Doctor-Patient Confidentiality: New Adult Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

Chapter Twenty-Four

💕Author's Note: Hey, gorgeous! Read ahead (over 100 chapters) by becoming a patron at www.EmendedHearts.com/join

💗💗💗

I'd managed to beat the worst of the impending snowstorm last night, but not by much. Thankfully, the forecasts don't expect any more snowstorms for the rest of the weekend. The memorial service doesn't start for another two hours, but I'm already showered and dressed so I figure I'll set the table for later.

I grab a bunch of paper plates from Gran's pantry, and I can't help but notice how they're vibrating, but only because the hands that are holding them are trembling. Truth be told, I couldn't get much sleep last night, and I guess I'm still quite a bit shaky from the near accident yesterday.

Just remembering the way I felt when my car swerved like that is giving me a serious case of goosebumps. How the hell would I have even explained flipping my car over or swerving into a pole to Gran, and on a day like this, no less? The fact that I almost crashed my car on my way to a memorial is ironic to say the least, and only makes me think of how fickle life can be.

I grumble as I set the stack of paper plates on the dining table right next to the pile of gorgeous porcelain china ones that Gran stubbornly insists on having out for the guests. I think it's completely unnecessary, and will ultimately be a pain in both our asses, but all she keeps saying is special occasions call for special silverware.

In her defense, and even though I don't want to admit it, I guess she is right. Even though I personally don't think the guests deserve to eat off her valuable china—especially since the set had been one of her prize wedding gifts all those decades ago—but at the end of the day, it's her china, her house, and the memory of her husband we're celebrating. She has the final say, so I try to keep my reservations to myself and go along with it.

I look over the table and sigh at just how much food and silverware is all over it. I try not to think about how annoying it's going to be to clean all of this up after hours and hours of forced conversation with our "guests" preceded by even more hours at the memorial service in the church.

I also try not to think about what it will be like when Danny and I see each other. I completely know what to expect from Jennifer so I'm sure there won't be any surprises there. I still find it interesting that even though they're both my half-siblings, I've never even for a moment thought of Jennifer as my sister. I can't see myself calling or even thinking of her as 'Jen' the way everyone else does. Danny and I, on the other hand, had been close at one point in time, or at least I thought we had, but that's obviously changed—drastically, might I add—and now my relationship with him is just like it is with his older sister; non-existent.

"The original Gallos," they call themselves. Well, Jennifer does, anyway. I know she does it to spite me and my mother for "stealing" their father from them, never mind that he was my father, too.

Danny's never explicitly said the phrase himself, at least not to my face, but he's never exactly disagreed with her on the matter, either. Heck, I'm not sure he's ever disagreed with her on anything—especially anything concerning the "second-hand Gallos".

Whatever the case is between us, I just hope we can all be civil, if only for today. I really don't want any drama whatsoever, especially not now that I'm contending with this thing going on with my stomach and the financial issues it's posing. I have more than enough to worry about as it is. I definitely don't need any more problems added into the mix.

***

I glance at my watch and it stares back at me, telling me it's exactly 11:00AM—and also time for the memorial service to start. From the corner of my eye, I see a couple who I'm pretty sure are the last two people coming for the service trickling through the main entrance of the church just as the pastor motions for us to rise. They both nod at Gran and I in acknowledgment as they walk by us, offering a pair of sympathetic smiles just before taking their seats.