Chapter 45
***JACK***
2 YEARS AGO.
I looked up as Larissa walked out of the examination hall with a smile on her face.
She threw her hands in the air happily and I stood up to go meet her.
"That's it, I'm done with my Medical licensing examination!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"How was it?" I asked her and she nodded confidently.
"It was fine, I'm sure I did well," she replied and I smiled. I also didn't have any doubt that she passed the examination, she has always been at the top of her class.
We walked out of the building and strolled to where I parked my car.
"I'm taking us to a restaurant so we can celebrate," I said with a smile as she climbed into the car. I climbed in too and shut the door, turning sideways to face her and seeing that she didn't seem so excited again.
"Oh, Jack, I'm sorry, I'm really tired and I want to go home to rest," she said and the smile on my face slowly dropped.
"Plus Margaret said she's going to make us lunch," she added.
I forced a smile and nodded, "Yes, let's go home."
I started the car and began to drive. I slowly reversed the car before driving forward and making a smooth turn to the left onto the main road.
I pulled the gear as I increased the car's speed. I glanced sideways and saw that Larissa was scrolling through her phone.
She looked up, noticing I was staring and I forced a smile that she returned before I looked back at the road.
Ever since Larissa came to live with us, I found myself slowly falling for her. I've tried several times to show or tell her how I feel, but it was like she was deliberately avoiding it.
She didn't know anyone else closely and even though I feared it, throughout her 4 years in medical college, she didn't date any guy.
So I had no idea why it felt like she was trying not to know how I felt. Or maybe I was overthinking it and I just need to find a clear way to tell her how I feel.
We soon arrived at the house and I pulled over on the front porch. She climbed down from the car and I watched her walk into the house while I sighed and leaned back into the car seat.
I remained there for a while before climbing down and entering the house.
"I'm so happy for you, I'm sure you'll make a great doctor especially if you work as a resident under Jack," I heard my mom say and she looked up as she saw me.
"The kids are gonna be excited when I tell them that their mom is gonna be a doctor," my mom said looking so excited.
They were still at school now and I would go pick them up in the evening.
"Jack, I asked Frank to cover your shifts so you owe him," my mom said and I nodded.
"Sure."
"Come with me, I need to teach you how to make Jack's favorite food," my mom said to Larissa and I smiled.
It was obvious that she wanted to match me and Larissa and he didn't even try to hide it.
I watched as they both left for the kitchen, and I went upstairs to my room. I changed out of the cloth I was wearing into a swear shirt and pants before climbing back downstairs.
I was hungry and couldn't wait till the food was ready so I walked to the fridge and grabbed myself a bottle of coke and leftover pizza.
I went to sit in the sitting room in front of the TV and grabbed the remote. I turned on the TV and opened the Netflix app. I was watching a show called The Night Agent last night and I loved the first episode I watched. I grabbed the coke and was about to open it, but I decided to have coffee instead.
I stood up and returned the coke to the fridge before walking to the kitchen. As I got close to the door, I heard my mom talking to Larissa and I stopped to listen.
"I didn't think you and Jack were going to come home straight after the exam," my mom said as she chopped onions on a board while Larissa stood in front of the sink, washing the beef.
"Yeah, he wanted us to go to a restaurant, but I was tired so we had to come home," Larissa said and I couldn't see what was going on in her face as her back was turned to the door.
"I don't want to be nosy or interfere in the relationship between the both of you, but do you know he likes you?" My mom asked.
What was she doing? I need to tell her that myself.
I looked at Larisa for a reaction, but it looked like she had frozen as her hands were no longer moving.
She was like that for a while before turning around to face my mom and she laughed.
"Like me?" She chuckled, "Jack doesn't like me, it's funny to even think so," she replied and laughed again, dropping the bowl she was holding on the kitchen counter.
"I know my son and I can tell how he feels about you," my mom said as she went to carry a pot. She filled it with water from the tap and went to set it on the cooker.
"I also know that his love life hasn't exactly been bed and roses. He's had his heart broken many times," she continued and I sighed. I wanted to go in there and tell her to stop telling Larissa all these things, but I also didn't want them to know I'd been eavesdropping, especially Larissa.
"But he is a kind person and he has a good heart. After my husband died, he came to live with me so I wouldn't feel lonely," she said and I frowned a bit as I remembered the death of my dad.
There was a boat accident, and he went into the water to save the drowning victims himself. He was able to get most of them out, but he had grown tired and he ended up drowning. My mom was devastated for weeks and she wouldn't eat or leave her room.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do, but if you give him a chance, the two of you will be happy together."