I woke up at seven in the morning, and this time, I had not forgotten that I was temporarily suspended from work; still, it makes me mad just thinking about it. I had almost dedicated half of my life to this, and yet all it took was Hunter's words to keep me from the hospital and stuck inside my home. If only I had not been too affected by the case of Riley Martins, then maybe I would not be in this situation, but Hunter would definitely scowl at me if he heard me say that and knew that the man who I was pointing fingers at is now my boyfriend.
I am aware of how complicated my relationship with Riley is and how something unthinkable has happened to me. I would certainly become a laughingstock if they heard that the Great Dr. Do believes that someone could be from the future, but I could care less about that. These people barely know a thing about me, nor do I even want them to. However, the thing that Riley told me that day, that a portal in this world would appear someday and might destroy half of the city, concerns me, especially since he has no idea where it is going to appear or when. But at the same time, more than anything, I want him to come back to where he belongs rather than stay here and die.
The bell to the door snapped me out of my thoughts, and I nearly spilled my hot cup of coffee. My smile turned to a frown when I opened it, only to see the doctor who had confined me to my house for thirty days. Oh, the wide smile that is on his face right now makes me want to run him over by my car. Before I could slam it shut in front of his happy face, Hunter blocked his left foot as he cried out in pain. I grinned, satisfied that the criminal had gotten what he deserved. Hunter raised his hands to the level of his shoulders, showing me two plastic bags, and said, "Have you had breakfast yet?"
"I should say that you've got plenty of time to kill, huh? If not, you wouldn't have come here just to bring me breakfast."
Hunter placed the bags on top of the table as he put out the takeout food from them. He opened the first one in front of me. The smell coming from the bowl is making me drool; it is one of my favorite soups, and it would be a crime if I did not get a taste of it, no matter how angry I am at the man who brought it. I heard a little laughter from him as I glared. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist this. Anyway, I just got off work and thought how you must be frustrated about the fact that you were banned from the hospital."
"That was your doing."
Hunter shrugged. "You'll thank me later, Katarina. I mean, think of your patients! If they know the doctor that is tending to them is not well either, wouldn't that cause you big trouble? Pretty sure you wouldn't want to ruin your great, great reputation."
I grabbed the spoon beside the bowl and started slurping the delicious soup. I really do not like it when he turns into doctor mode in front of me, because I cannot disagree with anything that he says, just like this. But then he would not have made it this far if he was not good at his job, and I should say that Hunter is far better than good. He clearly deserves his title and his license.
"Anything happen for the first five days at home?"
"Nothing; however, Riley came over to explain everything; now I've got a better idea about who he is and where he is from. It was hard to believe, but then, if you were there, I think you would not doubt him as well."
"Where exactly did he come from? Since we're already talking about him, I'm going to ask you, and besides, I am your doctor."
"I was not informed that I had a consultation appointment today, doctor."
Hunter was tight-lipped, but then responded with, "Oh, come on. I am not only your doctor, but also your friend... whom you trust. And, you know how unhealthy it was to keep all of your emotions to yourself, don't you? So go on, Katarina, speak to me about it." I could only laugh at his excuse but went on with telling him about the true identity of Riley and where he came from. I do not think he would like it if I were to tell Hunter the reason why he had come back to the past; it was rather personal. I left out some of the details, but I think I've given Perez enough information about his good friend, whom he apparently barely knows.
"What was his world like? Did he tell you?" I tilted my head to the side and smirked. I did not think that Hunter would be interested in the kind of world that Riley lives in. He looked away in embarrassment. "I mean, are you not curious? The world he is from is probably so far from this one, don't you think? Technology must have taken over, and who knows, they could have flying cars over there!"
"You know what I think?" Hunter leaned in closer. "You should talk with Riley to get the answers that you want. I think Riley would be happy to hear that his good friend accepts him for what he truly is."
"Then," Hunter dropped the spoon on the table and looked into my eyes. "what about your relationship with him? As far as I am concerned, this man from the future is helplessly in love with you. Are there any changes with your status?"
My eyes turned to the bowl of warm soup as my head nodded slowly. "I could not hide my true feelings anymore; there is no point in doing so when Riley has already seen right through me. Riley has done so much for me, Hunt, and I do not think that I could ever meet another man like him, so I decided to take his hand. What good would it do if I postponed it for later? Tomorrow is never promised, especially for the two of us. I never know when could be my last day with him, you know? I want us to make a lot of memories before the day comes that we will part... forever."
That night, I had another dream of my terrifying past. There was nothing new, until I caught a glimpse of a woman who seemed to be in her mid-30's, with black-laced gloves, an expensive-looking dress that rests an inch above the floor, and her hair that was in huge curls. Her eyes were dark brown—almost black, if I may say—and her curls were of the same color. I could not recall if that woman was my mother, though. But she would not appear in my dreams if she weren't someone important in my life, right? If she hadn't played a huge role in my life, then my brain would never have cared to remember her face.
I got up from the bed and opened my laptop. I checked if my sister, Antonia, was online, then sighed in relief when she was, even though it was already so late at night. I sent her a message, asking if she could give me the contact number of her mother, as I believe that she might know a thing or two about who I am. If she does not, then probably the orphanage where she and her husband found me. I am pretty sure that place holds a lot of information about me. Suddenly, my phone started to ring. It was my sister.
"Hey." I greeted and sounded as cheerful as can be.
"It's been ages since you've contacted me; how are you doing? Mom and Dad have been asking me nonstop whether I've gotten in touch with you or not. You know how sad they were when you said you'd move out of our home."
I let out another breath. "Yeah, but you have to know that I did it for personal reasons; it had nothing to do with Mom and Dad. You know that, right? I loved you all like my real family."
I heard a clattering noise at the other end of the line. I guessed that Antonia was still at work at this late hour; I felt special to know that she called me even though she was busy. "But did you find anything about your real family? Is that why you are asking for mother's phone number?"
"That is right, although I am still not sure, but I reckon that Mom might know even a little bit about who I am before I became her child and your older sister."
"We should meet to discuss all of this, don't you think? Mom and Dad would be delighted if they heard that you wanted to meet them; after all, Katarina, you are still our family; you are Katarina Do-Larsson."
I could not hold back the smile that my lips were determined to draw across my face. Words are not enough to describe how my sister's words have moved me; I must say that they really are the family that I always hoped to have, and it was not a coincidence that my mother had caught me tripping over my own feet and landing on top of her. I basically tackled her, and that was just the start of my story with the Larsson family. I could not feel any luckier than today because, because of them, I have experienced how it was to have some people love you unconditionally.
I heard Antonia call for my name as I chuckled and answered, "Yeah, we could do that. Please, let's have a family dinner once more. Tomorrow."
"Oh, yes!" she squealed. "I'm going to call Mom right now! Bye!" Right there, the phone call was cut, but the grin on my face did not leave me. I shook my head, looking down on my phone screen, then locked it and tossed it on the bed.
I might need to thank Hunter after all for granting me a month off of work, for if he had not done so, I would never have some time to catch up with my family.