Chapter 8

“See much of the neighborhood besides the bakery?” I inclined my head toward the loaf he’d purchased, turned off the slow cooker, and got out some dinner plates.

“Yeah, I hiked around a bit in different directions. I love that there’s so much within walking distance…restaurants, bars, a drug store, that little grocery.”

I nodded. “I love it here. I’ve got to drive to work, but it’s not much of a commute.”

“Same here.”

It was a little early, but the food was ready, so we filled our plates and sat. Conversation turned to work, and he seemed sincerely interested, asking me questions about my day at the office. He quizzed me further about my professional goals and progress toward them. In turn, he spoke animatedly about his own ambitions and intended specialty: emergency medicine. As our dialogue progressed, the stress of the day flowed out of me.