Lifeline

Chapter 4; My Hope.

"Move on, but don't forget the past. It makes your present and moulds your future." By N. J

*3 years ago*

I had just begun my fellowship at the New York Central Hospital, NYCH, and was 3 months into what I thought was a beautiful relationship.

Luke, my boyfriend, was awesome and he treated me like a princess. He was everything you'd want in a guy. His only downside - his ego and his temper.

Luke was very prideful especially when it came to money. I wasn't filthy rich but I was well-off. My parents had paid all my student loans and still had me on an allowance. Luke wasn't rich and it angered him from time to time.

Today was one of those times. It was our 3 month anniversary. My shift at the hospital began at 1pm and I was also covering the night shift for a friend, so I'd suggested we have an anniversary breakfast instead of a dinner.

It was so touching how Luke remembered we'd reached our 3-month mark today. He even had it highlighted in his planner. He played his game oh so well.

He took me to a quaint little cafe just around the outskirts of the town. It had a view of the lake. Since I had to go to work after our date, I'd seen it wise to go with my own car. Thank God I'd made that decision.

It was an hour drive from town to the cafe. When I arrived, it was a task to find a parking spot but I eventually did. I didn't know a lot about cars but I knew my grey Maserati Levante Trofeo - which held the promise of the ultimate combination of leading on-road performance and off-road capabilities - was definitely getting me a lot of attention.

I stepped out of the car and locked it. I looked up to find 'Lily's Cafe' painted in red just above the double doors.

I walked in and was met with the delicious smell of pancakes. The cafe had a homey feel to it and I'd highly commend the interior designer who had managed to find a compromise between home and modernity.

I spotted Luke at a table which had a perfect and clear view of the Lake.
He had an exact semblance to Ken in all those Barbie movies I'd watched as a little girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes and lean. He stood 6ft meaning I only came up his chin or so without heels.

He was dressed in a crisp white shirt paired with black jeans and his favorite pair of white converse. He looked handsome and he knew it. He was proudly basking in the attention he was receiving from the female population. I wasn't the jealous type, so it didn't surprise me to wave off their stares.

I made my way over to him before he'd finally noticed me. He stood up and gave me a quick peck on the lips before helping me sit. Luke was a man of very few words and I respected him for that.

A waiter, probably still in high school, came by to have us place our orders.

"Hello, I'm Derick and I'll be your waiter for today," he smiled. "Are you ready to order?" He asked eyeing our untouched menus on the table. Before I could reply, Luke spoke up.

"We'll both have today's special along with a glass of orange juice for the lady and a cup of coffee for me." He spoke curtly.

I gave a small smile at his preference for me. I didn't drink coffee like all other Americans out there, sue me!

"Good choice. I'll be right back." Derick scribbled on his notepad after blatantly checking me out and passing me a wink before leaving. Luke had noticed what he did and simply resumed whatever it was he was doing on his phone.