Unyielding Love

Chapter Two

"Jaime, do you have any relatives?" Michael asked carefully because it was Jaime's second week at the hospital and she always came alone.

"Yes, but they all live very far away."

"What about a husband or a boyfriend?"

Jaime met his gaze with her confused one and he gently explained. "This is not the kind of thing you should be going through alone. You need to have someone to support you."

"I have a girlfriend but I still haven't told her."

He went silent for a moment then asked, "Why haven't you told her?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling bad for her because it was always harder on people who were alone.

"Haven't you ever treated a lesbian patient before?"

Michael quickly shook his head. "I have, Jaime. You're not my first. One of my closest friends is a lesbian," he said, thinking about Andy and her limitless generosity.

"Then why did you go silent after I mentioned that I had a girlfriend?"

"I went silent because you mentioned you haven't told your girlfriend."

She smiled. "Sorry, I've always been sensitive when it comes my sexuality."

"It's okay, tell me, how're you feeling?"

"A little out of breath but none of the extreme side effects have started to affect me yet."

"They will and once they do, I want you to tell me so that we can do something about it." He cared a lot about his patients because he knew how challenging cancer could be on the psyche, especially on patients without a proper support system. "When do you intend to tell her?"

"Her name is Elsie and I've been meaning to tell her since you first told me. I just don't know how to break it to her or even if I should."

She spoke with so much fear and confidence at the same time, Michael was at a loss for words. "Do you love her?"

Jaime nodded.

"Does she love you?"

Jaime nodded again.

"Then you should tell her. I don't think she'd appreciate you keeping something as big as this to yourself when she could help ease the burden. For whatever reason that you're keeping this to yourself, put yourself in her position and think about how you would feel if you were her."

"You wouldn't understand," she said in a low voice as he finished injecting her.

"Maybe I would," he said softly.

"Are you married?" Jaime asked.

"No, I'm not married."

"Girlfriend?"

He shook his head.

"A single good-looking doctor with a gay girl for a best friend."

They smiled at each other.

"Take it easy. I'll see you in a couple of days." He gently patted her shoulder when he finished and walked out.

***

Most of the time Jaime felt like she had drifted apart from Elsie. It felt like they were just roommates sharing an apartment since they hardly ever slept together anymore. In fact, Jaime could hardly remember the last time she had touched Elsie or been intimate with her.