Mark lie to me? I don’t understand.

I walk into the house with the cookie container in my hand. From what little crumbs I ate, they are good, but I’m on a mission right now. I need to talk to my mother and get to the bottom of this issue with Tiffany. This afternoon, I’ve raked through my brain trying to remember any little thing from our past where something was said regarding my future with Tiffany or her possibly being my wife, but I can’t find anything. My feet pound against the tile floor as I make my way towards the soft giggles and where Casper is and most likely my mother. For once, I don’t let Casper’s sweet voice ease my worries or the tension in my body. I stop in the doorway. Casper is standing on a tall chair next to the counter with a mixing bowl between him and my mother. He moves a wooden spoon around the inside of the bowl as if he is stirring something, but the bowl is empty. More sweet giggles fill the air as I stand frozen and admire the view. For a brief second, I contemplate ignoring the